When the Financial Aid Office or the U.S. Department of Education needs more information to process aid, it either requests a document or asks the student to correct the FAFSA. Any required item is requested in the Financial Aid Portal in eSantaFe [WEB LINK: eSantaFe login], with instructions for what to provide and how to submit it, and the FAFSA Submission Summary also flags items that need attention.
Documents That May Be Requested
Verification documents
Some FAFSA applications are selected for FAFSA Verification. A selected student submits the documents below before an aid offer is issued.
Information that transferred directly from the IRS is already considered verified. A selected student completes the verification worksheet in the Financial Aid Portal and submits any other documentation the portal requests. Commonly requested documents include:
- Verification worksheet. An SF form, completed in the Financial Aid Portal, that confirms family size and carries the student's signature.
- Tax return transcript. An official IRS record of a filer's return, requested when tax data did not transfer. A student who submits a signed copy of the tax return instead of a transcript must sign it by hand (a wet signature).
- W-2s or other income records. Used to confirm income earned from work when it did not transfer.
- Documentation of non-filing. Confirms that a person who was not required to file taxes did not file.
Verification of identity
If a student is selected for identity verification, they verify their identity in one of two ways:
- In person. Bring a government-issued photo ID, which cannot be a military ID, to the Financial Aid Office, and sign and date a copy of it there.
- By mail. Mail a notarized copy of the government-issued photo ID, which cannot be a military ID, to the Financial Aid Office at Santa Fe College, Attn: Financial Aid, 3000 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32606.
A student selected for both financial verification and identity verification completes both. A student selected for only one completes only that one.
Eligibility documents from FAFSA comment codes
When the FAFSA is processed, federal databases are checked, including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Student Loan Data System. A mismatch or flag appears on the FAFSA Submission Summary as a comment code. When a document is needed to resolve one, the Financial Aid Office requests it in the Financial Aid Portal with instructions for exactly what to provide. These situations include:
- Citizenship or eligible noncitizen status not confirmed by federal records.
- Veteran status not confirmed.
- Unusual enrollment history, a pattern of enrolling and receiving aid at multiple schools without completing coursework.
- A prior loan discharged for total and permanent disability, which can affect new loan eligibility.
- A federal student loan in default, which has to be resolved before new federal aid.
- A federal grant overpayment, which has to be resolved before new federal aid.
Special situations documents
Some requests tie to one of the Special Situations, such as a major change in income or family circumstances, or an inability to provide a parent's information, each with its own documentation.
FAFSA Corrections
It may be necessary to correct the FAFSA after it is submitted, for example when a comment code points to a problem or information was entered incorrectly. Corrections are made by the student, or by the contributor whose information is affected, at StudentAid.gov [WEB LINK: StudentAid.gov].
How to make a correction
- Log in at StudentAid.gov and open the submitted FAFSA under My Activity.
- Choose Start Your Correction and update the information.
- If the correction involves a contributor's information, that contributor logs in and re-signs.
- Submit the correction. It processes in about 3 to 5 business days and produces an updated FAFSA Submission Summary.
Tax information that transferred from the IRS cannot be changed on the FAFSA. Correcting incorrect tax information means amending the tax return with the IRS, so a student in that situation should contact a tax professional.
When a correction may be needed
- A comment code on the FAFSA Submission Summary points to missing or conflicting information. The student follows the steps in that comment code.
- A name, date of birth, or Social Security number does not match Social Security Administration records.
- High school completion status was answered incorrectly. First-time-in-college students often pick an answer indicating they will not have completed high school when they will have by the start of the award year, which has to be corrected to be eligible.
- College grade level is wrong, such as indicating a graduate or professional program. SF is not a graduate institution.
- Household size or other reported information was entered incorrectly.
- A school needs to be added or removed (up to 20 schools fit on the online form).
- Marital status changed after filing. The student can request the update, which the Financial Aid Office reviews. In some situations the status cannot be updated for the current award year.
A student who will have a child during the award year, and will provide more than half of the child's support, should count that child when first completing the FAFSA, answering as if the child is already born. If a date of birth is requested, the due date can be used. This is handled at filing, not as a later correction.
A correction can cause a student to be selected for verification even if they were not selected originally.