Hey Vols. My name is Meghann and today we're going to talk to you about Financial Aid Verification.
So in this video, we're going to talk to you about what financial aid verification
is and how you were selected for it, how to complete the requirements,
common documents needed, and where and how to complete the verification process.
So first and foremost, it's important for you to notate that you didn't do anything wrong. So you
are selected for verification, if you receive notifications in your MyUTK account, you'll
also receive emails if you've been selected. And this is where we're verifying the accuracy of the
information on your FAFSA application. So this is a requirement by the US Department of Education.
So like I said, it's important for you to notate you didn't do anything wrong, you're not in
trouble, you're not going to get calls from people saying you're in trouble. So just really know that
you didn't do anything wrong to be selected for verification. One in three FAFSA applications are
randomly selected by the Department of Education to be verified. And like I mentioned, that means
that we're just verifying the information that you submitted on your FAFSA application.
Now, it is important that you know that if you are selected and you want to receive your federal
financial aid, you must complete the process and turn in all the documents selected in order to
receive your financial aid. So if you are selected for verification, your first step is to log
into your MyUTK account with your Net ID and password and click on Tennessee HOPE, SAP,
and Requirements. And this will bring up your list of documents that are being requested from you.
Now, every student will have different documents, but some common ones that
are requested is a verification worksheet, and your tax return transcript or a signed
tax return. Keep in mind that it must be an actual signature and not an electronic signature. Now
when you complete your FAFSA application, you also have the option to use the data retrieval
tool. And this will take care of the requirement asking for your tax return transcript. Now, like I
mentioned previously, there are other documents that can be requested. It's also important to
notate that you may turn in documents. And as we review them, we may have more questions
and ask for more documents from you. So it's very important that as you work through this process,
that you're constantly checking your VolMail account for updates, and making sure that you've
not received any new communications asking you for clarification or for additional documents.
So you can see these requirements in your MyUTK account. Once you log in, you'll go to
My Resources and click on Banner Self-Serve, then Financial Aid, and then Financial Aid again.
And once you're on this page, you'll see your list of requirements. And so like I mentioned,
a worksheet is commonly requested. So I've clicked on this worksheet. And it will bring up this
form here. And so it should populate with your information as the student and so you will fill
in the missing information you will answer the questions about Have You Filed a Tax Return.
If you did not file a tax return and were not required to file it will ask you if you were even
employed at all, and you'll make sure to indicate that you were not or you were. Once you've
answered all those questions, you will submit your form and it will say this form has been submitted.
It also gives you the opportunity to view the form in a PDF version. So if you wanted to keep one for
your records, you can do that. Now if you are requested to upload something, it'll bring up this
page, you will browse your computer, upload what you need, and submit the file and it will give you
a page showing where you have successfully uploaded your documents. So as I mentioned,
it is important to notate that not every student will have the same requirements. So your page may
look different than your friend's page. But make sure you work through and complete the worksheets
that have been asked of you and also upload any documents that are being requested.
And also want to circle back and mention again how important it is for you
to make sure you are checking your UT email, or your VolMail account, frequently as it is
possible for us to come back and ask for clarification on any documents submitted
or for new documents based off the information that you have submitted.
So some frequently asked questions. First and foremost, it's important that you always log in
to your MyUTK account to look at your documents, the quickest way to submit your documents to us
is to upload that through that portal in this video that I showed you,
and submit them. Now if you do have problems getting your documents to upload and submit,
you can definitely bring them to the One Stop office or mail them to us and we can get them
submitted on your behalf. But the most efficient way and the quickest way for these to get uploaded
to your account and reviewed is to upload them in that MyUTK portal. Now the priority deadline
for verification documents is July 1. Now this is just a priority deadline. This does not mean
that we won't review any documents that are that we receive after the first or that we request
after the first, it's just very important that you upload and submit all documents requested as soon
as possible. Because as I mentioned, we may come back and ask for more documents which can delay
you receiving your financial aid. So the sooner you start this process and get it submitted,
the better it is for you and for processing of your documents.
Now, like I mentioned, it's also really important for you to complete this as a vast majority of
your financial aid is impacted by verification. So if you are selected for federal verification,
you will not be able to receive any federal loans, any Federal Pell Grants, your HOPE Scholarship,
none of those financial aid options will be available to you until you finish your
verification process. So that's why it's even more important for you to start this process
early, and to get everything submitted to us in a timely manner. Now I know that I covered a lot
of information about verification and I know it can really feel overwhelming and intimidating.
So we're here to help you through this process. So if you do have any more questions,
make sure to reach out to us we are here to support you through this process and to get
everything uploaded for you and processed in time so you have a stress-free journey through this.
And so if you do have questions reach out to us via email at onestop@utk.edu You can also visit
us in person on the ground floor of the Hodges Library. And you can reach out to us via phone
at 865-974-1111 Thanks for watching this video and I hope you have a great rest of your day!