Verification Process

Your financial aid file may be selected for verification at any time by our Student Financial Aid Office or the U.S. Department of Education.  If your application is selected, you (and your parents if you are dependent) will need to supply additional documentation.

Timeframe

• Federal law requires the College to complete the verification process within 120 days from the last date of your enrollment. 
• Your cooperation is critical. After the 120 days, we will not be able to award or disburse federal financial aid to you.
• If you fail to complete the verification process, your financial aid may be canceled. 
  
  

Notification Process

• You will be notified through your student email account if you are selected for verification.
• You will be sent three requests for the required information 30-days apart.
• If you do not submit requested information within/after this 90-day period, our office assumes you do not wish to complete the financial aid process.
  
  

What to Do

• Carefully review the notification sent to your student email regarding the requested documentation for verification.
• Follow the notification’s instructions, and download and print your requested forms through Self-Service. 
• Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or an official IRS Tax Return Transcript to provide your federal tax return information. (Copies of federal tax returns will be accepted in limited situations.) Tax return transcripts are free of charge and take 5-10 days for delivery. If you filed an amended return, provide copies of both the signed 1040X Amended Return and your original tax return transcript.
• Provide verification of non-filing from the IRS if you did not file a federal tax return and are the parent of a dependent student or an independent student, or, if married, your spouse) online through the IRS or by filling out and submitting IRS Form 4506-T to the IRS.
• Be honest when you complete your requested form. If you (or anyone else) purposefully misrepresents or alter any information used to determine financial aid awards in order to fraudulently obtain federal funds, you will be reported to the Office of Inspector General.
• Next, complete, sign, and submit all of your documents to our office in a timely manner.

An ACM Financial Aid Counselor will review your information for discrepancies between your FAFSA information before correcting and resubmitting your FAFSA.

Adjustments

• Any transaction processed by the Federal Processing Center may result in a change to your information.
• Our office evaluates files throughout the year and may adjust awards due to these changes. 
• Your financial aid funds may be held from payment or returned until the verification process is complete.
• You may have to pay back the difference to the College or the Federal government if the verification process results in lowering your financial aid.
• You will receive an official adjustment notice to your student email account if your Title IV Financial Aid amounts change at any time after your Official Award Notification.

If you have any questions about the verification process, please contact our office immediately.