VERIFICATION
The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects FAFSA applications for a process known as verification. Verification is a review of the information provided on the FAFSA for accuracy. If selected, you will be notified by email with instructions to create your account and what information you will need to gather to submit to the verification portal. After your file is complete, you will be notified and will be able to view your award offer in LoLa. Your classes will not be secured with financial aid until you complete this process.
CLTCC has partnered with Inceptia for the processing of verification files. To access the portal, please visit https://www.inceptia.org/student-verification-login/
VERIFICATION FAQ:
What is Verification?
The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects FAFSA applications for verification. If you are selected, the information on your FAFSA will be reviewed for accuracy. Here are some reasons why a student is selected for verification:
- The student was selected randomly
- The FAFSA that was submitted was incomplete
- The data on the FAFSA appears to contradict itself
- Estimated information was provided on the FAFSA
Will verification stop me from receiving financial aid?
You will not receive an award until the verification process is successfully completed. Once the necessary requirements are submitted, your file will be reviewed, and you will be notified of the next step. If additional information is needed, or corrections to your FAFSA need to be made by Inceptia, you will need to allow additional time for processing. Your classes will not be secured by financial aid until verification is completed.
What is the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is an option offered on the FAFSA that allows the transfer of tax information directly from the IRS to the FAFSA. It is strongly recommended that this is used so that the information provided on the FAFSA is accurate.
What is an IRS Tax Return Transcript? How do I obtain one?
If you are selected for verification and were not able to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool, you may be required to submit a tax return transcript from the IRS. This is not a copy of your tax return. The tax return transcript can be requested free of charge by using the link below:
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
Will my financial aid change due to verification?
If the information provided for verification does not match your FAFSA, corrections will be made on your behalf. These corrections may decrease or increase your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), or it may not change at all. Your EFC is calculated by the Department of Education and determines what type of aid you may qualify for and how much (based on your enrollment status).
Do I still have to complete verification if I did not work or file taxes?
If you are selected for verification, then you must complete the process. Each student has their own specific requirements which are determined by the Department of Education.
Inceptia
Beginning with the 2018-2019 award year, CLTCC has partnered with Inceptia for the processing of student verification files. If you have been selected for verification, you will receive an introductory email to the email address that you provided on the FAFSA. If you did not provide an email address, a postcard will be mailed to you. A link will be included in the communication instructing you to create an account and do the following:
- Confirm your identity
- Create a secure user name and password
- Decide if you want to receive text messages and e-sign your submission
- Access your Task List and begin the verification process
- Upon receipt of all required documents, Inceptia will begin the verification process and you will receive communication about your next step.
All dependent students will be required to have a parent confirm and create an account. The parent will also be required to e-sign or provide an ink signature once all documents are submitted.
Your task list may be a combination of online forms and/or the request to upload specific documents. All tasks have detailed instructions and will show the status of each.
If you would like to download a copy of your tasks and answers prior to submitting your file for review, you will have that option during the signature process.