FAFSA Verification

What is Verification?
Verification is the process used to confirm the accuracy of the information reported on selected FAFSAs. You may be selected for verification by the Department of Education or by Gordon College. The SFS Office will notify students that they have been selected for verification and will provide a personalized list of documents needed to complete the verification process. The financial aid awarding process is not finished until verification has been completed. If there are differences between your FAFSA and the documents you’ve submitted, corrections will be made to the FAFSA by our office, and your financial aid award will be adjusted accordingly.

Please refer to our correspondence to determine which documents we have requested. The FAFSA Verification process is year-specific—please select the forms for the correct academic year.

Ready to upload your documents? Click here.

COMPLETE REQUESTED DOCUMENTS

For students seeking to complete verification for the 2022-23 academic year, please contact SFS directly.

Verification Worksheet Form
- Download 2023–2024 Dependent Verification Form
- Download 2023–2024 Independent Verification Form
Tax and Income Information Needed
- Submit all related W-2s
- For tax filers, complete one of the options below:
  - Successfully use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) when completing or correcting the FAFSA
  - Submit a signed copy of the 2021 IRS Tax Return with Schedules 1, 2 & 3
  - Submit an IRS Tax Return Transcript (requested from irs.gov)
- For non-filers: complete relevant Non-Filing Statement(s) below; for independent students and parents only, please also submit an “IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter” as instructed on the form below
Other Documents as Requested by the SFS Office
High School Completion and Identity Verification
The completion of this process will require submission of a final high school transcript or its equivalent, and identification documentation in person. Students will be notified if they are required to provide this type of verification information.

OBTAINING TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT & NON-FILING VERIFICATION STATEMENTS

Using the FAFSA's IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) – recommended option
The U.S. Department of Education created an enhancement to the FAFSA filing process by allowing students and parents to retrieve tax data directly from the IRS. If you have not already done so, log in to your FAFSA at (fafsa.gov) and click on “LINK TO IRS.” This process will import your tax data directly from the IRS to your FAFSA and can be done by both students and parents if you each filed taxes.

Using an IRS Tax Return, IRS Tax Transcript or Verification of Non-Filing letter
If you are unable or unwilling to use the Data Retrieval Tool, you will need to either submit an IRS Tax Return with Schedules 1, 2 and 3 or request an IRS Tax Return Transcript directly from the IRS.

To request a Tax Return Transcript, please navigate to irs.gov, click on "Get Your Tax Record" and follow the instructions. Tax filers may expect to receive a response in the mail within 5 to 10 days. Please write the student's name and ID number on each transcript page before submitting it to our office.

If you did not file, please reference the instructions on the Non-Filing Statement above.

(Click to enlarge tax transcript examples)

UPLOAD DOCUMENTS TO OUR SECURE DROPBOX

Student Financial Services provides a secure dropbox for you to upload all of your verification documents. The password to our dropbox is included in the communication you received by mail and/or email. If you do not have the password, you may call our office at 978-867-4246.

When submitting your documents, please start your document title with the student's last name and first initial.

ACCESS DROPBOX