Posted Date:June 18, 2014
| Author: | Jeff Baker, Director, Policy Liaison and Implementation, Federal Student Aid |
Subject: Reporting Verification Results of an Applicant's Identity and High School Completion Status Using FAA Access to CPS Online
In a November 13, 2013, Electronic Announcement we described the process where, beginning on January 1, 2014, institutions must report the verification results of identity and high school completion status for applicants whose 2014-2015 ISIR had a Verification Tracking Group of V4 or V5. In a subsequent Electronic Announcement posted on April 4, 2014, we provided information on how to upload a “flat file” of these V4 and V5 verification results to the FAA Access to CPS Online website.
This Electronic Announcement provides clarification on (1) which FAFSA applicants institutions must report on, (2) the conditions for each Identity Verification Results value, and (3) when must results be reported. As a reminder, reporting an applicant’s response to an institution’s request for V4 and V5 identity and high school completion status documentation is in addition to, and does not replace, normal required verification status results reporting to the COD System as outlined in the September 29, 2007, Electronic Announcement
FAFSA Applicants
Reporting verification results for groups V4 and V5 is required only when the institution has received an ISIR that indicates that the Department has placed the applicant in Verification Tracking Group V4 or V5 AND the institution has requested that the applicant submit the required V4 and V5 documentation. Institutions should not report applicants where the institution and not the Department selected the applicant for verification nor for applicants for whom the institution did not request documentation (e.g., institution’s policy is not to request documentation for applicants who are not enrolled or who have not been accepted for enrollment).
Conditions for Each Identity Verification Results Value
The following describes the circumstances that apply for each of the V4 and V5 verification results values that are used when reporting using FAA Access to CPS Online.
| Verification Results Value Of | Report When | Description |
Value = 1 | Verification of both identity and high school completion status were satisfactorily completed by the applicant in person, and no issues were found. | The applicant appeared in person, presented acceptable government-issued photo identification, signed the Statement of Educational Purpose, and presented (not necessarily in person) acceptable documentation of the high school completion status as indicated on the ISIR. |
Value = 2 | Verification of both identity and high school completion status were satisfactorily completed remotely by use of a notary, and no issues were found. | The applicant submitted an original notarized Statement of Educational Purpose, a copy of his/her government-issued photo identification, and acceptable documentation of high school completion status as indicated on the ISIR. |
Value = 3 | Verification was attempted, and no issues were found with high school completion, but issues were found with identity. | The applicant presented (not necessarily in person) acceptable documentation of high school completion status as indicated on the ISIR. No documentation of identity was submitted or the documentation that was presented was not acceptable and no signed or notarized Statement of Educational Purpose was received. NOTE: If issues were found with both identity and high school completion status, use Results Value 3. |
Value = 4 | Verification was attempted, and no issues were found with identity, but issues were found with high school completion status. | The applicant presented (either in person or with an original notarized statement) a signed Statement of Educational Purpose with an acceptable government-issued photo identification. Either no documentation of high school completion status was presented or the documentation that was presented was not acceptable. |
Value = 5 | The applicant did not respond to the request for documentation or the applicant could not be located. | Verification of neither identity nor high school completion status was completed and no signed or notarized Statement of Educational Purpose was received because the applicant did not respond to the request for documentation or the applicant could not be located. |
Please refer to the notice published on June 13, 2013, for information on acceptable documentation for verification of both identity and high school completion for 2014-2015.
When Must Results Be Reported
The 2014-2015 Federal Register notice (to be published soon) that provides the deadline dates for reports and other records associated with the 2014-2015 award year will provide that reporting of the results of an applicant’s identity and high school completion status using FAA Access to CPS Online must be submitted no later than 60 days after the date the institution requested that the applicant provide the required documentation. Because the Federal Registernotice has not yet been published, institutions will have until 60 days after the date the Federal Register is published to submit their first 2014-2015 reporting. We will post an Electronic Announcement to our IFAP website when the Federal Register is published.
Note that institutions must update any V4 and V5 results that change. For example, if a “5” was reported because the applicant had not responded to the institution’s request, and the applicant later submitted the required documentation, the institution must submit another record for the applicant with the updated status.
Please direct any questions you may have on the information provided in this Electronic Announcement to Federal Student Aid’s Research and Customer Care Center Staff. Staff is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) at 1-800-433-7327. After-hours calls will be accepted by an automated voice response system. Callers leaving their names and phone numbers will receive a return call the next business day. Alternatively, you may e-mail the Care Center at fsa.customer.support@ed.gov