118 Russell Hall 570-484-2344
F. A. H o m e E-mail
your questions to:
sfs@lhup.edu
Verification
Why is my FAFSA being verified?
What happens if my FAFSA is selected for verification review?
What documents do
I have to submit and to whom?
What does the
Student Financial Services Office do with my documents?
I thought I already
turned in the documents required for verification. Why do you need more
information?
What can I do to speed up the process if my FAFSA is selected for verification
review?
What happens if something was filled out incorrectly on FAFSA application?
What is Verification?
Each
year the U.S. Department of Education selects financial aid applicants for
federal verification review. This
process requires Lock Haven University (LHU) to verify that the
information provided on the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is accurate. For purposes of this
review, students are asked to
submit certain documentation to the Student Financial Services Office, such as
federal tax returns and W-2 wage
and tax statements (i.e. W-2 forms).
Why is my FAFSA being verified?
There are several
possibilities:
- Some
FAFSA applications are selected randomly.
- Some
applications are submitted with incomplete data or conflicting information.
- Some
applications are categorized as having a high probability of error (e.g.
applications on which
students provide estimated, not actual, income tax information).
What happens if my FAFSA is selected for verification review?
If your application is selected for verification review, the
Student Aid Report (SAR) you receive from the
Federal FAFSA Processor will say so. The LHU Student Financial Services Office will
also notify you that your
FAFSA has been selected to be verified and will ask you to submit copies of
certain documents you used to
complete your FAFSA.
- A
complete signed copy of student and parent (if the student is
dependent) U.S. Income Tax Returns.
This includes any related 1099s and supporting schedules.
- A copy of student and
parent (if the student is dependent) W-2 wage and tax statements
(i.e. W-2 forms)
- A
Verification Form, which we will send to you. This form is also
available
online.
Please submit the
documents to: Student
Financial Services
Lock
Haven University
Lock Haven, PA 17745
Please note that follow-up
requests for additional information may be
necessary based on our initial
review of the documentation you submit.
What does the Student Financial Services Office do with my documents?
The documents you submit
become part of your LHU financial aid file. The information on those documents
is compared to the FAFSA information provided to us by the Federal FAFSA
Processor.
I thought I
already turned in the documents required for verification. Why do you need more
information?
For many students, the process
consists simply of a review of the tax returns, W-2 forms and the Verification
Form they submit. But sometimes we discover inconsistencies which must be
resolved. When this happens,
we typically send requests for additional information by mail.
What can I do to speed up the process if my FAFSA is selected for verification
review?
- Submit
all requested documents to the Student Financial Services Office as soon as
possible.
- Submit
all requested documents at the same time.
- Make sure
the documents you submit are legible and signed where applicable.
- Make
sure all documents submitted are clearly labeled with the student's name and
LHU ID
number.
- Please
be
patient. A large number of student applications are verified, and it takes
time for our staff to
process the large volume of paper work. Periodically
checking on the status of your file is a good idea.
You may give us a call
at 570-484-2344, or stop by the office, 123 Russell Hall,
during office hours.
What
happens if something was filled out incorrectly on my FAFSA?
If any
errors are discovered, we
will correct your FAFSA. If the error(s) changes the amount of financial aid for
which you are eligible, we will send you a revised financial aid award notice
listing any changes in your financial
aid package. In addition, the Federal FAFSA
Processor will send you a revised Student Aid Report (SAR),
which will reflect
the corrections we make to your FAFSA. Finally, in the case of an
overpayment (i.e. you
receive funds in excess of the amount for which you ultimately qualify), we will
return the funds for which you
do not qualify to the appropriate source (e.g. federal government; lender), and
you will be billed for any amount
owed to Lock Haven University.