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Verification is a process that is used to confirm the data you reported on your FAFSA is accurate. You may have been selected for verification at random or because your FAFSA data was incomplete, estimated, or inconsistent. One out of five FAFSA applications is selected at random, so being required to complete verification doesn't mean you did anything wrong. It is also possible to get selected for verification in different aid years due to random selection.
The Financial Aid Office will contact you directly, usually through your WSU e-mail or student portal, to request specific documents to verify the information reported on the FAFSA.
You may have to complete a Verification Worksheet and provide the Financial Aid Office with copies of evidence supporting the information on your aid application. Supporting evidence may include copies of signed federal tax returns and/or W-2s. If you are married or a dependent student, the spouse/parent information must be provided as well. In some cases, students may need to present a valid, government-issued photo ID and sign a statement of educational purpose.
If there are any differences found between information reported on FAFSA and the actual figures provided in the verification documents, corrections will be made to the FAFSA and submitted to the Department of Education. Your aid offer will be based on the corrected information.
If you don't complete the verification worksheet(s) and submit the requested documents, you won't be eligible for federal, state or even some institutional financial aid. If you already received a financial aid offer letter, the aid will be cancelled until the verification process is complete.
NOTE: The FAFSA processor will print an asterisk next to the EFC (for the 24-25 award year and beyond, Student Aid Index (SAI)) (on the Student Aid Report - SAR - for the 24-25 award year and beyond, FAFSA Submission Summary; which is sent to the student).