Verification

You might see a note on the FAFSA Submission Summary (available at fafsa.gov) indicating verification is required; or you will have unsatisfied financial aid award requirements on MySAIL requesting verification documents be submitted. Oakland University’s Student Financial Services acts as an agent of the U.S. Department of Education and is responsible for requesting documentation which supports the information reported on the FAFSA.

Requested documents are due within 14 days of the requested date shown in MySAIL. Students who do not submit requested documents by the due date are putting their financial aid at risk of being delayed or canceled. Students are responsible for paying the balance on the eBill by the semester due date, regardless of the status of their financial aid. Students who do not pay the balance by the due date are subject to cancellation of their classes and on-campus housing (if applicable) and/or late payment penalties. Learn more about the consequences of late payments.

The Internal Revenue Service Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) allows most users to consent to have federal tax information transferred from the IRS.

If you are selected for verification and were unable to use the FA-DDX, please request and submit a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS.

The verification process is usually completed within 2-3 weeks. All requested documents need to be submitted for review in order for our office to start the verification process. We may request additional documents to clarify discrepancies. It is important all documents are completely filled out the first time to avoid having to resubmit due to incomplete documentation, as processing may be delayed. You should submit documents quickly so financial aid will be available by the semester due date.

Victims of identity theft cannot use the FA-DDX, and instead, will need to submit:

• a Transcript Database View (TRDBV) by calling the IRS's Identity Protection Specialized Unit (IPSU) toll-free at (800) 908-4490. After the IPSU authenticates the fax filer's identity, he or she can ask the IRS to mail the TRDBV, which will look different than a regular tax return transcript, but is official and can be used for the verification process. View the IRS Identity Theft website for more information
• a statement signed and dated by the tax filer indicating they were victims of IRS tax-related identity theft and the IRS has been made aware of the tax-related identity theft

Individuals who filed an IRS tax extension will need to submit all of the following documents.

• A signed statement listing the sources of any 2022 income and the amount of income from each source;
• A copy of the IRS's approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension for tax year 2022;
• A copy of IRS Form W–2 for each source of 2022 employment income received or an equivalent document;
• If self-employed, the signed statement must indicate the amount of estimated AGI and U.S. income tax paid for tax year 2022.

Student Financial Services is required to verify that students graduated high school, received a GED equivalent, or are able to transfer 60 or more credits. Eligibility for federal aid is based on completion of high school education and university enrollment.

If students submit high school graduation information to another campus office, they may still be required to submit proof to Student Financial Services to expedite and satisfy the requirement. The following are acceptable to satisfy the proof of high school graduation requirement; please submit one of the following documents no later than 30 days before the semester begins:

• A copy of your high school diploma.
• A copy of your final high school transcript that shows the date when the diploma was awarded.
• A copy of your General Educational Development (GED) certificate or GED transcript.
• An academic transcript that indicates you successfully completed at least 60 transferable credits.
• A copy of your completion of an associate's degree.
• If state law requires a homeschooled student to obtain a secondary school completion credential for homeschool (other than a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent), a copy of that credential.
• If state law does not require a homeschooled student to obtain a secondary school completion credential for homeschool (other than a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent), a transcript or the equivalent, signed by a cognizant authority, that lists the secondary school courses the student completed and documents the successful completion of a secondary school education in a homeschool setting.
• Students with a foreign high school transcript must obtain a course-by-course transcript evaluation by NACES-Foreign Credential Evaluations for high schools attended outside the U.S.

If you are a first-time freshman student, you are also required to provide your final high school transcript with your final grades and high school graduation date to OU’s Undergraduate Admissions office.

If Student Financial Services has reason to question the validity of the high school, the diploma, the transcript, or the GED, a student may be asked to provide additional documentation directly from Parchment, their high school, or the institution granting the credential.