Verification

What is FAFSA verification?

Five Things You Need to Know About FAFSA Verification:

  1. Verification is a federally required process which confirms, i.e. verifies, the information you've submitted on your FAFSA.
  2. Generally, you will be asked to create an account on UM’s Verification Gateway portal, then answer questions and upload documentation, like tax returns for example. Learn more about the portal below.
  3. It's important to complete the verification process as UM cannot process your financial aid until the verification process is complete. 
  4. Allow up to 7-10 business days for the documents to be reviewed and for your verification account to be updated. Once verification is complete, you will receive an email notifying you that your finalized award offer is available for you to view in Cyberbear.
  5. While you’ve most likely received an award offer from UM, those amounts are estimated and you will receive your finalized financial aid amounts after you finish the verification process. Inceptia is required to ask for additional documentation if, when reviewing a student's application, there appears to be discrepant information.

If you have any questions about the process or need assistance, the UM financial aid office is happy to help. 

What is Verification Gateway?

UM is pleased to announce we have established a partnership with Inceptia to expedite the federal verification process. Verification Gateway (VG) from Inceptia is an online portal to guide students and parents through verification.

 If your FAFSA application is selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education, you will receive an email from VGCS@inceptia.org, or a postcard from Inceptia, containing the University of Montana’s unique website link to start the verification process.

Questions about the Verification Process?

Contact Inceptia, Monday through Friday 8 am - 7 pm Central at 888.374.8427 or VGCS@inceptia.org.

What do I need to do?

  • Access UM’s unique website link in the email from VGCS@inceptia.org or at: https://umontana.verificationgateway.org/
  • Create your account and choose preferences for text messages and e-signatures.
    • If you filled out the FAFSA with a parent, that parent also needs to create their own account and complete each of the steps.
  • Complete your Task List. 
  • Confirm your signature and review information.
  • Sign your account.
  • Respond timely - Be sure to respond to any requests for information as soon as possible. We encourage you to submit requested items within 7 days of receiving a notification from Verification Gateway to ensure you receive your financial aid in time for payment deadlines. Failure to complete the verification process could result in the delay or denial of your financial aid.

Why was I selected for verification?

FAFSA verification selection is random. Just because you've been chosen for verification does not mean that there was something wrong with your FAFSA.

Approximately 30% of all students who submit a FAFSA are selected for verification. Selection is made by the U.S. Department of Education. You may be selected for verification more than once during your college career. 

Helpful Verification Information

As part of the verification process, students and parents may be required to submit their federal income tax return data to the financial aid office. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows users to transfer tax information directly from the IRS to the FAFSA. This information is then forwarded to the schools listed on the FAFSA, which in turn satisfies the requirement to provide tax data.

Note: If after using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool a family alters any of the income data, the data will be invalidated and a tax transcript will be required in its place.

Not everyone is able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. The alternate way of providing the required data is to provide either a signed copy of that tax year's federal return (i.e. 1040 Form and supporting tax schedules) or an IRS tax return transcript.

For Information on the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or requesting an IRS Return Transcript refer to the IRS Data Retrieval/Return Transcript Instructions.

The FAFSA uses tax data from the prior-prior tax year. If a family selected for verification still has not filed their taxes by the extension deadline (October 15) then they will need to submit documentation to the financial aid office showing that the IRS authorized an extension past the 6-month October deadline, which includes:

  • A copy of the IRS’s approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension for the tax year;
  • Verification of non-filing from the IRS dated on or after the October extension deadline;
  • Copies of all their W-2 forms (or equivalent) for the tax year employment income; and
  • If self-employed, a signed statement with the amounts of their AGI and U.S. income tax paid for that tax year.

To satisfy verification requirements, some individuals are required to confirm their identity. Students do this by bringing government ID, in person, to the financial aid staff on the 5th Floor Aber Hall.

Those students unable to do so (distance only students) or who want to satisfy the requirement before they arrive on campus, can do so by completing the Identity Verification & Statement of Educational Purpose. This form will need to be completed in front of a notary public and the original document, along with a copy of the ID presented to the notary, sent to the financial aid office.

Individuals who filed an amended tax return, and individuals who are not able to access their tax information at the IRS due to an open case of identity theft, should contact the financial aid office directly for further instructions on completing income verification requirements.

For grant aid to appear on the bill as a pending credit, verification documentation must be submitted prior to July 1st for the autumn semester, November 1st for the spring semester and April 1st for the summer semester.

To receive loans or an FSEOG grant, the verification process must be done prior to the time a student ceases attending in an academic year.

For the Federal Pell Grant, students have up to one hundred and twenty (120) days after they cease to be enrolled in the academic year to complete verification, or by September 15th 2024, whichever comes earlier.

Understand that completing verification includes the time required for the school to submit corrections to the federal processor. Students need to also allow time for the financial aid office to determine award eligibility.

Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Their mission supports schools to illuminate paths towards educational and financial success for students and families.