St. Mary's Hall

Federal Verification

Federal verification is a process which requires institutions to verify the accuracy of information provided on a student's FAFSA in an effort to assure federal aid is distributed to those who are eligible. Approximately 30% of FAFSA applications are selected by the federal processor for verification each year.

Schools may be required to verify all or any of the following criteria:

  • Household size (number of people in your household)
  • Number enrolled in college (number of household members attending a post-secondary educational institution at least half time)
  • Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or income earned from work if income is below minimum required for income tax filing
  • U.S. Income Tax Paid for the base year
  • Certain Untaxed Income and Benefits for the base year, such as:
    • Education credits
    • Untaxed IRA distributions
    • Untaxed pensions
    • IRA deductions
    • Interest on tax free bonds
  • Child Support Paid for the base year 
  • Receipt of Food Stamps/SNAP benefits for base and prior year 
  • High school completion status
  • Identity/Statement of educational purpose
Please remember that your initial financial aid award is determined using your most current FAFSA information. If you are awarded while still under verification, your need-based financial aid could be increased, decreased or canceled altogether based upon the review of your verification documents.

Documentation Requirements

University of Dayton students selected for verification will be notified via email to log in to Porches to determine which documents are needed. All requested documentation should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid within 30 day of request. Failure to do so may result in the reduction and/or cancellation of any need-based federal, state, or university aid. 

Verification Worksheet

The verification worksheet is used to verify self-reported household size, household number in college, SNAP benefits and child support paid. Select the form for the academic year for which you have been selected. 

Acceptable IRS Documentation

To satisfy our request for IRS documentation, please read all of the options below, then select one: 

  • IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) - This option is recommended by the University of Dayton and should be the option you try first. It provides you with the fastest, easiest and most secure way to verify your tax data. Learn  more >>> 
     
  • IRS Tax Return Transcript - To request an IRS tax return transcript, call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946, complete the IRS online request form, or file IRS Form 4056-EZ. Use this option when the filer 
    • was not deemed eligible to use the IRS DRT, 
    • originally transferred the IRS data to the FAFSA using DRT but then updated the IRS data manually, or 
    • filed an amended tax return. In this case, the filer must also submit a signed copy of IRS Form 1040X to us. 
  • Signed Copy of Tax Return - Acceptable only if submitted under the following conditions:
    • the filer has filed a Commonwealth of Puerto Rico return,
    • the filer has filed a foreign tax return,
    • the filer has filed an amended federal tax return. In this case, the filer must also submit a signed copy of IRS Form 1040X to us.