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Center for Student Services»Financial Aid»Federal Verification Process (2020-21)

Federal Verification Process (2020-21)

Verification is a process required by the U.S. Department of Education for selected students.  The college is required to obtain and compare information reported on your FAFSA form to your family’s federal tax returns and other documents.  Federal aid can not be disbursed to your account until the verification process has been completed.

For verification requirements for 2019-20 click here.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Federal verification for the 2020-21 academic year requires 2018 income tax information

Document Submission Deadline

Fall Admits: June 1, 2020

Spring Admits: February 1, 2021

 

What documents are required for federal verification?

1. Submit the Federal Verification Worksheet to our office.  Make sure you are submitting the worksheet that corresponds to correct academic year and your dependency status on the FAFSA .

2020-2021 Dependent Verification Worksheet

2020-2021 Independent Verification Worksheet

2. Verify 2018 income, either through the FAFSA or with documentation from the IRS .  

The best way to verify income is by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) inside the FAFSA application.  If you are unable to use the IRS DRT, please provide our office with a copy of your 2018 IRS Tax Return Transcript (for tax filers).

3. Verify 2018 Wages by submitting copies of all Federal W2s to our office.

4. You may also be asked to verify assets reported on the FAFSA application.  If an Asset form is requested, please complete and submit.

        20-21 Asset Form  

IRS Tax Return Transcript Request

Return Transcripts can be ordered online, by mail, or by phone.

Get Transcript ONLINE or by MAIL: Go to www.irs.gov .  Select “Get your tax record ”.  Select either “Get transcript online” or “Get transcript by mail”.  Be sure to request Tax RETURN Transcript.  Indicate your home address as the mailing address if you are requesting your transcript be mailed

Automated Telephone Request: Call 1-800-908-9946 and follow menu prompts.  Indicate your home address as the mailing address.  Transcripts generally arrive in 10 business days.

Paper Request Form: Complete either IRS 4506T-EZ  or IRS 4506T .  Indicate your home address as the mailing address.  Transcripts generally arrive in 10 business days.

 
Non-tax Filer Requirements

Independent Students and Parents of Dependent Students: Non-tax filers must provide a Verification of Non-Filing Letter  from the IRS to fulfill the income verification requirement.  Indicate your home address as the mailing address.  Transcripts generally arrive in 10 business days.

Dependent Students: Non-tax filers must indicate on the verification worksheet they were not required to file a tax return and provide supporting W-2s and/or 1099s for any income earned.  

How do I submit my documents?

Please click on the link below to use the secure CSS Document Drop box.  Before uploading our documents, make sure the student’s full name and MMC ID are included on the document.  Do not fax or email personal documents.  This is insecure and puts your personal information at risk.

CSS Document Drop Box 

 

Or send by mail to:

Marymount Manhattan College
Center for Student Services 
221 East 71st Street
New York, NY 10021

Verification of Income for Individuals with Unusual Circumstances

  • Filers of Amended Tax Returns

    If you filed an amended tax return you must provide our office with the following:

     

    An IRS Tax Return Transcript that includes information from the original tax return OR any other IRS tax transcript(s) that includes all income and tax information from the original tax return required for verification

     

    AND

     

    An ink signed of IRS Form 1040X “Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,” that was filed with the IRS.

  • Tax Filers with a Filing Extension for 2018

    A tax filer who is required to file a 2018 IRS income tax return and has been granted a filing extension by the IRS, beyond the automatic six-month extension for tax year 2018, must provide our office with the following:

     

    • a copy of IRS Form 4868, “Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,” that was filed with the IRS for tax year 2018 

    • A copy of the IRS’s approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension for tax year 2018

    • Verification of Non-Filing Letter (confirmation that the tax return has not yet been filed) from the IRS or other relevant tax authority dated on or after October 1, 2018;

    • a copy of IRS Form W-2 for each source of employment income received for tax year 2018, 

  • Victims of IRS Identity Theft

    An individual who was the victim of IRS tax-related identity theft must complete the following steps:

     

    • Contact the IRS at 1-800-908-4490.

    • Upon authentication of the tax filer’s identity, the IRS will provide, by U.S. Postal Service, an alternate transcript Tax Return DataBase View (TRDBV) of the tax filer’s IRS income tax return information.

    • Provide a statement, signed and dated by the tax filer, indicating that he/she was a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft and that the IRS has been made aware of the tax-related identity theft.

  • Statement of Educational Purpose

    You may be required to complete a Statement of Educational Purpose as part of the Federal Verification process.  If you are unable to come to our office in person with an unexpired valid government-issued photo identification, you may complete this Statement of Educational Purpose in the presence of a notary public.

    The original notarized statement and a copy of the identification acknowledged by the notary public will need to be submitted to our office by mail or in person.

  • Filers of Non-IRS or Foreign Tax Returns

    A tax filer who filed an income tax return with Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands may provide a signed copy of his or her income tax return that was filed with the relevant tax authority. However, if we question the accuracy of the information on the signed copy of the income tax return, the tax filer must provide us with a copy of the tax account information issued by the relevant tax authority before verification can be completed. 

    A tax filer who filed an income tax return with tax authority for American Samoa must provide a copy of his or her tax account information. 

    A tax filer who filed an income tax return with tax authorities not mentioned above, (i.e. a foreign tax authority, and who indicates that he or she is unable to obtain the tax account information free of charge), must provide our office with documentation that the tax authority charges a fee to obtain that information, along with a translated, signed copy of their income tax return that was filed with the relevant tax authority, converted to US Dollars. 

Verification Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why has my information been selected for verification?

    There are several reasons for being selected for verification. The following are the most common:

    • The FAFSA application has incomplete data
    • The data on the FAFSA application appears to be discrepant
    • The FAFSA application contains estimated or assumed information

  • How do I tell if I am dependent or independent?

    Your answers to questions on the FAFSA form determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student.  

    Not living with parents or not being claimed by them on tax forms does not make you an independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid.  

    For additional information visit the Federal Student Aid website .  

  • Can my financial aid award change?

    After you turn in all required documents, the Financial Aid Office will compare them with your FAFSA. If errors are found, corrections will be made. This can result in a change to your financial aid awarded. If this happens, we will send you a revised award letter showing the changes. Please note you can monitor changes in your status by accessing your MMC Connect account.

  • What happens if I do not submit documents required for verification?

    Federal regulation and MMC policy prohibit the disbursement of certain financial aid prior to the completion of the verification process. This can include, but is not limited to:

    • Federal Pell Grant
    • Federal SEOG Grant
    • Federal Work-Study
    • Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
    • MMC Grants
    • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
    • Direct Parent PLUS loan

     

    If the process is not completed in a timely manner, you will have a large remaining balance with the College.  Marymount Manhattan’s policy does not allow students with outstanding tuition bills to register for the following semester.