VERIFICATION

This is a process in which the information submitted by the student on the 2007-2008 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be documented and verified for accuracy.

How did I get selected for verification?

• Department of Education (ED) selects for one of the following reasons:
  • at random
  • conflicting information
  • missing information
• ORU also has the right to select students 

Will I be considered an Independent or a Dependent student for the purposes of Verification?

• If you can answer “Yes” to any of the following questions, you will be considered an Independent student for academic year 2007-2008.
  
• If you answer “No” to all of the following questions, you will be considered a Dependent student for academic year 2007-2008.
  • Were you born before January 1, 1984?
  • During academic year 2007-2008, will you be enrolled in a master’s or doctorate program?
  • As of the date you completed your FAFSA, were you married?
  • Do you have dependent children or others (excluding spouse) that live with you who receive more than half of their support from you in academic year 2007-2008?
  • Are you an orphan, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward of the court?
  • Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training? 
  • Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

What documents must I submit to the ORU Financial Aid Office so verification can be completed?

• Completed 2007-2008 Verification Worksheet with parent’s signature
  
• Signed copies of 2006 Federal (IRS) tax returns (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, etc.)(if required to file)
  • Dependent students —students’ (single return) and parents’ (joint return or separate returns)
  • Unmarried independent students—students' (single return)
  • Married independent students—student and spouse's (joint return or separate returns)
• Copies of all 2006 W-2s, Misc. Form 1099 (student, spouse, parents) (regardless of filing status)
• Copies of all Federal (IRS) schedules and forms required to file students’, spouse’s, or parents’ 2006 Federal (IRS) tax return

What other documents might be requested in order to complete verification? 

• Social Security benefits statement(s) for 2006 from the Social Security Administration (SSA 1099)
  
• Clergy members must submit a letter from their church/ministry organization stating the amount of housing allowance was received in 2006 or a valued amount for the living in a parsonage in 2006.
  
• Other documentation (as requested by the Verification Coordinator)

                         

How do I receive a Verification Worksheet?

• Verification Worksheets can be completed via http://vision.oru.edu. Log in, click on “Student Services & Financial Aid”, next, click on “Financial Aid”, then click on Verification Worksheet.

What if I (we) do not have copies of my (our) 2006 Federal (IRS) tax returns?

• Contact the IRS office at 1.800.829.1040 and request a line-by-line transcript of your federal 2006 tax return(s).

NOTE: IRS Form 1722 is NOT acceptable.

What if I (we) did not have to file and were not required to file a 2006 Federal (IRS) tax return(s)?

• Complete all applicable information on the Verification Worksheet.
• Submit all W-2s from work in 2006.

What if I (we) have not filed a 2006 Federal (IRS) tax return, but I (we) have filed for an extension?

• Complete all applicable information on the Verification Worksheet.
  
• Submit all W-2s from work in 2006 and a copy of IRS form 4868 (filing extension) .

Once all required documents are received, how long will it take to complete verification?

• Approximately two to three weeks.
  
• Difficult or complex cases can take longer, depending on the complexity of the case.

Once verification is completed, what happens next?

• If there are not any significant differences between the information that was submitted on your FAFSA, as reported to you on a Student Aid Report (SAR), and the information determined through verification, your SAR will be deemed "valid."
  
• If there are significant differences between your SAR and the information determined through verification, your current SAR will be deemed "invalid," and the corrected information would then be deemed as "valid."
  • If your 2007-2008 financial aid package is not affected by the results of verification, your original 2008-2009 financial aid package would then be deemed as "valid."
  • If your 2007-2008 financial aid package is affected by the results of verification, your 2008-2009 financial aid package will be adjusted accordingly.

What are some of the results of having a "valid" Student Aid Report (SAR)?

• Federal PELL and/or FSEOG grants will be applied to the student's account* (if eligible).
  
• Federal subsidized Stafford loans will be disbursed into student’s account* (if applicable).
  
• Campus-based loans (e.g., Perkins) will be disbursed into student's account* (if applicable)
  
• Federal PLUS loans and unsubsidized Stafford loans do not require verification to be completed to be disbursed into the student’s account*

* After student is validated from registration.