Verification Policy

Verification is the process by which the Financial Aid Office compares the information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) with source documents provided by the student to verify the accuracy of the application information. In addition, the Financial Aid Office may select files for verification to resolve conflicting information. These policies are to be used in conjunction with the Department of Education’s Verification Guidelines and are updated annually, in accordance with published regulations.

Mt. SAC utilizes the ProVerify+ platform to facilitate electronic forms with Adobe Sign component and auto verification to expedite the turnaround time of verification that will result in timely delivery of aid to students.

At Mt. San Antonio College, federal student aid will not be awarded to those students selected for verification until all requested documentation is submitted and the verification process is complete. If a student withdraws from all classes before verification is completed, the student must provide the necessary documents for verification within 45 days of the withdrawal date in order to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement.

Note: Students who are selected for verification by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) based on the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) information will also be subjected to the same verification guidelines outlined here.

Verification Deadlines for 2021-2022

The key application deadline, regulated by the U.S. Department of Education, will be followed at Mt. San Antonio College and can be located in the Department of Education’s Verification Guide.

Deadline for 2021-2022: All processed applications (FAFSA/CADAA) with valid EFC’s must be received at Mt. San Antonio College by the earlier of June 10, 2022 or the last day of the student’s enrollment at Mt. SAC given that the file is not selected for verification.

Note: Students who fail to submit all documents required to complete verification by the published deadline dates will be ineligible for financial aid for 2021-2022. Verification deadlines for 2021-2022 will be determined by dates of enrollment period for all financial aid programs.

The above deadline date is for students who have continuous enrollment (Fall 2021, Winter 2022/Spring 2022, Summer 2022) throughout the 2021-2022 academic year. For students who do not maintain continuous enrollment, the following deadlines must be adhered to by federal guidelines:

Verification deadline for Fall 2021: December 10, 2022
Verification deadline for Spring 2022: June 10, 2022
Verification deadline for Summer 2022: July 29, 2022

Students are notified of specific term deadlines in all Missing Information Notices.

In addition, the following dates are 2021-2022 deadlines for processing and receipt of ISIR’s or Cal ISIR’s:

Other Important Deadlines	Description
June 12, 2022	ISIR (with official EFC) must be received by the institution (for Federal Aid except PLUS Loans)
August 31, 2022	Deadline for receipt of signature page (FAFSA), corrections, change of address or schools, or request for duplicate SAR

Verification Selection

The Department of Education utilizes a targeted verification system with a risk model in place to identify data elements that are prone to error. The federal processor identifies such elements to be subjected to verification with response verification codes such as V1, V4, or V5. The Financial Aid Office will verify all data elements flagged by the federal processor based on the verification code assigned. Additionally, the Financial Aid Office at Mt. San Antonio College will perform supplementary verifications on files where there are conflicting data in the file documents and/or student records.

Notification of Verification Requirements

Mt. San Antonio College utilizes the Mt. SAC student portal which is an online platform designed to communicate with students, giving access to key information and services. Students are notified of verification requirements through student portal access to their Financial Aid tab, with personalized views of their financial aid statuses, outstanding requirements, and updates. Additional documentation or information will also be accessible on my.mtsac.edu student portal, including messages for students to view and items requiring resolution.

Students are also notified of verification requirements through the student email system: Mountie Mail established for all students applying to Mt. San Antonio College. Email communication is sent out periodically to inform students of application receipt, verification requirements, unresolved requirements, messages, deadlines, and changes in status affecting student financial aid eligibility.

Students who fail to submit required documents may lose priority standing for campus-based funding.

Items to Be Verified for 2021-2022

Group V1 (as applicable): adjusted gross income, income tax paid, untaxed portions of IRA distributions, untaxed portions of pensions, IRA deductions and payments, tax-exempt interest income, education credits, household size, number in college, and income earned from work
Group V4 (as applicable): high school completion and identity statement of educational purpose
Group V5 (as applicable): adjusted gross income, income tax paid, untaxed portions of IRA distributions, untaxed portions of pensions, IRA deductions and payments, tax-exempt interest income, education credits, household size, number in college, income earned from work, high school completion, and identity statement of educational purpose

The Financial Aid Office Discretion to Resolve Conflicting Information

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) has the discretion to verify any additional FAFSA/CADAA information and to request any reasonable documentation that may be needed to substantiate the student’s financial aid application. If a legitimate discrepancy exits, Financial Aid staff will document the student’s file accordingly.