Federal verification is the process that ensures that the information submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is accurate. If your FAFSA is selected for verification by the Department of Education, the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office will attempt to complete the verification review using documents provided during the application process. However, our office may contact you through the student portal or by email to request additional documentation such as a verification worksheet, tax information, government-issued ID, signed statement, etc. If discrepancies or conflicting information is found, we must resolve the conflict before disbursing federal aid. Therefore, this may result in a correction to your FAFSA or a change to your federal financial aid eligibility. You will receive an email if a correction is needed or if there is a change to your financial aid offer.
If your FAFSA is selected for verification, please respond to the financial aid administrator and upload documentation in a timely manner. We encourage you to submit documentation through the student portal within two weeks of the request. Delays in documentation can result in ineligibility for federal aid. Please contact our office at faoffice@princeton.edu for verification questions.
If there is reason to believe a student, employee, or other individual has misreported information or altered documentation to fraudulently obtain federal aid, suspicions will be reported to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), along with any related evidence.