Federal Verification
Federal Verification is the process the Department of Education uses to confirm data reported on a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
If you are selected for Verification, the Office of Financial Aid will email you to notify and provide you with a University of Richmond Verification Form which will need to be submitted to our office, along with additional documentation as indicated on the form, within 3 weeks of the date of notification. The Verification Form you receive will indicate what, if any, additional documentation is required based on your Verification Group. Sometimes, a student’s Verification Group changes due to a FAFSA change or correction and may result in us needing additional information from what was originally submitted. A summary of the requirements for each Verification Group is included below:
| Federal Verification Group | Documentation Required |
| V1 | -IRS Data Retrieval or -Parent IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed copy of Federal Tax Return and -Student IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed copy of Federal Tax Return |
| V4 | -Statement of Educational Purpose |
| V5 | -IRS Data Retrieval or -Parent IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed copy of Federal Tax Return and -Student IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed copy of Federal Tax Return -Statement of Educational Purpose |
It is important to read the Verification instructions carefully, fill out the Verification Form completely and accurately, and ensure it is signed by the student and parent (if applicable) before submitting.
Schools must resolve any conflicting information between the Verification Form, documentation submitted with the Verification Form (including the Tax Return Transcript/IRS Data Retrieval/signed copy of Federal Tax Return), and information submitted on the FAFSA. Schools must determine whether the individual who is party to the application was required to file a tax return, whether that individual used the correct tax filing status, and whether any dependent is claimed as an exemption by more than one person. If information on the parent or student’s IRS Data Retrieval, IRS Tax Return Transcript, signed copy of tax returns, or Verification Form conflicts with what was used to determine the student’s financial aid eligibility, that discrepancy must be resolved and may result in an adjustment to the student’s financial aid award. Students whose aid is adjusted due to Verification are notified via a new award notification email.
No need-based financial aid will be disbursed until the Verification process has been completed. Sometimes students are selected for Verification after aid has been disbursed. Students in this situation are still required to complete the Verification process or risk loss of aid. Failure to complete the Verification process in either scenario will result in the cancellation of financial aid.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (804) 289-8438 or finaid@richmond.edu.