Verification

During the verification process, students are generally required to verify data elements included on the FAFSA. Examples of the data that may be verified include, but are not limited to the adjusted gross income, federal taxes paid, SNAP benefits, social security income, or completion of high school. In some cases the amount of child support paid, social security benefits received, untaxed employment benefits and other non-taxable items may also be verified during the process. Dependent students will be required to submit parental as well as their own information during the verification process. Married students will be required to submit spousal information during the process. Federal guidelines concerning marital status and dependency statuses will be followed in both cases when completing the verification process. For additional information you may refer to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Texas Southern University has established a partnership with Inceptia to expedite the federal verification process. If your FAFSA application was selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education, you will receive an email from Inceptia introducing you to the Verification Gateway. Your introductory email will be sent to the address listed on your FAFSA. If you did not include an email address on your FAFSA, a postcard will be mailed to the address listed on the FAFSA.

Once your file has been received by Inceptia, you will receive an email from VGCS inviting you to log into the Verification Gateway. If you are attending the 2020-2021 Summer session you will log into the Verification Gateway at https://www.verificationgateway.org/tsufa2021. If you are attending the 2021-2022 Fall/Spring semester you will log into the Verification Gateway at http://www.verificationgateway.org/tsufa2022. Prior to logging into the Verification Gateway you will authenticate your identity and create a username and password. Students who were required to provide parental information on the FAFSA are required to have one parent also authenticate and create an account on the Verification Gateway. This parent will be required to e-sign or provide an ink signature once all documentation has been submitted.

• Confirm your identity (authentication).
• Both parent and student will need to create a secure username and password.
• Decide if you want to receive text messages and approve to e-sign.
• Access your Action List and begin the verification process (the list may consist of some combination of online forms and the request to upload specific documents to Verification Gateway).
• Your parent on the FAFSA will also need to e-sign your account- We cannot complete the verification process without BOTH signatures.

Upon receipt of all required documents, Inceptia will begin the verification process. Students will be notified if there are any questions or if any additional documentation is required via email, text or postcard. Once verification has been completed, the student and our school will be notified.

Please note that the verification process must be completed prior to receiving an award package from TSU. Failure to provide the requested documents could result in the delay or denial of financial aid.

Inceptia will also assist with questions concerning your verification process. If you need assistance or have any questions about the verification process, please contact Inceptia, Monday from 8:00 am – 8:30 pm Central and Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm Central at 888-374-8427 or by email at VGCS@inceptia.org.

It is very important that you log in and review the Verification Gateway during the verification process. On occasion, additional documentation may be requested after receiving the initial documentation from the student. Students will be notified by letter of any additional requirements.

You may return to your Free Application for Federal Student Aid and use the Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT). By doing so, you may reduce the number of additional items TSU is required to collect during the verification process. The IRS DRT is available on the FAFSA application for eligible individuals. (You’ll need an FSA ID to use the tool).

Here’s how the IRS DRT process works, assuming your tax information is available:

1. The IRS DRT takes you to the IRS website, where you’ll need to provide your name and other information exactly as you provided it on your tax return. Some information will be prepopulated from your FAFSA form.
2. At the IRS site, you’ll see a page that indicates that your tax information is available. You can choose to import your information into the FAFSA form, or you can cancel your request and return to the FAFSA site.
3. If you choose to import your information into the FAFSA form, you’ll find that on the FAFSA site, instead of your tax information being displayed, you’ll see “Transferred from the IRS” in the appropriate fields. You won’t be able to make changes to those answers.

Generally, verification documents should be submitted as quickly as possible to allow for processing time. Verification documents submitted within 1 month of the start of the term will be processed in time for the respective payment deadline. Although TSU will make every effort to process all paperwork received, information received within 1 month of the close of the term may not allow adequate time for processing. 

For full consideration of all aid resources, required verification documents need to be submitted for review to the TSU Office of Student Financial Assistance no later than 45 days after the initial request for information. Verification documents received after the 45-day deadline can still be verified, but the types of financial aid offered may be limited. The Office of Student Financial Assistance must complete verification before the end of the academic year, or before your last term of attendance in the year, otherwise you may not be eligible for financial aid, including aid already disbursed. For consideration of federal student loans, your file must be completed, awarded and loans acknowledged prior to the last class day of the term.

The verification worksheet must be completed and submitted along with documentation of your federal income taxes, untaxed income, benefits, and wages. For complete information refer to your TSU MyWeb account. 

Please do not email tax documents to our office.