Frequently Asked Questions - Verification 2020-2021

In order to be considered for campus-based funds, institutional grants, Federal Pell Grants, and Direct Loans, ASU should have a valid FAFSA and all verification documents prior to the student’s last day of attendance (LDA). 

• Direct Loans must be accepted by the student's LDA to qualify for disbursement as published on the Financial Aid Calendar. 
• The Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Loan Entrance Counseling must be completed within 180 days of the student's LDA or by the close of an aid year (i.e., September), whichever comes first.

If ASU has a valid FAFSA by a student's LDA, but the student did not submit all verification documents by their LDA:

• The student has 120 days from their LDA or by the close of an aid year (i.e., September), whichever comes first, to submit all verification documents and be considered for the Federal Pell Grant only.
• To be considered for institutional grants, the student or staff may seek approval from management.

If verification is not completed before the applicable deadline:

• Federal student aid is forfeited, and
• Any previously paid subsidized federal student aid for the payment period must be returned (i.e., selected for verification after disbursement and student did not submit required documents)

Please see the FAFSA website for details.

Prior-prior year tax information:

For the 2020-2021 Academic Year, use 2018 Tax Information

The Federal government publishes guidelines each year with tax filing requirements and provides an online wizard to determine if you must file a federal tax return. All Federal financial aid recipients are expected to comply with published tax laws. Any conflicting information will need to be resolved before financial aid can be awarded. Click on this link to find the 2018 tax filing requirements.

Use one of the following methods to request a Tax Return Transcript. Before choosing the first option, please read the IRS user requirements to see if it is a viable option.

1. You can instantly retrieve your TRT online at the IRS Get Transcript website by clicking the Get Transcript Online button. The online tool requires the user to register before submitting a request. The user must have the following:

• Access to a valid email address.
• A Social Security number.
• Their filing status and address from the last-filed tax return.
• A text-enabled mobile phone in the user’s name (pay-as-you-go plans cannot be used).
• Their personal account number from one of the following: credit card, home mortgage loan, home equity line of credit or car loan.

If the tax filer has a credit security freeze with Equifax, they must request a temporary freeze lift until they have successfully registered or the IRS will not be able to verify their identity. They will need to contact Equifax to resume the freeze unless they scheduled it to resume automatically. For more information, visit IRS Get Transcript FAQs.

1. Have your 2018 TRT mailed to you by visiting the IRS Get Transcript website and clicking the Get Transcript by Mail button. Once requested, it will take 7 to 10 business days to receive by mail.
2. Call 1-800-908-9946 and use the IRS automated phone system to request your 2018 TRT be mailed to you. Once requested, it will take 7 to 10 business days to receive by mail.
3. Print the IRS Form 4506T-EZ from the IRS website. Complete lines 1 through 4 and enter your 10-digit ASU ID number on line 5 (customer file number). Enter the tax year 2018 on line 6. Then, sign and submit to the IRS. After the IRS processes your IRS Form 4506T-EZ, the Tax Return Transcript will be mailed to you in 7 to 10 business days.

There are two methods:

1. Instantly retrieve an online copy by visiting the IRS Get Transcript website and click the Get Transcript ONLINE button. Note: The online tool requires the user to register before submitting a request. The user must have the following: • Access to a valid email address. • A text-enabled mobile phone in the user’s name (pay-as-you-go plans cannot be used). • Specific financial account numbers, such as a credit card number or an account number for a home mortgage or auto loan.

Once received, upload a copy through Verification Documents Request. Individuals not able to successfully register for the "Get Transcript ONLINE" can request a Verification of Non Filing (VONF) by following option 2.

2. Complete the paper 4506-T Form and mark box 7. If W-2 or 1099 MISC Forms are also needed, mark box 8. Submit the form to the IRS. It will take 7-10 business days to receive the VONF by mail. Once received, upload a copy through Verification Documents Request. Please note: If an individual does not have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), they will not be able to request a VONF. Instead, upload a signed statement explaining the individual does not have a SSN or ITIN as well as a list of each source of income received and the annual amount.

Please note: If an individual does not have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), they will not be able to request a VONF. Instead, upload a signed statement explaining the individual does not have a SSN or ITIN as well as a list of each source of income received and the annual amount.

ASU will compare your date of marriage or divorce listed on the FAFSA to your and your spouse's tax filing status on the 2018 Federal Tax Returns (i.e., single, head of household, married filing jointly, married filing separately) to ensure no conflicting information exists.

If your or your spouse's 2018 tax filing status conflicts with your marital status on Dec. 31, 2018, you will need to provide ASU with documentation that shows you and your spouse used the proper tax filing status or you and your spouse will have to amend the 2018 Federal Tax Returns with the IRS and submit a signed copy of the 2018 amended tax documents to ASU.

All federal student aid recipients and their spouses are expected to comply with published tax laws.

This is question 82 on the paper Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.  The schedule 1 is an additional tax form that is completed when filing your tax return.  This should typically be the 3rd page of a tax return.

Select “No” if your parents didn’t and won’t file a Schedule 1.

OR

Select “No” if your parents filed or will file a Schedule 1 but only to report one or more of the following six additions or adjustments to income on Schedule 1:

• Capital gain (Line 13 may not be less than 0)
• Unemployment compensation (Line 19)
• Other income to report an Alaska Permanent Fund dividend (Line 21 may not be less than 0)
• Educator expense (Line 23)
• IRA deduction (Line 32)
• Student loan interest deduction (Line 33)

Select “Yes” if your parents filed or will file a Schedule 1 to report additional income or adjustments other than one or more of the six exceptions listed above.

If your parents don’t know if they filed or will file a Schedule 1, select “Don’t know.”

The required documentation depends on whether or not you successfully used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the 2020–2021 FAFSA and who initiated the change to your 2018 tax return (i.e., you, the IRS or ASU).

Scenario A: You successfully used the IRS DRT on the 2020–2021 FAFSA and you amended your 2018 tax return. Submit one of the following:

1. A signed copy of your 2018 Amended Tax Return (i.e., 1040X).
2. A copy of your 2018 Record of Account Transcript.

Scenario B: You did not use the IRS DRT on the 2020–2021 FAFSA and you amended your 2018 tax return. Submit one of the following combinations of documents:

1. A copy of your 2018 Tax Return Transcript and a signed copy of your 2018 Amended Tax Return (i.e., 1040X).
2. A copy of your 2018 Tax Return Transcript and a copy of your 2018 Record of Account Transcript.

Scenario C: ASU identified an error on your 2018 tax return that must be amended with the IRS. Submit one of the following:

1. A signed copy of your 2018 Amended Tax Return (i.e., 1040X).
2. A copy of your 2018 Record of Account Transcript.

Scenario D: The IRS amended your 2018 tax return. You must provide documentation that includes the changes made by the IRS (i.e., CP2000 Notice, CP3219A Notice) as well as one of the following:

• A copy of your 2018 Tax Return Transcript.
• Your successful use of the IRS DRT on the 2020–2021 FAFSA.

If you no longer have your W-2's and/or 1099 MISC Forms, you can request a replacement W-2 and/or 1099 MISC from the employer who issued you the original.

Or, you can request a “Wage & Income Transcript” from the IRS by printing the paper 4506-T Form. Complete the form with box 8 marked, then submit to the IRS. The “Wage & Income Transcript” will be mailed within 7-10 business days. Once received, you can upload a copy.

If you are a victim of IRS-related identity theft, access to your tax information generally occurs 8-11 weeks after the IRS has received your tax return; however, resolution of IRS-related identity theft can take 120-180 days. Please visit the IRS Identity Protection website for more information.

In some cases, victims of IRS-related identity theft may not be able to use the FAFSA's IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) or request a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS for 8-11 weeks after the IRS has received your tax return. However, ASU suggests that you try to use those methods first to verify your income. If those methods do not work, please utilize the alternative method below.

• You may call the Identity Protection Specialized Unit (IPSU) toll free number at 1-800-908-4490. After the IPSU authenticates your identity, you can request that the IRS mail you an alternate paper tax return transcript, known as the "Transcript Database View" (TRDBV).
• Once you receive the TRDBV by mail, please use the Verify My FAFSA tool to submit it, as well as a signed and dated letter indicating that you were a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft and that the IRS has been made aware of the tax-related identity theft. Your student name and ASU ID number must appear on each page.
• If you cannot obtain a TRDBV, you may submit another official IRS transcript or equivalent document provided by the IRS if it includes all of the income and tax information required to be verified.

Please see the FAFSA website for details.

The necessary documentation depends on the foreign country or U.S. territory of which your parent is a citizen. You must also attach an English translation of the document.

Residents of Puerto Rico: Upload your parent's signed 2018 Puerto Rican tax return (equivalent to the IRS 1040) into the eForm below.

Residents of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau or the Federated States of Micronesia: Upload copies of all your parent's 2018 Wage and Tax Statements from each employer and identify all of your parent's income sources and amounts for 2018 in the eForm below.

Residents of American Samoa: Upload your parent's 2018 American Samoa tax transcript, which is free of charge from the American Samoa Tax Office, into the eForm below.

Residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands: Upload your parent's signed 2018 tax return from Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands (equivalent to the IRS 1040) into the eForm below.

Residents of other foreign nations not mentioned above: Upload your parent's 2018 foreign tax transcript* into the eForm below. A tax transcript is a document your parent requests from the foreign tax authority (i.e., Canada Revenue Agency, Servico de Administracion Tribtaria). It confirms the foreign income reported to the foreign tax authority.

*Per the U.S. Department of Education, only in situations where your parent is unable to obtain a free copy of their foreign tax transcript from their foreign tax authority can they submit a signed copy of their foreign tax return (equivalent to the IRS 1040), along with proof that their foreign tax authority charges a fee.