What Is Verification?
Verification is a federally required process to confirm the accuracy of information you provided on the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Verification selection can be random or because your FAFSA data was incomplete, estimated or inconsistent. The U.S. Department of Education selects some students for the verification process, we will select others if we find conflicting information.
Brandman is required to obtain documentation to confirm the information on your FAFSA. This will include a Verification Worksheet and your federal tax transcript. If you were not required to file a tax return, copies of your W-2 forms are required. If you are a dependent student, we will also request a copy of your parent's federal tax transcript.
Check Your Verification Status
To view your financial aid status, as well as the forms required to complete verification at Brandman, login to WebAdvisor.
For 12-13 you will be directed to MyBrandman from WebAdvisor:
1. From the Financial Aid section of the main menu, select the link for 2012-13 Brandman students.
2. Once you are in MyBrandman, select the "Financial Aid" tab at the top of the page.
3. Click on the box titled, "Financial Aid Status". Select the Aid Year of 2012-2013.
4. Click on "Student Requirements".
For 11-12, your status will be in WebAdvisor. After logging in...
1. Click on "Students"
2. Under the "Communications" heading, select "My Documents"
3. Look for the Requesting Office of Financial Aid. Required documents will be listed.
Required Documents
Changes for the 12-13 Academic Year:
When verifying your 2012-13 FAFSA, we are no longer able to accept a signed photocopy of your 1040 tax return form to complete the verification process. This is a federal regulation that we must follow.
To document your tax return information, you may:
• Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer 2011 tax data to your FAFSA (Recommended) , OR
• Request an IRS Tax Transcript
IRS Data Retrieval Tool
If you did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when you filed your 2012-13 FAFSA, you may still do so. We highly recommend this option for providing your tax information.
1. Login at fafsa.gov to "Make FAFSA Corrections"
2. On the FAFSA, in the Financial Information section, click "Link to IRS'"
3. On the IRS website, fill out the form and click on "Transfer my tax information into the FAFSA"
IRS Tax Transcript
If you are selected for verification and are unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you must submit an official IRS TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT, (not an Account Transcript.) There are 3 ways to do this:
- Request one electronically on the IRS website at www.irs.gov
- In the Tools section of the homepage click "Order a Return or Account Transcript" Under Choice 3, click "Order a Transcript"
- Or you may call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946 and follow the prompts to request a Tax Transcript for 2011
Or you may file Form 4506T-EZ
If you filed an Amended Return:
• Submit both an IRS Tax "Return Transcript" and an IRS Tax "Account Transcript," OR
• Submit the paper Record of Account form, (using IRS Form 4506-T), which could take 30 days
REMEMBER: Include your Brandman ID number on your tax transcript before you submit it to the Financial Aid Office.
The Verification Deadline
For the 2012-2013 academic year, you are strongly encouraged to submit all requested documentation by May 31, 2012 in order to receive a timely award with all possible funding.
The verification review process can range from 2 - 6 weeks. Additional information may be required based on the documentation that you submit. Send copies of any requested documentation within 14 days of the request.
• Federal Pell Grant Recipients: The deadline for completing 12-13 verification is 120 days from your last date of enrollment or August 31, 2013 (whichever comes first). The deadline for completing 11-12 verification is 120 days from your last date of enrollment or August 31, 2012 (whichever comes first). This includes making any necessary corrections to the FAFSA, submitting those corrections to the federal processor, and receiving confirmation in return.
• Federal Loan Applicants: Brandman University requires verification to occur before determining eligibility for loans. A federal loan application cannot be originated for a period of enrollment that has already passed if you are no longer enrolled or enrolled less than half time. As a result, if you do not complete verification within sufficient time to allow for processing, awarding and completion of loan applications prior to ceasing half-time attendance, you will be ineligible to receive loans. Failure to submit all requested documentation will result in the forfeiture of your financial aid eligibility.
How to Avoid Verification Processing Delays
We strongly recommend that you submit all documents within 14 days of receipt of the verification notice. Make sure all documents are completely filled out and signed. Incomplete documents will result in processing delays.
Submit all documents at the same time to:
Fax: (913) 495-6239
OR mail to:
Brandman University
Financial Aid Office, Third Floor
16355 Laguna Canyon Road
Irvine, CA 92618
• Remember to make copies for your records.
• Print your name and Brandman ID number on each page of the documents that you submit.
After Verification is Complete
• If we find differences between the data reported on your FAFSA and the information that you submitted to us, we are required to make corrections to your FAFSA. You can monitor your FAFSA verification status on Self Service.
• If the data reported on your FAFSA is accurate, the Financial Aid Office can determine your eligibility for financial aid. We will notify you to check your financial aid eligibility on Self Service or WebAdvisor.
Expect Financial Aid Emails
We will send an email request to your Brandman email account to review your document requests online. All document requests must be completed before any financial aid can be awarded.
Check your Brandman email regularly for important correspondence.