What is Verification?
The federal government requires each college or university to verify, or confirm, the data reported by students and their parent(s) on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Kent State University’s Student Financial Aid Office is a member of the Department of Education’s Quality Assurance Program. Therefore, the Student Financial Aid Office selects approximately 15% of its students for the Verification process. The Verification process ensures that eligible students receive all the financial aid they qualify for and it prevents ineligible students from receiving aid they are not eligible to use.

If I receive my Student Aid Report and it says I am selected for verification, what do I need to do?
Because Kent State University participates in the Quality Assurance Program, the Student Financial Aid Office (and not the federal government) determines which students will be selected for verification and requests the appropriate documentation directly from the student and/or parents. The Student Financial Aid office will contact you by letter, but you can also view the same information on the student’s Flashline account. If your Student Aid Report indicates you were selected for Verification and you plan to attend Kent State University, you can disregard that message.

How can I tell if I have been selected for Kent State University’s Verification process?
If the student is selected for Verification based on Kent State University’s verification guidelines, the Student Financial Aid Office will contact the student and request the appropriate documentation. Required documentation usually includes, but is not limited to, the Verification form, the student’s Federal Income Tax Return and W-2 form, and the parents’ Federal Income Tax Return and W-2 forms (if necessary). Additional documentation may be requested depending on the student’s specific situation. Typically, students can expect to receive notification that they were selected for Verification within 10-14 business days after the Student Financial Aid Office receives the student’s FAFSA results from the federal processors.

What are the consequences if I choose not to submit the requested Verification documentation?
Participation in the Verification process is not optional. If the student does not submit the requested documentation, the student will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid as a Kent State University student and parents of dependent students will not be eligible to receive a PLUS loan.

When is the deadline to submit the required Verification documents?
In order to be considered for the Federal Pell Grant, the deadline to submit all requested information is 120 days after the student’s last date of attendance for the academic year in question (or the federal deadline, which ever comes first). To be considered for all other federal aid programs, including Federal Direct Student Loans and the Federal PLUS Loan, the deadline is 30 days prior to the end of the last semester the student is enrolled for the academic year in question. Students and their families are strongly encouraged to submit all requested information to the Student Financial Aid Office as quickly as possible.

How do I obtain the forms necessary to complete the Verification process?
The Verification forms will be mailed directly to the student. The forms can also be downloaded from the Forms section of Kent State University’s Student Financial Aid Office website.

How long does the Verification process take and how will I know when the Verification process is completed?
The Verification process takes approximately 4 weeks to complete after all the required documentation has been submitted to the Student Financial Aid Office. After the review process is complete, the student’s financial aid awards will be adjusted if necessary. The student will receive notification via email that the Verification process is complete and any changes to the student’s financial aid awards can be viewed in Flashline (logon from the KSU homepage). The student will also receive an award letter via e-mail or postal mail outlining the revised financial aid award package.