Verification Process

Here's how it generally works for the 2024-2025 academic year:

1. Submission of FAFSA: The process starts with you filling out the FAFSA form, which collects information about your family's financial situation. This includes details such as income, assets, household size, and the number of family members attending college.
2. Selection for Verification: After you submit your FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education, or NTC’s Financial Aid Office, might select your application for verification. This selection can be random or triggered by certain factors, such as inconsistencies or discrepancies in the information provided. Being selected for verification does not mean that you did something wrong with your application – it is merely a mechanism used by the U.S. Department of Education and the Financial Aid Office, to ensure accurate awarding and disbursement of financial aid funding.
3. Notification: If your application is selected for verification, you'll be notified through your NTC Workday account. The Action Items will provide more information about the specific documents you need to submit and any deadlines you must meet.
4. Required Documentation: Typically, you'll need to provide additional documentation to verify the information on your FAFSA. This may include copies of your and your parents' tax returns, W-2 forms, verification worksheets, and other financial documents.
5. Verification Process: Once you've submitted the required documents, the Financial Aid Office will review them to ensure they match the information you provided on your FAFSA. The Financial Aid Office will check for accuracy and may request further clarification or additional documentation if needed. Conflicting information and failure to resolve conflicting information can affect financial aid processing and disbursement. 
   • If any of my FAFSA information is found to be in error as a result of the verification process, how will the information be corrected?
     The Financial Aid Office is required to submit all changes resulting from verification to the Central Processing System (CPS). CPS will send a communication to the student if a correction is made to the student’s FAFSA data. Students will also be notified of award changes resulting from verification through their NTC email.
6. Adjustments to Financial Aid: If any discrepancies are found during the verification process, your financial aid package may be adjusted accordingly. This could result in changes to the types or amounts of aid you're eligible to receive.
7. Completion: Once the verification process is complete and your information has been confirmed, your college will finalize your financial aid award. You'll receive notification of your aid package, including grants, loans, and work-study opportunities.

It's essential to respond promptly to any requests for documentation and to provide accurate information throughout the process to ensure timely processing of your financial aid. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the NTC Financial Aid Office.

Verification Policy

In accordance with federal guidelines, it is the policy of the Financial Aid Office to withhold the awarding of all financial aid until the verification process is complete. This policy ensures that aid eligibility is correct before any funds are awarded.

In rare cases, a student may have their FAFSA selected for verification after having been awarded financial aid or even after financial aid has disbursed. This could take place if a student makes a correction to their FAFSA. If this happens, the student will be notified within their Workday account. Failure to respond to a request to complete verification requirements will result in the aid being cancelled and any future aid not disbursing. Any financial aid already disbursed will also be cancelled, which may result in a balance on the student account.

Verification Time Frame

Deadline to Submit Verification

A financial aid package cannot be created until all of the requested documents have been received and verification has been completed.

The FAFSA and all accompanying verification documents must be submitted and officially processed, prior to the last date of the enrollment period if the student wishes to remain eligible for federal direct loan funding. If verification paperwork is submitted after the conclusion of the semester, it will still be processed but only for Federal Pell Grant eligibility. The deadline for Pell grant eligibility is 120 days after the last date of enrollment.

Processing Time of Submitted Verification Documents

Students can expect the processing of their verification paperwork to take between two and three weeks from when documents are submitted. If electronic corrections are required due to conflicting information, allow for an additional week of processing time.

What Happens If I Do Not Wish to Complete Verification?

If you are selected for federal verification but do not wish to complete the process and want to cancel your aid application, you should contact the Financial Aid Office. If you choose to cancel your application, you will be ineligible for financial aid funding for the aid year.

Fraud and Abuse of Department of Education Funds

The Financial Aid Office will report to the Office of Inspector General all instances of suspected fraud where a financial aid applicant or other individual has misreported information and/or altered documentation for the purpose of increasing aid eligibility or fraudulently obtaining Federal aid funds. Anyone knowing of fraud, waste, or abuse of Department of Education funds should contact the OIG Hotline to make a confidential report.