Verification
Verification is the process schools use to confirm that the data reported in a student's FAFSA application is accurate. If you are selected for verification, the school(s) that received your FAFSA application will request additional documentation that supports the information reported in your application.
Selection of Applications for Verification
The U. S. Department of Education selects students for verification. When students are selected, the Office of Financial Aid is then required to document and correct any changes during or as a result of the verification process. Tennessee Tech University defines their applicant pool as any student who is chosen by the Department of Education for verification or is otherwise determined by Tennessee Tech to have unresolved conflicting information in their FAFSA Application.
Financial Aid processors are required to resolve any discrepancies discovered in a student's file, even if a student is not selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education. Tennessee Tech reviews each subsequent Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) received for a student to determine if there is any conflicting information in their submitted FAFSA application. If there are discrepancies found in a student's submitted FAFSA, Tennessee Tech requests additional documentation to resolve the conflict, which may equate to a complete verification of the file. Conflicting information that may lead to verification include, but are not limited to, discrepancies found in a student's personal information, dependency status, and income information, as well as discrepancies found in a parent or parents' submitted income information.
Notification of Verification to Applicants
Students are notified by the U.S. Department of Education that they are selected for verification on their FAFSA Submission Summary, which students can access by logging in to their account on studentaid.gov once their submitted FAFSA for the relevant aid year has been processed. Student-specific verification forms also include a student's verification status. If you are selected for verification by Tennessee Tech, you will be notified via email to your student email address.
Verification Time Frame & Failure to Submit Documentation
The Office of Financial Aid contacts students by email when they require additional documentation from the student and/or their parents to complete the verification process. This email informs the student how to log into Eagle Online through Tech Express to review the additional information required to complete their FAFSA application. Requested information may include, but is not limited to, verification worksheets, copies of tax return documentation as specified by current verification guidelines, copies of Social Security cards, and divorce statements/documentation. Students are notified that until the missing items are submitted to the Office of Financial Aid for review, additional processing of their file is not possible.
If a student fails to submit the requested information by the last day of classes for the relevant aid year, the student is considered ineligible for financial aid for the academic year. If, however, a student has a valid FAFSA on file before the last day of class and is considered eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, the Pell must be paid within the federally mandated time frame.
Priority deadlines for submitting required documentation and completing all financial aid requirements are as follows:
Fall Semester- July 15th
Spring Semester- December 15th
Summer Semester- April 15th
If a student fails to submit their FAFSA and complete all requirements by these dates, the Office of Financial Aid cannot guarantee that their financial aid will be applied to their balance by the Payment/Confirmation Deadline.
Document Collection Procedures
The U.S. Department of Education publishes a notice in the annual Federal Register that details acceptable documentation for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information subject to verification for each award year
Tennessee Tech requires students selected for verification to complete and sign either a Dependent or Independent standardized verification worksheet, which may also require a parent signature. In some cases, additional tax documents may be requested from the Office of Financial Aid to address/confirm changes in household (separating income due to divorce, explanation of untaxed income, etc.).
Tennessee Tech currently accepts all verification documents submitted via mail, in-person delivery, fax, or submitted electronically (PDF of signed physical copies) to financialaid@tntech.edu or through FA Documentation Upload on Eagle Online.
Required documentation items are identified and receipt date is maintained in an automated tracking system through Banner. When documents arrive, Financial Aid processors date stamp the submitted documents and then log the name of the document and its received date into Banner. Items are then scanned into the appropriate student’s Banner file by BDMS (Banner Document Management System) and coded as completed, Pending Review.
Once received, a processor then gathers all submitted documentation and creates a physical or digital folder for each student to house all required documents submitted for their verification process. Once a student's required documentation is compiled, the processor finalizes the verification, as outlined in Chapter 9 of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships Policy & Procedures Manual. After verification is completed, the student’s financial aid offers will post and the student will receive an email that confirms the completion of verification and instructions on how to access their FAFSA aid package.
Processing Time Period
Students are notified that until all required/missing items are submitted to the Office of Financial Aid for review and processing, the finalization of their file and posting of aid is not possible. Once a student submits required documentation, the Office of Financial Aid generally reviews and makes corrections as needed within 10-14 business days.
Verification of Data Elements
Tennessee Tech University’s Office of Financial Aid systematically verifies only those data elements required by the federal government. However, Aid Administrators are free to ask for additional information if further investigation is needed to resolve conflicting information.
The U.S. Department of Education publishes a notice in the annual Federal Register that identifies the FAFSA information subject to verification for each award year and establish Verification Tracking Groups and which data elements must be verified for each tracking group. For complete details on verification policies and procedures, please review the information available in Chapter 9 of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships P&P Manual for the applicable aid year on our Policies page.
Notification to Students
Students are notified of the results of verification by receipt of an award email to their campus email account.
Verification Opt-Out
If you have been selected for verification but only wish to receive the Tennessee Lottery Hope Scholarship (and Merit Supplement, if eligible), you may email the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@tntech.edu or visit our office in Jere Whitson, Room 301 and request to opt-out of Verification. Once requested, our office will post your Hope Scholarship once eligibility is confirmed. Please note that you will not be eligible for any other types of aid unless you complete verification, including the Tennessee Lottery Aspire Scholarship.
