tennis player serves in front of ‘Grinnell College’ sign

Federal Verification

Approximately 20% of FAFSAs filed each year are selected for federal verification. Verification is the process in which the U.S. Department of Education requires colleges to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA is accurate. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education gives colleges the authority to select a student’s FAFSA for verification if the college has reason to believe the reported information may not be accurate.

If you qualify for federal student aid and your FAFSA is selected for verification, this process must be completed before your aid can be finalized.

How do I know if my FAFSA is selected for verification?

There are three ways you can check to see if the Office of Financial Aid requires additional documentation from you to complete verification.

  • After you have received an email that your FAFSA has been processed, log back into your FAFSA to view your FAFSA Submission Summary.
  • Review emails from the Grinnell College Office of Financial Aid.
  • Check the My Documents and Aid Messages tab in the online financial aid office (student login required).

How do I submit confidential documents securely?

To submit documents, use our secure document upload, send them by regular mail, or fax them to 641-269-4077.

What additional information is required?

The verification group in which your FAFSA is selected determines what is required, but the vast majority of those selected for verification should follow the steps below. Check the My Documents and Aid Messages page in the online financial aid office (student login required) for a personalized list of what we need from you.

Step 1: Verification Statement

Complete the College Board's 2024–25 Dependent Student Verification Statement (PDF). This form may not be fully accessible by people using assistive technology. If you need assistance, please email the Office of Financial Aid or call 641-269-3250.

Provide handwritten signatures and dates, and enter “0” or “N/A” in any spaces that are not applicable. Returning students may enter their Grinnell College ID instead of their CBFinAid ID.

Step 2: Income Verification

Student and/or Parent Tax Filers

Provide the Office of Financial Aid with tax information from the IRS. There are three options:

  • Consent to having your IRS data transferred to your FAFSA via Direct Data Exchange (this will happen automatically after you provide consent; you will not see the income questions or transferred data).
  • Submit a signed and dated copy of your Form 1040, including Schedules 1, 2, and 3 (if applicable).
  • Request a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS and submit it to the Office of Financial Aid (you can request your tax transcript through the IRS’s Get Transcript Service or by calling 1-800-908-9946).

Student and/or Parent Non-Tax Filers

Submit the following to the Office of Financial Aid:

  • A copy of all W-2 forms and 1099 forms
  • The College Board's Non-Tax Filer Statement (PDF) (returning students may enter their Grinnell College ID instead of their CBFinAid ID). This form may not be fully accessible by people using assistive technology. If you need assistance, please email the Office of Financial Aid or call 641-269-3250.
  • Independent students and parents of a dependent student: request confirmation of non-tax filing status from the IRS using one of these methods:
    • Use the IRS’s Get Transcript Service or call 1-800-908-9946 to request a Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS, and submit it to the Office of Financial Aid
    • Check box 7 on IRS Form 4506-T (PDF), mail the form to the IRS, and submit the letter you receive to the Office of Financial Aid (Note: Processing is extremely slow right now due to backlogs at the IRS.)

Step 3: Review Required Documents

Periodically review the My Documents and Aid Messages tab in the online financial aid office (student login required) for additional items that may be needed.

Why did Grinnell correct my FAFSA?

The College is required to submit FAFSA corrections to resolve conflicting information. We recommend that you view the FAFSA Submission Summary to see which items have been corrected to help you complete the FAFSA accurately in future years. If you have any questions regarding the correction, please contact us. Do not change it back to the previous information.

What if I have questions?

Please contact us if you have any questions. You may also call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FEDAID if you have questions about the FAFSA.

We use cookies to enable essential services and functionality on our site, enhance your user experience, provide better service through personalized content, collect data on how visitors interact with our site, and enable advertising services.

To accept the use of cookies and continue on to the site, click "I Agree." For more information about our use of cookies and how to opt out, please refer to our website privacy policy.