Maintained for Historical Purposes

This resource is being maintained for historical purposes only and is not currently applicable.

AwardYear: 1998 - 1999
ChapterNumber: 1
ChapterTitle: Basic Requirements
Section: Introduction
PageNumber: 1


This guide will assist financial aid administrators in completing verification, the process of checking the accuracy of the information students provide when they apply for aid under the student financial assistance (SFA) programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Verification is required only for certain applicants, but you may verify the application information of any student who applies for federal student aid.

The verification procedures are governed by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and Subpart E of 34 CFR Part 668, Verification of Student Aid Applicant Information. Amended verification regulations were published in the Federal Register on April 28, 1994, November 29, 1994, and June 30, 1995.

INTRODUCTION


The verification requirements explained in this guide apply to all applicants for federal student aid under the following SFA programs:

The Federal Pell Grant Program

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program1

The Campus-Based Programs

»Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)

»Federal Perkins Loans

»Federal Work-Study (FWS)


Verification is not required for (1) the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) Program, unless the school is certain that an applicant’s state grant contains federal funds, or (2) the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program. Note that the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program has not been funded for 1998-99.

Under the Title IV Quality Assurance (QA) Program, participating schools develop and implement a quality improvement approach to SFA program administration and delivery. QA schools are exempt from certain administrative and procedural requirements, including verification requirements, as prescribed by regulations. The QA Program methodology provides QA schools with an alternative management approach for developing and refining their own systems for verifying institutional and student financial aid application data. Participating schools should refer to the QA Workbook for verification exemptions. Note that all current requirements for disbursement, updating, and deadlines—and the consequences for failing to provide requested documents—still apply to QA schools.