Verification

You might see a note on the Student Aid Report (available at fafsa.gov) indicating verification is required; or you will have unsatisfied financial aid award requirements on MySAIL requesting verification documents be submitted. Oakland University’s Student Financial Services acts as an agent of the U.S. Department of Education and is responsible for requesting documentation which supports the information reported on the FAFSA.

Requested documents are due within 14 days of the requested date shown in MySAIL. Students who do not submit requested documents by the due date are putting their financial aid at risk of being delayed or canceled. Students are responsible for paying the balance on the eBill by the semester due date, regardless of the status of their financial aid. Students who do not pay the balance by the due date are subject to cancellation of their classes and on-campus housing (if applicable) and/or late payment penalties. Learn more about the consequences of late payments.

The Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) allows most users to upload relevant tax information directly from the irs.gov website.

If you are selected for verification and are unable to use the IRS DRT, please request and submit a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS.

Victims of identity theft cannot use the IRS DRT, and instead, will need to submit:

• a Transcript Database View (TRDBV) by calling the IRS's Identity Protection Specialized Unit (IPSU) toll-free at (800) 908-4490. After the IPSU authenticates the fax filer's identity, he or she can ask the IRS to mail the TRDBV, which will look different than a regular tax return transcript, but is official and can be used for the verification process. View the IRS Identity Theft website for more information
• a statement signed and dated by the tax filer indicating they were victims of IRS tax-related identity theft and the IRS has been made aware of the tax-related identity theft

Students or parents who file an amended return cannot use the IRS DRT, and instead, will need to submit:

• a signed copy of the IRS Form 1040X filed, and
• an IRS Tax Return Transcript requested from the IRS

Individuals who filed an IRS tax extension will need to submit all of the following documents:

• 4868 Request for Filing Extension
• Account transcript showing extension deadline beyond the six month extension approved by the IRS
• Letter of non-filing dated on or after October 1 of the current year
• Copy of W2s from all employers for the requested tax year. If self employed, a signed statement certifying the amount of the adjusted gross income and US income tax paid for the tax year requested.

Student Financial Services is required to verify that students graduated high school, received a GED equivalent, or are able to transfer 60 or more credits. Eligibility for federal aid is based on completion of high school education and university enrollment.

If students submit high school graduation information to another campus office, they may still be required to submit proof to Student Financial Services to expedite and satisfy the requirement. The following are acceptable to satisfy the proof of high school graduation requirement; please submit one of the following documents no later than 30 days before the semester begins:

• A copy of your high school diploma.
• A copy of your final high school transcript that shows the date when the diploma was awarded.
• A copy of your General Educational Development (GED) certificate or GED transcript.
• An academic transcript that indicates you successfully completed at least 60 transferable credits.
• A copy of your completion of an associate's degree.
• If state law requires a homeschooled student to obtain a secondary school completion credential for homeschool (other than a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent), a copy of that credential.
• If state law does not require a homeschooled student to obtain a secondary school completion credential for homeschool (other than a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent), a transcript or the equivalent, signed by a cognizant authority, that lists the secondary school courses the student completed and documents the successful completion of a secondary school education in a homeschool setting.
• Students with a foreign high school transcript must obtain a course-by-course transcript evaluation by NACES-Foreign Credential Evaluations for high schools attended outside the U.S.

Dependent Student Assets

Dependent Student Household Worksheet

Dependent Student Income Worksheet

Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose

Independent Student Assets

Independent Student Household Worksheet

Independent Student Income Worksheet