Verification

Verification, a review process mandated by the Federal Central Processing System, requires selected applicants to verify information provided on the financial aid application. You may also be selected for verification by Baptist Health Sciences University should conflicting information be found on your financial aid application. 

Verification is the process of confirming that information reported by you and your parents or spouse on the FAFSA is accurate. If selected for verification, the student financial aid office is required to obtain and compare information submitted on tax documents, the verification form, and the FAFSA. Students selected for verification must provide all requested documentation to be eligible to receive and maintain financial aid awards. 

A review of US income tax return information is part of the verification process. You may complete the FAFSA income section using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which is the preferred method by our office. If you need help, using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, please click on the image below to view an online tutorial hosted the UC Santa Barbara website. 

If you do not or cannot use the IRS Tax Retrieval Tool, you must submit a copy of your IRS Federal Tax Return Transcript. Your IRS transcript can be requested online at www.irs.gov by clicking on “Get Transcript of Your Tax Records” under the Tools menu.   Select the option labeled “Get Transcript ONLINE.” Once an online transcript request is validated, the IRS will return in real-time, a transcript in a portable document format. 

Occasionally the documentation provided does not contain all of the necessary information to complete the verification process. In these situations, you will be notified outlining the additional documentation that is needed. Verification can be a lengthy process; therefore, we strongly recommend that students and their families submit the verification form(s) and all requested documents as soon as they are requested. Students should check their Baptist University e-mail as often as possible to be sure the financial aid office has not contacted you regarding additional information. 

Once the required documentation is received, the financial aid office will compare the submitted documents to the information initially provided on your FAFSA. If there are any discrepancies with the information initially provided on the FAFSA, the financial aid office will make any necessary corrections and you will receive an updated Student Aid Report (SAR). FAFSA corrections may result in a new determination of financial need, which may alter a student's financial aid eligibility.