Verify Your Information Using the Verification Portal

If the SAR indicates that the student has been selected for verification, an email will be sent to their NTC email account from the Financial Aid Office instructing them to visit the Verification Portal. The email that students selected for verification will receive is titled: New FAFSA Documents Notification.

Students can be selected for verification at any time during the academic year (even after having been awarded financial aid). It is very important that students check their email daily and respond to requests from the Financial Aid Office.

If you have been selected for verification, you will need to complete documents electronically within the Verification Portal:

1. Visit the FAFSA Verification Portal and click the Login button.
2. Enter the username and password that you use for MyNTC to log in. 
   
   Your username is your 9-digit NTC Student ID number. Unless you have already changed your password, it will be the first two letters of your first name plus the first two letters of your last name, followed by the last four digits of your Social Security Number (example password for John Doe would be jodo9999).
3. You can confirm that your personal information is correct by clicking on your name at the top of the page, but you will not be able to make changes to it without contacting the Financial Aid Office.
4. Documents within the verification portal must be completed electronically and submitted through the online verification portal.

To do this, first select the Required Documents menu option, and you will be provided with your “To Do List.”

Forms assigned to students within the “Required Documents” section of the verification portal that have a “Submit” button must be completed and submitted electronically.

The green status bar at the top of the screen will keep students informed of their progress in completing all verification requirements.

Verification of FAFSA Data Quick Reference Guide

Verification is the process in which the Financial Aid Department reviews the data reported by the student/parent on the student's FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in an effort to ensure that federal aid is distributed to those who are eligible. The verification process ensures that eligible students receive all the financial aid to which they are entitled and prevents ineligible students from receiving financial aid to which they are not entitled.

The U.S. Department of Education’s federal processing center analyzes the information on the FAFSA, calculates the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and sends out a Student Aid Report (SAR) to each FAFSA applicant. Students may be selected for verification either by the U.S. Department of Education’s federal processing center or by the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to request verification of additional applicants with questionable or conflicting information.

Why Have I Been Selected for Verification?

The main reasons for being selected for verification include:

• You were chosen randomly.
• The FAFSA you submitted was incomplete.
• Your FAFSA contains estimated information.
• The data you provided on the FAFSA is inconsistent or contradictory.
• When completing your FAFSA you were not eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, or you did use the tool but then subsequently changed the data.
• School-selected verification. In some cases the Financial Aid Office may select a student for verification. The Financial Aid Office must verify any information they have reason to believe is incorrect on an application.

The U.S. Department of Education has transitioned to a customized verification process, meaning that items required to be verified are different for each applicant. Verification groups are how students are identified by the federal processing center and there are three different groups. The group to which a student is assigned will determine what documents are needed to meet verification requirements. The three groups are:

• V1 Standard Verification Group
• V4 Custom Verification Group
• V5 Aggregate Verification Group

The individual FAFSA items that an applicant must verify are based upon the Verification Tracking Group to which the applicant is assigned as outlined in the following chart.

2023 – 2024 Verification Tracking Groups 
FAFSA Information Required to Be Verified

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, an email will be sent to their NTC email account from the Financial Aid Office instructing them to visit the Verification Portal. The email that students selected for verification will receive is titled: New FAFSA Documents Notification. 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

We highly recommend that students complete verification as soon as possible. Students will not be offered aid until their verification requirements are completed. There are certain types of aid that have limited funding and delaying submission of verification documents may negatively impact the ability to receive such aid.

There is not a set deadline for submitting the documents but all required forms and documents for verification must be submitted before the semester ends to be considered for all available federal aid according to federal regulations. A financial aid package cannot be created until all of the requested documents have been received and verification has been completed. Paperwork submitted after the conclusion of the semester will still be processed for Federal Pell Grant eligibility only for up to 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. Please Note: all requested documents must be received before verification is complete.

If electronic corrections are required due to conflicting information, allow for an additional week of processing time.

Conflicting Information

The United States Department of Education requires the Financial Aid Office to resolve any conflicting information on a submitted FASFA, regardless of whether or not the student or parent was selected for verification.

Students who are required to submit documentation to resolve conflicting information will be sent an email to their NTC student email requesting the appropriate documentation to resolve the conflict. Conflicting information and failure to resolve conflicting information can affect financial aid processing and disbursement. The affect can include reduction and/or cancellation of previously disbursed financial aid awards in addition to delayed disbursement of aid for the current and future semesters.

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 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 federal processing center. The federal processing center sends a revised electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) to the student. The revised SAR highlights the data that was changed and states that the changes were made by the school. Students will also be notified of award changes resulting from verification through their NTC email.

Verification of Income Information for Tax Filers

To fulfill requests for IRS documentation, please read all of the choices below. Tax filers can request a tax return transcript, free of charge, in one of the following ways:

1. Link FAFSA to IRS using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) - The IRS Data Retrieval Tool electronically transfers your federal tax return information into your FAFSA. The Financial Aid Office strongly recommends that you try this option first as it is the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to verify your tax information. 
   
   Note: For assistance with the IRS DRT process there are many useful videos on the YouTube website: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=irs+drt
2. IRS website (get transcript online) - Get transcript online by heading to https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript and setting up an account with the IRS. First time users using this online service will need to verify their identity. They will email you a confirmation code to enter. Be sure to check your junk folder in case the email is sent there. Then, complete steps 1–6 to create an account, being sure to select “Return Transcript” and the appropriate year. The transcript can be printed and submitted to Financial Aid. 
   
   IRS website (get transcript by mail) - Get a transcript by mail by going to https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript, selecting the mail option, and completing the form. If successfully validated, you can expect to receive a paper IRS Tax Return Transcript at the address the IRS has on file for you within 5–10 business days from the time the online request was successfully transmitted.
3. Paper request form — IRS Form 4506T - Download IRS Form 4506T, and complete it using the address you currently have on file with the IRS (the address entered must match the address already on file with the IRS exactly — i.e. spelling out the word “Street” rather than using the abbreviation “St.” can be enough to cause an error). The address on file is typically the address on your most recent tax return. Addresses on the IRS system are auto-corrected through a post office program and may not match what you put on your tax return.
   
   We suggest the following if you run into problems with any of the options above:
   a) Have your taxes in front of you and enter the address carefully as it is on your return.
   b) If you entered your address as it appears on your return and it doesn’t work, try using the standardized version of your address.
   c) To get a standardized version of your address: 1) go to www.usps.com 2) Click Look Up a Zip Code 3) Enter Street Address, City, State 4) Click Find
   d) If you still have problems, the IRS.gov Website Help Desk can be reached toll-free at 1-800-876-1715, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Note: Processing form 4506T-EZ means verifying/validating the information provided on the form. If any information does not match the IRS records, the IRS will notify the tax filer that it was not able to provide the transcript. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the transcript to the Financial Aid Office.
4. Telephone Request - Available from the IRS by calling 1.800.908.9946 . Tax filers must follow prompts to enter their Social Security Number and the numbers in their street address. Generally this will be numbers of the street address that was listed on the latest tax return filed. Problems entering your street address? Select “Option 2” to request an IRS Tax Return Transcript (not “Tax Account Transcript”) and then enter the correct year. If successfully validated, tax filers can expect to receive a paper IRS Tax Return Transcript at the address provided in their telephone request within 5 to 10 days from the time of the request.

Verification of Income Information for Non-Tax Filers

If you didn’t file taxes you may need to submit documentation confirming that you have no taxes on file with the IRS. An IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter will provide proof from the IRS that there is no record of a filed tax form (1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) for the year you have requested. A Verification of Non-filing Letter does not provide proof that you were not required to file, only that you did not file. A dependent student who is a nontax filer is excluded from the verification requirement to provide confirmation of the dependent student’s Non-filing status from the IRS. If you are am independent student or a parent of a dependent student and were not required to file taxes under federal regulations, you may request a Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS by:

• Requesting online. You can request the Verification of Non-filing Letter at Get-Transcript. Under the Request Online section click “Get Transcript Online”. You will need to register and create an account. After registering, press “Continue”. Select the Verification of Non-filing Letter for tax year 2019.
• Fill out the IRS Form 4506-T. Fill out numbers 1 through 5a. Select number 7 to request Verification of Non-filing Letter. Fill out number 9 with 12/31/2019 for tax year 2019. Refer to page 2 for directions on where to send the form. Make sure you check the box which starts with "Signatory attests that he/she has read..." otherwise the form will not be processed.

If you are unable to obtain a 2019 Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS, you must submit a signed statement certifying that you attempted to obtain the Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS or other tax authorities and was unable to obtain the required documentation, The signed statement must also include a statement certifying that the individual has not filed a 2019 income tax return and list the courses of any 2019 income and the amount of income from each source. If self-employed, the signed statement must also include the amount of AGI and U.S. income tax paid for the applicable tax year. Please include all W-2 forms and any earnings/income statements, taxed and untaxed, including disability statements, Social Security benefits statements, etc.

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.