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Verification

Verification is a federal regulation that requires the Office of Financial Aid to collect documents that confirm the accuracy of the information you provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Since the 2013-14 academic year, the U.S. Department of Education has implemented a customized approach to verification. This means that you may only be required to provide documentation for specific data elements. Therefore, the documentation required may vary from student to student. Here are some commonly asked questions about verification.

Why was I selected for verification?

Students are selected randomly by the Department. However, there are other reasons that lead to some students having a higher likelihood of being selected. Two examples are if there is conflicting information within your FAFSA or if your FAFSA is incomplete. The purpose of verification is not to penalize students, but rather to ensure that accurate information is reported and errors are corrected so that federal aid is awarded appropriately.

If you have previously been selected for verification, you may find that you will be required to submit the same information as in prior years.

I received my financial aid decision but later learned that my FAFSA record was selected for verification. What does this mean?

If you are notified that you have been selected for verification after you receive your financial aid award letter, verification must be completed before the Office of Financial Aid can disburse federal funds and/or allow you to participate in the Federal Work-Study program.

If you have additional questions concerning the verification process, please contact the Office of Financial Aid. You may also visit us on campus in the Walker Museum, 1101 E. 58th Street.

You may upload completed documents through your My.UChicago portal.

Please submit your documentation in a timely fashion. The Office of Financial Aid cannot begin processing your financial aid application, including Summer Work-Study and Summer Aid applications, until all required verification documents are received. It typically takes 48-72 hours for submitted documents to show up as “Received” in your My.UChicago portal.

I am a recently admitted student. How do I know if I have been selected for verification, and what information will I be expected to provide?

The Office of Financial Aid will contact you via email after May 1st with detailed instructions on the specific documentation you will be required to provide. Because required documentation may vary from student to student, the Office of Financial Aid will provide you with a customized verification worksheet depending on the data fields the Department has selected to be reviewed. You will complete your worksheets through the Financial Portal of your MyUChicago account.

Please submit your documentation in a timely fashion. The Office of Financial Aid cannot begin processing your financial aid application, including Summer Work-Study and Summer Aid applications, until all required verification documents are received. It typically takes 48-72 hours for submitted documents to show up as “Received” in your UChicago portal.

When submitting documents via fax, you are encouraged to include the financial aid fax cover sheet, which can be found here.

I am an independent student, and my FAFSA record was selected for verification. The worksheets provided on this website are only for dependent students. Where can I find the appropriate worksheet for me?

The Office of Financial Aid will send you an email message that provides you with instructions and your verification worksheet. If you have trouble locating this email, please contact the office at 773-702-8666. 

What is the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)?

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is an easy way for parents and students to auto-fill the FAFSA with their officially filed tax information. If you and/or your parents have already submitted the 2020 federal income tax return(s) when you first file the FAFSA, you will be given the option to retrieve the IRS data using the DRT. If you have not submitted the tax return(s), you will be prompted to check your eligibility for future use. If you indicate that you have filed a federal income tax return when you complete or make corrections to the FAFSA, you will be given a checklist that assesses eligibility to use the DRT. If eligible, you will be prompted to enter your FSA ID and click the LINK TO IRS button. Similarly, if your parent is eligible to use the DRT, he or she will need his or her FSA ID to complete the process described above.

What if my parents (and/or I) are not eligible to use the DRT?

If you do not meet the criteria or chose not to use the DRT, you must submit either the 2020 signed federaltax returns or an official IRS Tax Return Transcript to complete the verification process. You may request your official IRS Tax Return Transcript in one of the following ways:

  • Online Request: available on the IRS Web site
  • Telephone Request: available from the IRS by calling 1-800-908-9946
  • Paper Request Form: download and submit IRS Form 4506T-EZ

When requesting tax return transcripts from the IRS, you must arrange for them to be sent to you directly. The IRS cannot send this data to a third party.

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