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Federal Verification

The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects FAFSA filers for the Federal Verification process. Students are notified in three different ways.

  • Via comment on the Student Aid Report
  • Via requirement posted to the SFS channel within the Costs and Aid tab of TUportal
  • Via weekly email from SFS

You must submit all verification documents by June 1 to remain eligible for institutional need-based funding, such as the Temple grant. As a currently enrolled student, you will not receive a financial aid offer if the verification remains outstanding at the time we issue aid offers (typically mid-June).

Required Documentation

All documentation should be uploaded to the SFS dashboard. Since this is a federal process, it is very important that only the student be the person to log in and provide the information. Only the student should sign as the student, and only the parent should sign as the parent. Doing otherwise may jeopardize this process. Additionally, all parties must sign in the same manner—either both signatures by hand, or both signatures through the e-signature function. Once you (the student) are logged into the dashboard, the financial aid requirements will be on the front page for you to complete. All documentation can be uploaded via the specific tasks posted to the dashboard. Please do not email or fax documents to our office. The dashboard is the most secure and fastest way to submit your documentation to our office. Students can attach photos of the requested documentation or PDFs to upload. Examples of what may be requested are below.

  • Completed Dependent/Independent Verification Form (provided by the dashboard)
  • Official IRS Tax Return Transcript or 1040 for the student
  • Official IRS Tax Return Transcript or 1040 for the parent(s)
    • If your parents are married but file separately, then an Official IRS Tax Return Transcript or 1040 may be requested for each parent.
    • If you or your parent is having difficulty providing the tax return (form 1040) for the year in question, you or they may order an Official IRS Tax Return Transcript online.
  • W2s may be requested for students and/or parents.
  • IRS confirmation of non-filing for parent(s) or student
    • If you are unable to request the IRS Verification of Non-Filing letter by phone or online, you must complete 4506-T and mail it to the IRS. If you have not received the letter within 10 business days, only then can you submit a written statement with an ink signature to confirm the following information.
      • Your attempts to obtain the official letter and the outcome of those attempts
      • The date the 4506-T form was mailed to the IRS
      • Any income earned during 2020
      • Whether or not you filed taxes or 2020
  • Proof of identity
  • Statement of educational purpose (provided by the dashboard)

Please review the instructions on how to e-sign for both the parent and student.

Common Verification Questions

Who do I list in my household?

The Household section should list your custodial parents, siblings and anyone else that your parents support. If your parents are separated or divorced, include your custodial parent, and stepparent if applicable. If you are unsure of who your parent is, please review this guide.

Why are you asking for my parents’ marriage license (or divorce decree)?

The Temple dashboard compares the information on the FAFSA against the information on the verification form. If the FAFSA indicates that your parent is listed as Never Married or Divorced/Separated, but both parents are listed as a part of the Household section on the verification form, the system will assume that your parent married between filing the FAFSA and completing verification form. To ensure accuracy, it will request the marriage license to determine the correct marital status for your parent.

Alternatively, if your FAFSA lists both parents’ information and their marital status as Married/Remarried, but their tax status on the verification form is reported as Divorced or Separated, then the Temple dashboard will ask for the decree to determine the correct status.

My parents divorced but they filed their taxes jointly. How do we complete the verification form?

The income reported on the FAFSA should be the income earned by your custodial parent. When completing the verification form, list your custodial parent and any other members supported by that parent in your household. The correct way to answer the marital and tax status question is that your parent is Divorced/Separated/Widowed but filed the taxes jointly. Since there is a conflict between your parent’s tax and marital status, they will have to provide a copy of the their IRS Tax Return Transcript or Tax Return and their W2s. We will then verify and report only the custodial parent’s income.

My parents earn income in a foreign country and don’t file U.S. taxes.

If your parents file taxes in a foreign country, they should submit a tax transcript. It should be in English with the amounts converted to U.S. dollars, using the exchange rate reported on the day you signed your FAFSA. If a transcript cannot be obtained free of cost, then please submit a signed copy of the tax return or similar document filed with the foreign taxing authority. If your parents earned income in a foreign country and were not required to file taxes because of that country’s laws, then your parents must provide a written and signed statement confirming in U.S. dollars the source and amount of income they earned.

My parent’s account is locked. What do we do?

Please contact our office by calling 215-204-2244 or emailing sfs@temple.edu. Please make sure they are included on your FERPA waiver. They need to provide your name and TUid so we may locate your record, as we can only do so through the student’s information.

How does my parent electronically sign the form?

The parent’s e-signature password is his/her/their account password. Only the student makes a PIN to e-sign.

My parent received an error when they tried to create an account.

Is the parent logging in the same parent who is on your FAFSA? If so, please make sure the information matches exactly—the first initial, last name, date of birth and social security number. The parent must use their legal first initial, not a nickname or middle name, even if that is the name they commonly use. The parent must also be the parent listed on your FAFSA. Parents who are not on the FAFSA cannot log in.