As part of the Department's efforts to streamline the verification process and address fraud concerns, this notice makes changes to the identity confirmation requirements for verification tracking groups V4 and V5 for the 2025-2026 award year. The Statement of Educational Purpose is no longer required for the 2025-2026 award year. The Department has also added two new methods for institutions to use when verifying identity, namely a video call between the student and institutional personnel, and documentation that the student had his or her identity verified by a third party using a method satisfying the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Identity Assurance Level 2 (NIST IAL2) standard. Additionally, for a confined or incarcerated individual enrolled in an eligible prison education program, the Department will consider their identity to be verified if the individual's identity was verified by an authorized official at the correctional facility where the individual is confined or incarcerated. These acceptable documentation changes for identity verification are in the Supplementary Information chart, under Identity and apply to all students who were selected at any time throughout the 2025-2026 award year.
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