Verification

1. The preferred method of providing tax documentation for students and parents that filed federal income tax returns  is using the IRS Direct Data Exchange in the FAFSA; 
2. Tax filers that are unable to complete IRS Direct Data Exchange (due to conflicting marital and tax filing status) may submit signed copies of their federal 1040 tax returns.

Each year the FAFSA is based on a specific tax year. 

• 2024 - 2025 FAFSA is based on 2023 tax returns
• 2025-2026 FAFSA is based on 2023 tax returns
• 2026-2027 FAFSA is based on 2024 tax returns
• 2027-2028 FAFSA is based on 2025 tax returns
• 2028 - 2029 FAFSA is based on 2026 tax returns
• 2029 - 2030 FAFSA is based on 2027 tax returns

1. W2 forms for student and for custodial parent(s);
2. Provide consent to transfer information using the IRS Direct Data Exchange in the FAFSA for custodial parent(s) and independent students;
3. Each parent, student or spouse that did not file a tax return MUST sign the verification form.

1. On the verification form, in the appropriate column (student or parent), indicate "Did NOT work in the (base tax year) and was not required to and did not file a  (base tax year) federal tax return"; 
2. Confirmation of non filing using the IRS Direct Data Exchange in the FAFSA; 
3. Each parent, student or spouse that did not file a tax return MUST sign the verification form.

Approximately 33% of all students who complete a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are selected by the federal processor for a process called verification. In addition to the files selected by the federal processor, the Financial Aid Office may select a student's file for the verification process in order to clear up discrepant information. Please note that being selected for verification is simply a routine process, you are not being accused of providing fraudulent information.

The parent that contributes more to your financial support is considered your FAFSA contributor.

• If biological parents are married and file their taxes as "Married Filing Joint", only one of them will need an FSA ID log-in credential. 
• If your biological parents live together, even if they were never married, they are both FAFSA contributors and should both be included on your FAFSA. If they were never married or file their taxes as married filing separate, they will both need their own FSA ID log-in credentials. 
• If biological parents are divorced or separated or were never married to each other, the parent who contributes most to student's financial support is the FAFSA contributor. If the contributor is now married, the stepparent is also a contributor and is added to the FAFSA. The tax filing status of the contributors will determine whether one or both need an FSA ID.  Filed joint return= one FSA ID. Filed married filing separate = two FSA IDs. 
• If your parent's situation is not described above and you are uncertain whose information should have been reported on the FAFSA, please contact the Financial Aid Office for clarification.

You will receive a Student Aid Report from the federal processor once your FAFSA has been processed. It will be sent to you by mail or via email depending on the preferred method of contact you selected when you filed your FAFSA. If you were selected for the verification process by the federal processor, there will be a message on your Student Aid Report advising you that you were selected and advising you to contact your school's financial aid office for more information. The Ferris State Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid will also send you weekly emails notifying you that you have missing financial aid requirements. You may log into Ferris360, search for Financial Aid - Missing Requirements to see a list of missing verification requirements. 

IRS Direct Data Exchange is a process where the taxpayer contributor (parent, stepparent or spouse) gives consent to allow their tax  information to be automatically transferred into the FAFSA. This process also works to confirm that a student or contributor did not file a tax return for the base tax year. 

Contributors whose marital status when filing the FAFSA is different than their tax filing status for the base tax year, will not be allowed to transfer their tax information from the IRS. These contributors will be required to manually submit their tax information.

If you are not selected for the verification process, your file is considered complete as soon as your FAFSA data is received by the Financial Aid Office in a valid status. If your FAFSA has been rejected by the federal processor, you will be required to resolve the issues. FAFSAs may be rejected for a number of reasons including, but not limited to the following: missing applicant or parent signatures; name and/or social security number mismatches; citizenship documentation issues. FAFSA rejections must be resolved before students are considered eligible for financial aid. The Financial Aid Office will request additional information from you to help resolve FAFSA rejects. It is essential that all requested documentation be submitted as quickly as possible. Failure to provide requested documentation in a timely manner could result in a loss of some forms of aid.

When a student's file is selected for verification, the Financial Aid Office will compare federal tax data and information reported on a verification form to the data submitted on the FAFSA. If all of the information matches, the file will be considered complete. If there are any discrepancies, the Financial Aid Office will electronically submit corrections to the federal processor. When the corrections are acknowledged by the federal processor, the student's file will be considered complete.

To be considered for financial aid for the 2025-2026 academic year, students must submit documentation no later than 30 days after the last date of enrollment or August 30, 2026, whichever is earlier.