Verification Process
Every year, the Department of Education selects a number of students' FAFSA applications for a process known as verification. If a student is selected for verification, the student will receive an email notification, and the required documents that must be submitted to complete verification will be listed on the student's Colgate Financial Aid Portal.
Once verification is completed, if there are any changes to a student's financial aid eligibility, they will receive a revised award notice via email.
Financial aid will not be credited to the student's bill at the usual time of disbursement (week prior to the first day of classes), if the student does not complete the federal verification requirements. Late submission of required documents will result in late disbursement of financial aid. Failure to submit documents could result in a student's ineligibility for financial aid.
Check Your Required Documents
Log-on to the Colgate Financial Aid Portal and select “Documents and Messages” from the menu in the top left corner to view outstanding required documents.
Students selected for verification are given access to the College Board IDOC portal to safely upload the required documents electronically. Required forms are available within the IDOC portal.
Do not send documentation containing sensitive data (i.e. social security number, date of birth, etc.) via email for your safety and security.
The student will receive an email from the College Board once access to the portal is available. We can only accept documentation submitted via the IDOC portal. We cannot accept documents submitted via email, fax, or mail.
Documents that may be required include:
- Verification Statement
- Parent and Student Tax Documents
- Statement of Identity and Educational Purpose
- Non-Expired Government Issued Photo ID
Not all the above documents may be required. Refer to your Colgate Financial Aid Portal for the specific documents that you are required to submit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Individuals that filed a tax return and need to verify tax information as part of federal verification may not have a copy of their tax return accessible to them. In these cases, there are two options that may be submitted in place of a signed tax return:
- Option 1: Log-in to the FAFSA at studentaid.gov to submit a FAFSA correction to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool it import verified tax information from the IRS into the FAFSA. Follow the link below for instructions:
Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)
- Option 2: Request a copy of their IRS Tax Return Transcript as a substitute for this requirement. Follow the link below for instructions:
Tax Return Transcript Instructions
Instructions on how to obtain proof of IRS non-filing are below for individuals who did not file a tax return and need to provide IRS proof of non-filing (only parents and/or independent students).
The Department of Education requires some students to confirm their identity and certify that the federal aid that they will receive will only be used for educational purposes for the academic year. This is done through the submission of the Statement of Educational Purpose form and unexpired government issued ID.
If this form is listed as a requirement on your Colgate aid portal, it must be completed either in person at the Colgate Financial Aid Office or with a notary. Instructions are on the form. An unexpired government issued photo ID must be presented with the form.