Verification

Tanya McGeeKatie Starling

Kansas State UniversityOctober 3, 2013

Agenda• 2013-2014: Where we are• 2014-2015: Where we are going• Impact of GEN-13-12• Discussion/Question & Answer

2013-2014 Verification• Data elements to verify remained largely the

same as 2012-13• High school completion status and Identity/

Statement of Educational Purpose were added• Introduction of verification groups

• V1, V2, V3, V4, V5• Student should remain in the same verification group

2013-2014Data elements to verify• Household size• Number in college• Income information for tax filers

• AGI• Taxes Paid• Education Credits• Specific untaxed income: IRA distributions, pensions,

IRA deductions, and tax exempt interest

2013-2014Data elements to verify (con’t)

• Income information for non-tax filers• Income earned from work

• SNAP benefits (ie. Food Stamps) • Only if ISIR indicates this was true

• Child Support Paid• Only if ISIR indicates this was true

2013-2014Data elements to verify (con’t)

• High School Completion Status• Recognized equivalents of high school diploma

• Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose• Must use exact wording provided by ED for the

Statement of Educational Purpose

K-State’s ISIRs for AY14

As of Monday, September 30, 2013

Received (duplicated)

Loaded (unduplicated)

Total ISIRs 45,335 19,280Total Selected 18,329 5,500V1 18,103 5,448V2 24 10V3 112 33V4 11 0V5 75 8

So…how’s it going?• Red ribbon year? Maybe blue, green, white?

2014-2015 Verification• Federal Register published June 13, 2013• Dear Colleague Letter, GEN-13-16, published

June 13, 2013

2014-2015 Verification – What’s new• Verification group changes

• Say goodbye to V2 – SNAP • Say hello to V6 – Household Resources

• Applicants will no longer be assigned to V2, but we will still be required to verify SNAP in the other verification tracking groups (V1, V4, V5, V6)

VerificationTracking Groups

2014-2015 Verification – What’s new (con’t)

• Verification items remain the same as AY14, but with one addition• Other Untaxed Income • Introduction of the new verification tracking group –

V6, Household Resources• Q45 for the student and Q94 for the parent(s)

2014-2015 Verification – Other Untaxed Income• Payments to tax-deferred pension and savings plans• Child support received• Housing, food and other living allowances paid to

members of the military, clergy and others• Veterans noneducation benefits• Other untaxed income (workers’ compensation,

untaxed portion of health savings accounts, etc.)• Money received or paid on the student’s behalf

2014-2015 Verification – Other Untaxed Income• Acceptable documentation includes:

• Signed statement by the student and parent, if applicable, that lists the untaxed income amounts

• Copies of the 2013 W-2s from all sources of income

2014-2015 Verification – Other Untaxed Income• If the FAA determines the income verified does

not appear to provide sufficient financial support, the student or parent must explain how the family was financially supported during calendar year 2013.

• Income sources: AGI, income earned from work, all untaxed income, and other untaxed income not included on the FAFSA.

2014-2015 Verification – Other Untaxed Income• Hence, the name for the new tracking group -

Household Resources• Hey! You’re living on nothing! Prove it!• Sources of income can include the “usual” items• But could also include untaxed income not listed on

the FAFSA• Welfare benefits Additional child tax credit• Earned income credit Untaxed social security

benefits• Supplemental security income (SSI)

2014-2015 Verification – Other Untaxed Income• Household Resources

• ED will not be specifying an income threshold• Leaving that to the institution to define

• How will you determine your “magic” number?• Use poverty guidelines?• What seems appropriate/necessary for a certain

family’s size and geographic location?

Modifications to Acceptable Documentation• Nontax filers – if an institution questions the claim

of not filing, the institution may/must require the student to submit a “Verification of Nonfiling” from the IRS.• The IRS will not be issuing until after June 15, 2014.

Modifications to Acceptable Documentation• High School Completion Status

• Previously collected HS Completion documentation may be used as long as it meets the criteria outlined in the Federal Register.

• High School Completion Abroad – may obtain a copy of a “secondary school leaving certificate” through the appropriate government agency

• Homeschool – secondary school completion credential vs. transcript signed by student’s parents

Modifications to Acceptable Documentation• Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose

• Specific text for 2014-2015 provided in the Federal Register

• Documentation may be converted into an electronic record (ie. your imaging system)

• Household Size• Includes parents who are married or unmarried and

living together, irrespective of gender• GEN-13-12

Impact of GEN-13-12• Beginning with 2014-2015, dependent students

will be required to provide income information from the student’s legal parents (biological or adoptive) regardless of marital status or gender, if those parents live together.

• In the past, income has been excluded when the parents were unmarried, even if the parents were living together.

Impact of GEN-13-12• Philosophy – the family should help pay the

educational expenses of their child.• Help to ensure limited taxpayer resources are

directed to students with the most need, regardless of the parents’ marital status or gender, when those parents are living together.

Impact of GEN-13-12• New response to FAFSA question, “As of today,

what is the marital status of your legal parents?”, will include “Unmarried and both parents living together.”

• FAFSA on the Web will no longer have mother/father reference, but will reference Parent1/Parent2.

Additional Requirements• Required to enter Identity Verification Results into

FAA Access (V4 and V5)• Manually enter information one student at a time.• FAA Access will accept a flat file after April 2014.• Must enter results even for non-respondents.

Discussion Question & AnswerPossible Topics• Impact to your verification forms• Impact to your student systems• Impact to your website

ResourcesFederal Register, published June 13, 2013http://ifap.ed.gov/fregisters/attachments/FR061313FAFSAInformationToBeVerifiedforthe20142015AwardYear

Dear Colleague Letter (GEN-13-16), published 6/13/13http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN1316.html

Resources2013 NASFAA Conference, Department of Education Verification session handout/audiowww.nasfaa.org/conference/videos/ed-sessions.aspx

NASFAA’s News July 30, 2013 – FAA Access Reporting for Verification of Identity and HS Diploma Required in 2014-15www.nasfaa.org/Main/orig/2013/FAA_Access_Reporting_For_Verification_Of_Identity_And_High_School_Diploma_Required_In_2014%e2%80%9315.aspx

Contact InformationTanya McGeeAssociate DirectorOffice of Student Financial AssistanceKansas State Universitytanyap@k-state.edu

Katie StarlingAssistance DirectorOffice of Student Financial AssistanceKansas State Universitystarling@k-state.edu