Verification is a review process in which the accuracy of various data elements reported by you/your parent(s) on the FAFSA is determined. The U.S. Department of Education selects a small percentage of all aid applicants for verification. The verification process ensures the accuracy of reported data and that financial aid funds are offered only to qualified applicants.
Those selected are required to complete the verification process before financial aid eligibility can be determined. If your FAFSA application is chosen for verification, you will be notified on your FAFSA Submission Summary and any missing requirements will be listed under the Financial Aid section of one.ou.edu.
To simplify and streamline the verification process, the Department of Education has implemented a “Prior-Prior Year” (PPY) policy. With PPY, the income reported on the FAFSA will be from “two years prior” to the application year for the 2024-25 award year. That will be tax data from your 2022 Tax Return.
The University of Oklahoma abides by state and federal regulations by performing federal verification on selected students by requesting documentation for the data items required to be verified. If you are selected for verification, you will need to provide the specific documentation requested in one.ou.edu based on the academic year.
The importance of completing the verification process is that OU cannot confirm or award federal and institutional funds until it is complete. After a student is admitted the OU Student Financial Center will send students a document called an OU-FAN (Financial Aid Notification) that details the cost of attendance, what federal funds are being received, what institutional funds are being received, and what the projected out-of-pocket cost is for a student on an annual basis. This document cannot be sent to a student until the verification process is complete.
If a student is selected for FAFSA verification, the student will need to visit the Financial Aid section of One.ou.edu to view any missing documents. Documents are linked in One and can also be found at Student Forms. Documentation should be submitted to the Student Financial Center or though the SFC Dropbox.
Once the student has submitted all required documents, OU will review and verify the details listed on the FAFSA. Keep in mind that the verification process could take about two weeks and additional information may be requested. It’s a good idea to watch your OU email and the Financial Aid section of One for updates. Once the verification process is complete, OU will provide you with an OU Financial Aid Notification that will explain your financial aid offers.
The federal tax information (FTI) of all contributors on the FAFSA must be directly transferred from the IRS. This is no longer optional. Non-tax filing status and yearly earnings will be provided through this process. Consent and approval to transfer federal tax information from the IRS are required. In order to receive aid, all contributors must provide consent. This includes non-tax filers.
If your FAFSA is chosen for verification, you may be required to provide copies of your Tax Return Transcript directly from the IRS or a signed copy of your 2022 1040 tax return for review.
Documentation should be submitted to the Student Financial Center or though the SFC Dropbox. For efficient processing and to keep tax information secure, we encourage students to not submit verification documents by email.
Please contact our office if you have questions regarding the submission of any verification documents. 405-325-9000 or sfc@ou.edu.
After all of the requested documentation has been submitted, reviewed, and verified by the OU Financial Aid Verification Team, students will be eligible to receive their OU-Financial Aid Notification which will detail the costs and financial aid options available to them.
