Verification	Following	Disasters
The	Dear	Colleague	Letter	GEN-17-08	gives	general	guidance	for	awarding	aid	in	federally	declared	disasters.	It	states
that	the	Secretary	will	not	enforce	the	verification	requirements	during	the	award	year	for	applicants	whose	records	were
lost	or	destroyed	because	of	a	disaster	if	the	school	has	tried	to	preserve	and	reconstruct	any	records.	The	school	must
document	when	it	does	not	perform	verification	for	this	reason	and	use	status	code	<S=	when	reporting	the	disbursement
of	Pell	Grants	to	affected	students.	Also,	the	requirement	for	dependent	students	to	submit	a	statement	signed	by	a
parent	regarding	family	size	is	waived	if	the	parents	cannot	provide	the	signature	due	to	the	disaster.	The	school	must
note	why	no	parent	was	able	to	provide	the	statement.
Schools	that	experience	a	local	disaster	(rather	than	a	federally	declared	one)	that	affects	Title	IV	administration	should
consult	their	regional	school	participation	division.
Acceptable	Documentation
The	FAFSA	Simplification	Act	requires	that,	wherever	possible,	the	Department	use	data	received	directly	from	the	IRS	to
calculate	a	student9s	SAI	and	Pell	Grant	award.	The	Fostering	Undergraduate	Talent	by	Unlocking	Resources	for	Education
Act	(FUTURE	Act)	requires	the	Department	of	Education	to	access	tax	information	held	by	the	IRS	pertaining	to	FAFSA
applicants4and,	where	applicable,	their	parents	and	spouses4through	a	secure	method:	the	FUTURE	Act	Direct	Data
Exchange	(FA-DDX).	The	FUTURE	Act	amended	the	Internal	Revenue	Code	(IRC)	to	mandate	the	disclosure	of	FTI	directly
from	the	IRS	to	the	Department	with	an	individual9s	consent	and	approval.	The	FUTURE	Act	also	made	providing	consent
and	approval	for	the	exchange	of	FTI	a	requirement	for	receiving	federal	student	aid.
Applicants	and	contributors	will	be	required	to	provide	consent	and	approval	to	retrieve	FTI	directly	from	the	IRS.	When
FTI	is	received	from	the	IRS	via	the	FA-DDX,	the	FTI	received	is	considered	verified	and	no	additional	documentation	is
necessary.	As	a	result,	the	FA-DDX	is	the	fastest,	easiest,	and	most	secure	method	of	meeting	income	and	tax	verification
requirements.	The	September	4,	2024	Federal	Register	Notice	gives	the	documentation	required	for	verifying	2025-26
application	data,	which	depends	on	the	item	verified,	as	explained	in	this	section.
If	you	use	a	verification	document,	be	sure	that	it	is	signed,	that	all	required	sections	are	completed,	and	that	any
relevant	tax	or	alternative	documents	are	attached.	Copies	of	original	documents	are	acceptable.	An	original	signature	on
an	original	document,	an	original	signature	on	a	copy	of	a	document,	and	a	copy	of	a	document	with	an	original	signature
on	it	are	all	valid	signatures,	unless	specifically	noted	in	this	chapter.	If	a	copy	of	the	tax	return	is	used,	the	filer	(or	at
least	one	of	the	filers	of	a	joint	return)	must	sign	it	or	the	tax	preparer	must	provide	their	name	and	SSN,	EIN,	or	PTIN.
Suggested	Verification	Text
The	Department	has	developed	suggested	text	that	you	may	use	to	create	a	verification	document	and	to	verify	non-tax
items,	such	as	family	size.	To	review	the	suggested	text	for	2025-26,	please	see	Dear	Colleague	Letter	GEN-24-10.	The
suggested	text	fulfills	verification	requirements,	but	schools	do	not	have	to	use	it,	except	as	noted	below.	Instead,	they
may	develop	and	use	their	own	(or	someone	else9s)	text,	forms,	documents,	statements,	and	certifications	that	are
specific	to	the	items	required	to	be	verified	for	a	particular	student	or	group	of	students	at	the	school.	However,	schools
they	tried	to	locate	their	estranged	spouse.	The	school	determines	that	the	student	doesn9t	need	to	verify	their
spouse9s	tax	and	income	information.	However,	the	student	must	still	verify	their	own	information.	The	school
may	also	choose	to	use	professional	judgment	to	remove	the	spouse9s	information	from	the	student9s	FAFSA	form.
Verification	Exclusions
34	CFR	668.54(b)
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