Verification is the process used to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA form is accurate. If you are selected for verification, we are required to request additional documentation that supports the information you reported on your FAFSA.

 

How to Complete Verification

If you are required to complete verification, you will be notified through your university email account and directed to the Financial Aid Dashboard at my.sc.edu to learn what you must do. There you will be provided with a link to a Dynamic Form to complete the following information:

• If you are a dependent student, you will need to complete a Dependent Verification Form and may be required to provide federal tax information for you and your parent(s).
• If you are an independent student, you will need to complete an Independent Verification Form and may be required to provide federal tax information for you (and your spouse if you are married).

Make sure you read your email and follow all instructions exactly.  If you have questions, contact your Financial Aid Office for help.

 

How to Submit Federal Tax Information

For most students, your tax information will be collected when you complete your FAFSA. Beginning in 2024-25, all contributors (students, parents of dependent students, and spouses of married students) will be required to use the FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) to transfer their tax information from the IRS to the FAFSA or to confirm their non-filing status. Tax information will not be visible to the student or their contributors on the FAFSA form, ensuring everyone’s privacy.

If you or a contributor were not able to use FA-DDX and manually entered tax information, you may be required to submit federal tax information to our office. If you are required to submit tax documents, you have a couple of options: 

• Submit a signed copy of the first two pages of your 1040 Federal Tax Return and all schedules.
• Submit a Tax Return Transcript directly from the IRS to our office. Click here to learn how to get your 2022 Federal Tax Return Transcript.

If you filed an amended tax return, be sure to submit a signed copy of your original 1040 along with your amended return (1040X). 

If you have filed an extension for your federal taxes, please contact your campus Financial Aid Office so that we can send you the appropriate form to complete verification. 

 

What is the Statement of Educational Purpose?

Some students who are selected for verification will be required to present their identification in person and complete a Statement of Educational Purpose Form in the presence of a witness. To verify their identity, students should appear in person to their Financial Aid Office and present a valid, unexpired, government issued photo ID such as a passport or Real ID or other state issued ID. Your school issued ID is not acceptable for this purpose. 

Students must also sign a Statement of Educational Purpose that certifies who they are and that the federal student aid they may receive will only be used for educational purposes and for the cost of attending school during the current academic year.  

A student who is unable to appear in person at the Financial Aid Office must have their statement notarized by an authorized notary public who will certify that the student appeared before them with a government-issued photo ID and is the person who signed the Statement of Educational Purpose. The student will then submit the original notarized statement along with a photocopy of their government issued ID. 

 

Other Required Documentation

After you submit your FAFSA, we may request other documentation in addition to verification. For example, you might be requested to provide the following:

• A copy of your Social Security card
• A copy of your marriage license
• Citizenship documents such as birth certificate or Alien Registration card.

If we require additional documentation, we will notify you through your USC email and the Financial Aid Dashboard at my.sc.edu. Make sure you read your email and follow all instructions exactly.  If you have questions, contact your Financial Aid Office for help.

 

What Happens Next?

Once you submit the requested verification documentation, your Financial Aid Office will compare the information you provided to that on your FAFSA. We are required to resolve any conflicting information so if we discover a mistake or if you have missing or incomplete documentation, we will notify you through your USC email and the Financial Aid Dashboard.

Once verification is complete, we can then determine your eligibility for financial aid. 

 

I Have Already Been Offered Financial Aid. What Happens After Verification?

If you are selected for verification after you have been offered financial aid, please understand that your financial aid may change based on the information you provide. Your eligibility for aid may also change if your documentation results in changes to your FAFSA. Until verification is complete, all future disbursements will be placed on hold until the process is complete. If you do not complete the verification process any aid disbursed must be cancelled which may result in a balance owed to the university.

 

April 1 Deadline and Packaging of Financial Aid

Our office begins packaging financial aid in early April. To prevent missing out on any limited funding sources, verification must be complete. This means your requirements on Self Service Carolina must be satisfied by April 1. If you do miss the deadline, be sure to satisfy your requirements as soon as possible. 

Occasionally, students are selected for verification after they have been packaged with financial aid. If this happens, your aid will be placed on hold until verification is done.