Your FAFSA and the Verification Process

FAFSA Verification

Your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) will notify you if you have been selected by the U.S. Department of Education for the process known as verification. Hampshire College may also select you for the verification process. The U.S. Department of Education may select a student based on certain information provided on the FAFSA, or it could be a random selection. Hampshire College may select a student because of inconsistent or conflicting information.

We strongly encourage new students to complete verification well before they arrive on campus as the verification of their data may result in a change in their aid. Continuing students must complete verification before we determine their aid. We do not process one's federal aid (loans and grants) until verification is complete.

Required documentation

The verification process requires the student to complete and return a specific verification worksheet to the financial aid office. There are two different worksheets: Standard and Custom. Students must be sure to complete their specific worksheet. You may view which of the these is required by clicking on the "My Financial Aid" link on TheHub. Students selected for aggregate verification must complete both worksheets. Once you have confirmed which worksheet(s) is required, click here to print the appropriate worksheet(s). 

To verify income and tax data reported on the FAFSA for the student and or parent we may use one of the following methods:

1. Data transferred from the IRS through the IRS data exchange process which is performed at the time of the initial FAFSA application; or
2. A copy of the tax filer's IRS Tax Return Transcript which can be requested at the irs.gov site; or
3. A signed copy of the tax filer's actual IRS tax return; send us Pages 1 and 2 and Schedules 1, 3, C, and F, if applicable. Please be sure to sign the return, using a pen, on the "Sign Here" line on Page 2.

Some additional forms and data may be required for each of the three different worksheets. Carefully read the instructions on your specific worksheet to make sure you provide all of the requested information. Some of the additional information may include an IRS Tax Return Transcript, copies of W-2 forms, or proof that untaxed IRA distributions are a rollover. Depending on your individual situation, we may also request other additional information, such as the 1040X form. These additional forms will appear on your financial aid portal on TheHub.

The Standard worksheet requires the financial aid office to verify the student's family size and the student's and custodial parents' income.

The Custom worksheet requires verification of the student's identity and the student must sign the Statement of Educational Purpose.

The Standard worksheet may be mailed, securely faxed to the financial aid office or uploaded to your financial aid portal. The Custom worksheet cannot be faxed, uploaded, or emailed; this worksheet must be either mailed to the office after being notarized or the student may complete the Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose section of the worksheet in person at the financial aid office.

Resolving conflicting information

There may be conflicting information on your aid application. If so, we need to resolve any conflicting information before we can offer or process aid. You or your parent may be asked to provide documentation to the financial aid office to resolve any issues.

Correcting FAFSA data

Students may make a correction to their FAFSA report to update financial and demographic information. Hampshire College will also make corrections to the student's FAFSA based on information reported on the Verification Worksheet, IRS Tax Return Transcript or tax return, W-2 forms, and other sources.

Verification deadlines

• Fall Term: August 1
• Spring Term: January 15

These are our institutional deadlines to submit the documentation to complete the verification process for students both entering and returning. These dates apply to campus-based aid programs including Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Direct Subsidized Loans. 

A Pell Grant applicant selected for verification must complete the verification process by the deadline published in the Federal Register or no later than 120 days after the student's last day of attendance, whichever is earlier. We strongly encourage Pell Grant-eligible students to complete their verification by the institutional deadline dates listed above to avoid any problems with Hampshire's check-in process as well as their College bill. 

Tentative awards pending verification

New students who received a tentative award pending verification may have an adjustment to their aid as a result of the verification. For example, a student may no longer be eligible for a Pell Grant or may now be eligible for a subsidized federal loan. Any changes to one's aid awards as a result of the verification process will be communicated to the student via a revised aid offer notice.

Changes to federal aid because of verification

If your Student Aid Index (SAI) and your federal aid changes because of the verification process, we will send you a revised aid offer notice via email sent to your Hampshire email account.

Consequences of failing to complete the verification process

A student cannot avoid verification by accepting only non-subsidized (non-need-based) federal aid. A student who does not complete verification will not be eligible for need-based federal aid (Pell, SEOG, Federal Work-Study, and Direct Subsidized Loans), need-based state aid (State Grant, Gilbert Grant), and need-based institutional aid (all versions of the Hampshire Grant). Hampshire College merit scholarships will not be affected if verification is not completed by the deadline.

Referral of fraud cases

If we suspect that a student, employee, or other individual has misreported information or altered documentation fraudulently to obtain federal funds, we report our suspicions and provide any evidence to the U.S. Office of Inspector General.

If you have questions about the verification process or about the verification worksheets, please call the financial aid office at 413.559.5484.

Special Verification Cases

There are several tax and financial situations that require additional forms to complete the verification process. Please review the cases listed below. Please contact the financial aid office if you have any questions about any of these cases. If you are sending any forms to the financial aid office, please be sure to write the student's name or College ID number on the document so we may match it to the appropriate file.

Filers of amended tax returns

The IRS data exchange will not transfer amended income and tax data. Students or parents who filed an amended tax return may provide the financial aid office with the following documents to complete verification:

1. A signed copy of the IRS Form 1040X that was filed, all pages, and
2. A copy of an IRS Tax Return Transcript, or a signed copy of actual IRS tax return (pages 1 and 2) and Schedules 1, 3, C and F, if applicable.

Victims of tax-related identify theft

An individual who was the victim of IRS tax-related identity theft must provide the financial aid office the following documents:

1. A copy of the signed income tax return including Pages 1 and 2, and Schedules 1, 3, C, and F, if applicable, or an equivalent document provided by the IRS; and
2. An IRS 4674C letter (a letter from the IRS acknowledging the identity theft) or a statement signed and dated by the tax filer indicating they were a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft and that the IRS is aware of it. 

Filers of joint returns who are no longer married

When a dependent student's parents filed a joint return and have since separated, divorced, married someone else, or been widowed, the financial aid office needs a copy of the W-2 form(s) for each parent on the joint return and a copy of their IRS Tax Return Transcript or a signed copy of their IRS tax return along with Schedules 1, 3, C, and F, if applicable. Similarly, an independent student must submit a copy of all W-2 forms and a copy of the IRS Tax Return Transcript or a signed copy of their IRS tax return if they filed a joint return and are now separated, divorced, or a widow.

Filers of non-U.S. tax returns

In this case, obtaining an IRS tax return transcript is not possible. We may accept a copy of the tax return, which must be signed by the filer or one of the filers of a joint return. We will use the income and tax information that most closely corresponds to the information on the IRS tax return, and convert monetary amounts into U.S. dollars as appropriate.

Non-tax filers

We must receive a W-2 from for each source of employment income. We need a signed statement giving the sources and amounts of the person's income earned from work not on W-2s and certifying that the person has not filed and is not required to file a tax return; this can be done on the verification worksheet. Except for dependent students, verification of non-filing for individuals who would file a return with a relevant tax authority other than the IRS, for example, a foreign country, would be required from the tax authority. 

Rollovers of qualified IRA, pensions, and annuities

The IRS data exchange and the IRS Tax Return Transcript (or signed copy of an IRS tax return) do not identify rollovers of IRA, pension, and annuity distributions. Generally, amounts of any distributions that were excluded from taxable income under the IRS rules are considered untaxed income for the purpose of calculating an applicant's Student Aid Index (SAI). In the case of a rollover, the tax filer must provide the financial aid office with a signed statement indicating the amount of the rollover.   The financial aid office will adjust the amount of untaxed IRA and pension distributions on the FAFSA using the documentation.