Verification

During the processing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the U.S. Department of Education will select some of the applications for a process known as “verification.” Certain inconsistencies found when processing the FAFSA may increase the likelihood that the application will be selected for verification. Some of the FAFSAs submitted are also randomly selected for verification. You might see a note on your Student Aid Report saying you’ve been selected for verification.

Lamar State College Port Arthur will be notified electronically by the U.S. Department of Education when a FAFSA is selected for verification. By federal guidelines, LSCPA also has the right to select any application where it may detect inconsistencies. If you’re selected for verification, don’t assume you’re being accused of doing anything wrong, but do understand that your information will be reviewed. If the initial review does not resolve the inconsistent information, you may be asked to supply additional or more detailed information. LSCPA must resolve any inconsistent information prior to the disbursement of aid.

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If you have been selected for verification, Lamar State College Port Arthur will place a requirement upon your financial aid account. 
You may view these requirements through MyLSCPA. These requirements may be a mix of LSCPA  financial aid forms and supporting documentation which you will need to supply.

infoInstructions for checking your Financial Aid requirementsPDF

It is strongly encouraged that all students complete the Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) on your FAFSA. In this way, if a student is selected for Verification, no documents will be required form the IRS.

Download required forms (based on financial aid award year).  Most documents may be turned in using your preferred method but notarized forms must be submitted in person or mailed.

Mail: LSCPA Office of Financial Aid ▪ PO Box 310 ▪ Port Arthur, TX 77641
Drop off by appointment only: 304 Student Center (Make Appointment)
Scan and email: FinancialAid@lamarpa.edu
Fax: 409-984-6025

During the verification process, students are generally required to verify data elements included on the FAFSA. Examples of the data that may be verified include, but are not limited to the adjusted gross income, federal taxes paid, SNAP benefits, social security income, or completion of high school. In some cases the amount of child support paid, social security benefits received, untaxed employment benefits and other non-taxable items may also be verified during the process. Dependent students will be required to submit parental as well as their own information during the verification process. Married students will be required to submit spousal information during the process. Federal guidelines concerning marital status and dependency statuses will be followed in both cases when completing the verification process.

For additional information, refer to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Not every student selected for verification will be required to submit the same verification documentation. Generally, most students will require at least a verification worksheet and copies of the tax information, wages earned or untaxed income during the process. Additional items may be required based on your individual application and family’s personal circumstances. Please review your financial aid eligibility requirements on your My.LamarPA account to see what verification documents have been requested.

The verification worksheet must be completed and submitted along with documentation of your federal income taxes, untaxed income, benefits, and wages.

If you didn’t use the IRS DRT, or if you filed an amended tax return and used the IRS DRT, your school may require you to submit a tax return as part of the verification process. If you filed a tax return, we are allowed to accept a signed copy of your 1040 form and associated schedules or a copy of the Tax Return Transcript from the IRS. If you qualify to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you can also link your tax return on your FAFSA.

Independent Students and Parents of dependent students who did not file a tax return will be required to submit a Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS, along with a copy of all W2’s, 1099’s, and other sources of income.

If you are unable to request a copy through either the “Request Online” or through “Request by Mail” you will need to fill out a Form 4506-TPDF from the IRS.

You may return to your Free Application for Federal Student Aid and use the Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT). By doing so, you may reduce the number of additional items LSCPA is required to collect during the verification process. The IRS DRT is available on the FAFSA form for eligible individuals. (You’ll need an FSA ID in order to use the tool.)
Here’s how the IRS DRT process works, assuming your tax information is available:

  1. The IRS DRT takes you to the IRS website, where you’ll need to provide your name and other information exactly as you provided it on your tax return. Some information will be prepopulated from your FAFSA form.
  2. At the IRS site, you’ll see a page that indicates that your tax information is available. (You won’t see the actual information.) You can choose to import your information into the FAFSA form, or you can cancel your request and return to the FAFSA site.

If you choose to import your information into the FAFSA form, you’ll find that on the FAFSA site, instead of your tax information being displayed, you’ll see “Transferred from the IRS” in the appropriate fields. You won’t be able to make changes to those answers.

If you no longer have a copy of your tax return or did not file taxes you may request a copy of the Tax return Transcript from the IRS.

If you are unable to request a copy through either the “Request Online” or through “Request by Mail” you will need to fill out a Form 4506-TPDF and mail or fax it to the IRS.

If inaccuracies are found during the review process, corrections will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Education prior to the disbursement of any financial assistance. In some cases, files are selected for verification after the disbursement of financial assistance. Once the university receives such notification, additional disbursements will not be processed until the verification process is completed.

Please provide the Admission and Records with a copy of your final official HS transcript, certification of passing scores on GED and similar equivalency tests or other alternatives to satisfy the high school completion requirement. If you have already turned these in to Admissions and Records you do not need to do anything further.

If you have not yet graduated from high school, make sure Admissions receives the most recent transcript. You will may be awarded but aid will not be applied to your student account until the final transcript with your graduation date has been submitted to Admission and Records.

I was told my High School Transcript is not being accepted for Financial Aid.

If a discrepancy is found with your high school completion status, you will receive an email from the financial aid office to your school email account. Some High School diplomas are not recognized as being issued from an accredited high school or a valid home school.

Generally, verification documents should be submitted as quickly as possible to allow for processing time. Verification documents submitted within 1 month of the start of the term will be processed in time for the respective payment deadline. Although LSCPA will make every effort to process all paperwork received, information received within 1 month of the close of the term may not allow adequate time for processing.

For full consideration of all aid resources, required verification documents need to be submitted for review to the LSCPA Office of Student Financial Aid no later than 45 days after the initial request for information. Verification documents received after the 45-day deadline can still be verified, but the types of financial aid offered may be limited. The Office of Student Financial Aid must complete verification before the end of the academic year, or before your last term of attendance in the year, otherwise you may not be eligible for financial aid. For consideration of federal student loans, your file must be completed, awarded and loans acknowledged prior to the last class day of the term.

Download required forms (based on financial aid award year).  Most documents may be turned in using your preferred method but notarized forms must be submitted in person or mailed.