Verification & Conflicting Information

Undergraduate Financial Aid

Each year, approximately 30 percent of financial aid applications are selected for federal verification and an additional amount require additional review due to conflicting information. As a result, you'll need to provide additional documentation so we can ensure the information provided on your financial aid application is accurate. If your file is selected, you must complete the process before we can provide you with a financial aid offer.

Being selected for federal verification or additional review is not a reason to panic as long as you filled out your financial aid application accurately and to the best of your abilities. Below, you'll find instructions on how to proceed if you're selected, along with answers to several of our most frequently asked questions.

Federal Verification vs. Conflicting Information

Applications selected for federal verification are chosen by the U.S. Department of Education, while applications that have conflicting information between the FAFSA and CSS Profile are selected for additional review by the University of Denver. In both cases, further documentation is required before we can offer financial aid.

Overview of the Process

If you're selected for federal verification or have conflicting information, we'll notify you via email so you can help us verify that the information you submitted on your financial aid application is accurate.

What to Submit

If you're selected for federal verification or have conflicting information, you'll receive an email from our office indicating what you (and your parents, if applicable) need to submit. Required documents may include:

  • Verification Worksheet
  • 2020 student and/or parent W-2s
  • 2020 signed student and/or parent tax returns
  • Other forms

If applying for aid for the 2022-23 academic year, tax returns and W-2s should be from 2020. Tax returns must be signed or include tax preparer information. Not all documents will be required of all students. Prospective students should log into www.du.edu/appstatus to view the specific requirements needed to complete their application. Current students should check through PioneerWeb.

Note: If a tax return is requested, you may be able to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to update your FAFSA instead of submitting a tax return. To use this tool—which will import your tax return data directly into your application—log in to your FAFSA online under the "Returning User" section. For more detailed instructions, review the steps to using IRS Data Retrieval. Once your FAFSA is correct and you've waited an additional 3-4 business days for processing, use the methods described above to check your application status to see if a tax return is still required.

When to Submit

Make sure to submit your documents as soon as possible! We're unable to generate your financial aid offer until we complete the review process.

The final deadline for federal verification is the student's last day of attendance during an academic year or June 30 of the academic year, whichever comes first. Students submitting documents after the final deadline will not be eligible for financial aid for that year.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What happens if the verification process finds an error in my financial aid application?

    If verification documents reveal inaccuracies in your FAFSA, a member of our office will correct your application electronically. If and when those corrections are made, the FAFSA processor will send an email to the address listed on the FAFSA indicating a change has been made to the file.

    If incomplete or inadequate verification documents are submitted, we'll notify you of discrepancies by email and provide instructions on how to correct them.

    Federal verification or institutional review may result in a change to your financial aid award. If so, we will notify you of any changes. We encourage you to contact us for an explanation of corrections and amended awards.

    Should our review reveal you may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with your application, we're required to report this information to the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education for investigation. Examples of such information include (but are not limited to) false claims of independent student status, false claims of citizenship, use of false identities, forgery of signatures or certificates and false statements of income.

  • What if my parent(s) were self-employed and/or did not receive W-2s?

    If your parents are self-employed or do not receive W-2s, please contact our office and we can waive this requirement for you.

  • What if my parent(s) were unemployed and/or did not file taxes?

    If you've been selected for Federal Verification and your parent(s) did not file taxes, your parents must submit a verification of non-filing letter to our office. This letter must come directly from the IRS. To obtain a verification of non-filing letter online, go to www.irs.gov and click on "Get My Tax Record". In addition to this letter, your parent must also submit a Non-Tax Filer Statement Form.

  • What's the best way to submit documents to your office?

    If you're a prospective student, the easiest, most secure way to submit documents is to upload them through your application status page. Get step-by-step instructions by viewing our how-to video. You can also email them to finaid@du.edu or fax them to 303-871-2341.

    If you're a current student, we recommend uploading documents through PioneerWeb as it's the most secure. We'll accept documents via email or fax as well.

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