FAFSA Verification

The U.S. Department of Education does not share the model used to select FAFSAs for verification. Most are randomly selected, but here are some items that may lead to verification:

• FAFSA includes incomplete data or contradictory data
• Taxes paid are inconsistent with an estimate based on the adjusted gross income and the number of exemptions claimed on the federal income tax return
• FAFSA indicates that no tax return was filed, but income exceeds the IRS filing thresholds
• Marital status as reported on the FAFSA is different from marital status reported on the federal income tax return
• FAFSA reports zero income or income that’s too low to support the student (below the income protection allowance thresholds)
• Family size on the FAFSA differs significantly from the number of exemptions claimed on the federal income tax return

Your FAFSA Submission Summary will indicate you were selected. Selected Mercyhurst students will be sent a letter that details the documents required to complete verification. An email will also be sent to your Mercyhurst Lakers email address, informing you of your selection and what is needed.

You will have 30 days upon notification from Mercyhurst to submit your verification documents. If you cannot submit your documentation within that timeframe, please contact Student Financial Services.

You can email documents to sfsverif@mercyhurst.edu, fax to 814-824-2072, or mail your documents to: 

Mercyhurst Student Financial Services
501 East 38th Street
Erie, PA 16546

Please redact all social security numbers and banking information.

Upon submission of all requested documents, it can take up to three weeks for your verification material to be reviewed. Once reviewed, you will be notified of any additional documentation needed. If nothing further is required, your information will be processed and your financial aid file will be complete. Students will receive notification via email when verification has been completed. 

Typically, we begin awarding our returning students who have completed the FAFSA in mid-May. However, if you are selected for verification, your offer letter will not show federal student loans nor federal Pell grant (if applicable)/work-study (if applicable) until all required documentation is submitted and the verification process is complete.

Verification may require different documents, but the most common type requires the following forms:

• Verification Worksheet - Be sure to read the instructions carefully. If a mistake is made while filling out the form, cross it off and initial. Do not use whiteout on this form
• Signed and dated copy of your Federal tax return filed with the IRS for the tax year reported on the FAFSA
• If a non-tax filer, all W-2 Forms for both the student and the parent(s)

We may request additional or alternative documentation based on the verification process for which you were selected.

To request a Tax Return transcript, please visit www.irs.gov and choose "Get your tax record." You may also contact the IRS at 1-800-908-9946.

If the taxes were amended by the taxpayer who submitted a 1040X form, you will need to provide documentation showing the original and changed data:

• A signed copy of the Form 1040-X with all schedules that were filed with the IRS for the specified year AND one of the following:
  • A signed copy of the original Form 1040 tax return and all attached schedules that were filed with the IRS for the year being verified
  • OR an IRS Tax Return transcript (can be obtained through a request on the www.irs.gov website) 

In lieu of Form 1040-X, provide a Tax Account transcript from irs.gov or the CP letter you received from the IRS indicating the changes AND one of the following:

• A signed copy of the original Form 1040 tax return and all attached schedules that were filed with the IRS for the year being verified
• OR an IRS Tax Return transcript (can be obtained through a request on the irs.gov website)

• A signed and dated copy of the federal tax return that was submitted to the IRS is required for all tax filers- one for each parent
• If “Married filing separately” is the filing status but one spouse did not file, submit all W-2s for the non-filing spouse if the spouse worked at all in the year being verified

Victims of identity theft who cannot get a return transcript or retrieve and disclose federal tax information on the FAFSA must submit a Tax Return DataBase View (TRDBV) transcript, as well as a statement they have signed and dated indicating that they were victims of tax-related identity theft and that the IRS has been made aware of it. They do this by calling the IRS’s Identity Protection Specialized Unit (IPSU) at 800-908-4490. After the IPSU authenticates the tax filer’s identity, they can ask the IRS to mail them the TRDBV transcript. The TRDBV can be used for verification.

If you are missing a W-2, contact your employer for a replacement copy.

In some instances, such as self-employment, you may not receive a W-2 for earnings reportable on the tax return. In such circumstances, indicate the amount and source of income on your verification worksheet.

Please provide all of the following:

• An unexpired IRS approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension
• W-2s or equivalents for each source of employment income received for the specified tax year
• If self-employed, a signed statement certifying the amount of adjusted gross income (AGI) and tax paid for the specified tax year

Mercyhurst University is required to correct any conflicting information found during the verification process. If the corrections impact the student’s financial aid eligibility, the student’s financial aid awards must be adjusted accordingly.

If a student/family does not provide the verification materials, the verification is incomplete.  Mercyhurst would be unable to award federal Title IV aid until verification is completed.