| AwardYear: 1996-1997 ChapterNumber: 1 ChapterTitle: Basic Requirements Section: Verification Exclusions PageNumber: Due to certain unusual circumstances, a selected application may not have to be verified or is exempt from a portion of the verification requirements, as explained below. Except in the case of the applicant's death, however, none of these verification exclusions excuses you from the requirement to resolve conflicting data, as discussed earlier. [[The graphic summarizing "Verification Exclusions" on page 7 is currently unavailable for viewing. Please reference your paper document for additional information.]] Death--the applicant dies during the award year or before the deadline for completing verification [[34 CFR 668.60(e)]] If you make an interim disbursement during the verification process, and the applicant dies before verification is completed, you do not have to continue verification to justify your first disbursement. In such a case, you CANNOT make any additional disbursements to any of the applicant's beneficiaries, except for FWS funds already earned. Also, you cannot originate a Direct Loan, certify a Federal Stafford Loan, or process either one for the applicant's beneficiaries. (Funds already disbursed are not considered an overpayment.) Incarceration A selected application does not have to be verified if the applicant is in jail or prison at the time of verification. Immigration Status--the applicant is a recent immigrant For the 1996-97 award year, a selected application does not have to be verified if the applicant is an immigrant who arrived in the United States during calendar years 1996 or 1997. Certain Spouse or Parent Status--spouse or parent(s) unavailable You are not required to verify spouse and/or parent information (or to obtain the appropriate signature[s] for verification purposes) if any of the following conditions apply: - The spouse or parent is deceased. - The spouse or parent is mentally or physically incapacitated. - The spouse or parent is residing in a country other than the United States and cannot be contacted by normal means. - The spouse or parent cannot be located because the address is unknown, and the applicant cannot obtain it. You should document the basis for this exclusion in the student's file. NOTE THAT THIS EXCLUSION DOES NOT AFFECT ANY OTHER ASPECT OF REQUIRED VERIFICATION; the selected application must still be verified according to all other requirements. Further, if only one parent of a dependent student meets any of the above conditions, THE OTHER PARENT IS STILL SUBJECT TO ALL VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. Completed Verification--the application was verified at a previously attended school [[Application verified at previous school]] You are not required to verify the selected application of a student who completed verification for the current award year at another school before transferring to your school. To document a student's eligibility for this exclusion, you must obtain a letter from the school that completed the verification. The letter must include - a statement that the student's application data have been verified, - the transaction number of the verified application, AND - if relevant, the reasons why the school was not required to recalculate the student's EFC (for example, the application errors may have been within the allowable tolerance--see Chapter Three). A financial aid transcript alone is NOT acceptable documentation for allowing an applicant this exclusion. Pacific Island Residency Status--the applicant is a resident/citizen of the former Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands You are not required to verify the selected application of a student who is either of the following: - a legal resident of Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (to qualify for this exclusion, a dependent student's parents must also be legal residents of one of these territories), or - a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau (to qualify for this exclusion, a dependent student's parents must also be citizens of one of these territories). To document the basis for this exclusion, you should note the permanent mailing address(es) in the student's file. No Funds Disbursed--applicant does not receive student aid If an applicant will not receive federal student aid for reasons other than his or her failure to complete verification, you are not required to complete verification. This category includes students ineligible for federal student aid or those who withdraw without receiving aid. *1* Verification is not required for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans or Federal Direct PLUS Loans. *2* Verification is not required for unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, or Federal Stafford Loans received for study at eligible foreign schools. |