Verification
If you have been selected for verification, Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (SFA) needs additional documentation before they can process your financial aid. In order to receive your financial aid award package on time, please complete your To Do List found in your MyBGSU > Student Center > Action Items > To-Do list.
Please remember that your financial aid award can’t be processed until the missing information has been submitted. Keep in mind that SFA will process documents in the order that they are received. Please allow a minimum of 7 to 10 business days for each submitted document to be processed.
Use the steps below to help you get started.
Completing Verification
All students who have been selected for verification, must complete the Verification Worksheet. Please note, the worksheet cannot be processed until all pages have been completed and the document signed by student and parent(s). Follow one of the links below to download the Verification Worksheet. For any other requested documents, please visit Student Financial Aid and Scholarship's forms page.
Federal Tax Transcripts are a specific series of documents that must be requested directly from the IRS. If BGSU is requesting your Federal Tax Transcripts, students will need to request the Tax RETURN Transcript by clicking here. You will be given the option to request your transcript online or by mail. All students must request their tax transcripts by mail. This process typically takes 7-10 business days.
If a student has a completed and signed federal 1040 they may submit that document in lieu of the federal tax transcript. They will also need to submit all schedules.
If a dependent student did not work in the year we are requesting, no tax documents are needed. BGSU can waive this required document when the student indicates that they did not work on their Verification Worksheet.
BGSU cannot accept W2's in place of Federal Tax Transcripts.
Federal Tax Transcripts are a specific series of documents that must be requested directly from the IRS. If BGSU is requesting your Federal Tax Transcripts, parents will need to request the Tax RETURN Transcript by clicking here. Parents have the option to request their tax transcripts by mail or online. BGSU only needs one tax transcript if the parents filed their taxes jointly.
If the parent(s) have completed and signed Federal 1040 they may submit that document and all schedules in lieu of the federal tax transcript.
BGSU cannot accept W2's in place of Federal Tax Transcripts.
Parent 1 is defined as the first parent on the FAFSA. In most cases this is the Father or Step-Father.
Parent 2 is defined as the second parent on the FAFSA. In most cases this is the Mother or Step-Mother.
Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Office utilizes a secure document upload tool in which families may submit their requested documents securely and directly to our office. Click the button below to upload your documents and avoid delays of using the USPS. Don't forget to include the student's BGSU ID number at the top of all submitted documents.
Verification FAQs
Verification is the confirmation through documentation that the information provided on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is correct. The federal Department of Education requires universities to verify or confirm the data reported by students and their parent(s) on the FAFSA. 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 main reasons for being selected for verification include that you were chosen randomly, the FAFSA you submitted was incomplete, your FAFSA contains estimated information or the data you provided on the FAFSA is inconsistent. Verification is a federal regulation and students who are selected, are done so by the federal Department of Education not BGSU.
Students must complete all items on their To Do List and Holds to complete verification. Once all documents are submitted, Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (SFA) can begin to verify the student's information. Keep in mind that SFA will process documents in the order that they are received. Please allow a minimum of 7 to 10 business days once you have submitted all documents BGSU has requested.
All students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may be selected for verification. Verification can be a random selection or it may have been triggered by one of the following items: the FAFSA you submitted was incomplete, your FAFSA contains estimated information or the data you provided on the FAFSA is inconsistent. Verification is a federal regulation and students who are selected, are done so by the federal Department of Education not BGSU.
No financial aid can be processed until all requested documents are submitted and processed by the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Office (SFA). In order to receive financial aid in time for university billing deadlines, see the recommended verification deadlines on the Verification Worksheet. SFA recommends submitting all documents as soon as possible and allowing for a minimum of 7-10 business days for processing.
Updated: 09/27/2023 04:54PM