Information	Record)	will	be	considered	verified.	A	pending	username	and	password	that	has	not	been	verified	will	still
allow	the	user	to	access	and	submit	the	online	FAFSA	form	and	complete	other	limited	actions	on	StudentAid.gov.
However,	the	Department	will	not	be	able	to	retrieve	federal	tax	data	from	the	Internal	Revenue	Service	(IRS).	For	this
reason,	we	recommend	that	users	do	not	sign	and	submit	the	online	FAFSA	form	until	the	account	username	and
password	is	verified	through	a	match	with	the	SSA.
If	the	SSN	match	is	unsuccessful,	the	account	is	not	considered	verified,	and	an	email	is	sent	to	notify	the	individual	that
they	should	review	the	information	they	provided	(name,	date	of	birth,	and	SSN)	to	ensure	it	is	accurate.	If	the	applicant
used	an	unverified	account	username	and	password	to	sign	their	FAFSA	form,	the	applicant	is	also	sent	a	paper	FAFSA
Submission	Summary	requesting	all	required	signatures.
TransUnion ®	Knowledge-Based	Identity	Verification
Users	who	create	a	StudentAid.gov	account	without	an	SSN	will	be	required	to	complete	a	knowledge-based	identity
verification	process	with	TransUnion®	to	verify	their	identity	and	provide	login	credentials.	The	student	(if	a	citizen	of	one
of	the	Freely	Associated	States	-	the	Republic	of	the	Marshall	Islands,	the	Republic	of	Palau,	or	the	Federated	States	of
Micronesia),	student9s	spouse,	parent,	or	parent	spouse/partner	are	sent	through	the	TransUnion®	process	when	they	do
not	have	an	SSN	and	check	the	<I	don9t	have	an	SSN=	box	during	the	account	creation	process.	They	will	be	asked	to
provide	additional	information	to	confirm	their	identity.
FAFSA	Filers	Under	the	Age	of	13
Because	the	Children9s	Online	Privacy	Protection	Act	(COPPA)	of	1998	prohibits	any	entity,	including	a	government
agency,	from	electronically	conducting	business	or	communicating	with	a	person	under	age	13,	applicants	who	are	12	or
younger	cannot	complete	the	FAFSA	form	online.	Instead,	when	they	apply	for	financial	aid,	the	student	and	required
contributor(s)	can	fill	out	the	appropriate	award	year	paper	(PDF)	FAFSA	form	and	mail	it	to:
Federal	Student	Aid	Programs
Attn:	COPPA	Process
25	Air	Park	Drive
London,	KY	40744-8236
Such	applicants	should	not	provide	an	email	address	on	the	application	or	any	correction	that	might	follow.	After	the
FAFSA	form	is	submitted,	it	will	be	processed	and	a	paper	FAFSA	Submission	Summary	will	be	sent	to	the	student	and	an
ISIR	will	be	sent	to	schools.	See	
Electronic	Announcement	APP-24-02	for	additional	information.
Processing	the	FAFSA
Applications	that	are	signed	and	submitted	online	go	directly	to	the	FPS.	The	paper	FAFSA	forms	go	to	the	FAFSA
processor	for	data	entry	and	then	to	the	FPS.	The	FPS	uses	application	data	to	calculate	the	SAI	and	to	match	the
student9s	information	against	several	databases:	NSLDS,	the	SSA,	and	the	Department	of	Veterans	Affairs,	as	well	as	the
Department	of	Homeland	Security9s	database	of	noncitizens.
Individuals	Without	a	Social	Security	Number
Electronic	Announcement	GENERAL-23-123
Electronic	Announcement	GENERAL-24-52
Electronic	Announcement	GENERAL-24-95
Electronic	Announcement	GENERAL-24-140
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