Verification

Verification is a requirement mandated by the US Department of Education

APSU verifies student records selected by the Central Processing System (entity that processes FAFSA data). No less than 30 percent of FAFSA application will be randomly  selected. Students will be notified of selection of verification, of corrections made, and award changes by e-mail and/or AP One Stop. Typically, notifications of corrections and/or award changes occur within 3-4 weeks of receipt of documents needed.  Please note processing time may increase during peak periods such as July, August and January.

To complete verification, students must provide certain information/documents to APSU. We check the documentation/data provided against the reported information on the FAFSA to determine if there are errors. If there are errors, we will correct the errors through the Central Processing System.

Verification of Income Documentation

Tax return information must be submitted to our office in one of two ways:  1) IRS Data Retrieval Tool or 2) IRS Transcript. 

IRS Data Retrieval Tool: is the best and most secure way to verify income.  This tool is contained within the online FAFSA. If you have not already used the tool, go to www.FAFSA.ed.gov, log into your FAFSA record, select “Make FAFSA Corrections,” and navigate to the Financial Information section of the form.  From there, follow the instructions to determine if you are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer 2011 IRS income tax information to your FAFSA).  It may take up to two weeks for IRS income information to be available for electronic IRS tax return filers, and up to eight weeks for paper IRS tax return filers. If you need more information about when, or how to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, contact the financial aid office.

• Initially Completing Your FAFSA Using IRS Data Retrieval Instructions:
• Correcting Your FAFSA Using IRS Data Retrieval Instructions:  Only use these instructions if you:

1. Were selected for verification and did not initially use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
2. Estimated your income when initially completing the FAFSA
3. Need to make a correction to your FAFSA

IRS Transcript: is a second method by which you may provide documentation of your income information.  You may contact the IRS at www.IRS.gov and click on the “Order a Return Transcript” link, or call 1-800-908-9946.  Make sure to request the “IRS tax return transcript” and not the “IRS account transcript”. You will need your social security number, date of birth, and the address on file with the IRS (normally this will be the address used when your 2011 IRS tax return was filed).  You may request the transcript be mailed directly to us; however, we are unsure which method is the most expedient.  Our address is Austin Peay State University, Office of Financial Aid, Box 4546, Clarksville, TN 37044.

The only exceptions to the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and the Tax Transcript are as follows:

• For amended tax returns, we can accept a signed copy of the tax return and a signed copy of the 1040X form OR an IRS Tax Return Transcript and a signed copy of the 1040X form.
• For amended tax returns, we can accept a signed copy of the tax return and a signed copy of the 1040X form OR an IRS Tax Return Transcript and a signed copy of the 1040X form.
• For a foreign tax return or a student/parent who filed a tax return in a territory of the U.S., a copy of the tax return filed translated into dollars.
• For students/parents who have been granted a tax filing extension, a copy of IRS Form 4868 (Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File) and copies of all W-2 forms.

Tax Filing Issues

Married filing separately:  if you are married and you and your spouse filed a separate 2012 tax return, you must submit tax return transcripts for both you and your spouse and W2’s for you.  For parents who were married but filed separately in 2012, tax return transcripts for both parents and W2’s for the parent for whom data was put on the FAFSA must be provided.

Filing Extension:   if the student and/or parents were granted a tax filing extension,  a copy of the IRS form 4648 (Application for Automatic Extension) must be provided along with copies of W2’s.  If self-employed, a signed statement with the amount of their estimated adjusted gross income.

If you should have filed a tax return, but did not, verification cannot be completed until the IRS data retrieval is completed, or if you choose not to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you will have to order an IRS Transcript.

We do not award any actual financial aid until the entire verification process is complete.

Timeframe

Required documents must be submitted by our priority deadline of June 1 for Fall term and November 1 for Spring  term for the most efficient processing.  The final deadline for submitting to our office is not later than one week prior to the September 29, 2014 Federal deadline or 120 days after your last day of enrollment for the current award year or September of that award year, whichever is earlier.  After that time, you forfeit eligibility for federal student aid for the award year. NOTE: this is for verification paperwork purposes only. All other deadline dates remain the same.

** If you do not provide requested documents/data, you will be forfeiting your financial aid**

Independent Student Requirements 2013-2014

• IRS Data Retrieval or IRS Tax Return Transcript for student and spouse (if married) for 2012 tax year.
• Print, complete, and submit the V1 or V2 or V3 or V4, or V5 form(s) for Independents at http://www.apsu.edu/financialaid/verification-forms.  Select the form that is indicated in the student’s AP One Stop/Financial Aid. 
• Other documents if requested.

We will also send email to the student’s APSU email address identifying documents needed.  The form(s) specified on the student’s AP One Stop will be available to print from our website.

Dependent Student Requirements 2013-2014

• IRS Data Retrieval or Tax Return Transcript for the student for 2012 tax year. IRS Data Retrieval or Tax Return Transcript for the parent(s) for 2012 tax year.
• Print, complete, and submit the V1 or V2 or V3 or V4, or V5 form(s) for Dependents at http://www.apsu.edu/financialaid/verification-forms.  Select the form that is indicated in the student’s AP One Stop/Financial Aid. 
• Other documents if requested.

We will also send email to the student’s APSU email address identifying documents needed.  The form(s) specified on the student’s AP One Stop will be available to print from our website