Students selected for verification by the central processor and/or the financial aid office must provide all required information and documentation. If the information submitted does not match the information provided on the SAR/ISIR corrections will be made electronically. The application is not considered complete and disbursements will not be made until SAR/ISIR information is correct.
SOWELA is contracting with Inceptia to perform verification for our students. After SOWELA receives the FAFSA from the central processor, a document tracking/missing information email will be sent to the student notifying them to log into LOLA to view the necessary paperwork that the office is requesting. If the student is selected for verification, they will receive an email notification from Inceptia that will direct them to the Verification Gateway. The items to be verified are listed below.
Applicants are responsible for submitting all verification documents by the noted deadlines or they risk losing eligibility for all financial aid awards.
Inceptia will verify the information and documents submitted with the FAFSA within 7 days of receipt. If there is any conflicting information, additional documentation may be requested. Inceptia will utilize their electronic forms for verification. In addition, signed copies of tax returns, tax return transcripts, W2 forms, and non-filing confirmation forms will be used to verify the required items listed in the chart below.
All FAFSA data matches (Social Security number, NSLDS, DHS etc) will be verified to insure that the student is eligible for financial aid.
The CPS must receive the student's electronic FAFSA by June 30th. The deadline for submitting verification information for the award year is September 1st or 120 days after the last day of the student's enrollment, whichever is earlier. If the requested verification is not submitted within the timeframe stipulated, financial aid may be denied for the award year.
Corrections, as needed, are made electronically by Inceptia after review by the student and parent, if applicable. If at any time the application appears to be conflicting, then the appropriate documents will be requested from the student.
If EFC or award amounts change after initial application, the student will be notified by email to log in to their LOLA account to view the changes.
| Verification Tracking Flag | Verification Tracking Group Name | FAFSA Information Required to be Verified |
|---|---|---|
| V1 | Standard Verification Group | Tax Filers
Nontax Filers
Tax Filers and Nontax Filers
|
| V4 | Custom Verification Group |
|
| V5 | Aggregate Verification Group | Tax Filers
Nontax Filers
Tax Filers and Nontax Filers
|
SOWELA will be responsible for working all comment codes with required resolutions not listed in the Inceptia Comment Codes to work in the Inceptia Verification Policy and Procedures.
Conflicting information between what was reported on the SAR/ISIR and on the documents submitted by the student will be corrected, and the SAR/ISIR will be reprocessed if necessary. The college and Inceptia acting on behalf of SOWELA will request any documentation deemed necessary to clear up a conflict.
SOWELA will verify all subsequent ISIR transactions. If the EFC changes, CFLAG changes, or NSLDS information changes, the ISIR will be reviewed to determine if conflicting information is present or if additional documentation is needed.
Applicants that report income below the poverty guidelines on the FAFSA will be required, upon request, to document how they supported themselves for the applicable base income year.
If the applicant requests a professional judgment, verification will first be completed, then the applicant will meet with a financial aid counselor at SOWELA. The counselor will determine the appropriate documents that the student will need to submit pertaining to their unique situation. Upon receipt of the documents, the counselor will make a determination as to whether or not the situation is mitigating and worthy of FAFSA corrections to better reflect the student’s financial situation. Students will be notified of the outcome of the determination via email.
If fraud to obtain Title IV funds is known or suspected, a report will be made to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) as outlined under Sec. 668.16 of the Higher Education Act. The reporting address is as follows:
Office of Inspector General
U. S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1510
The hotline for Louisiana is (214) 880-3031