Understanding Verification

You will be notified during the aid application filing process if you have been selected for verification via your Student Aid Report. We will also notify you by placing tasks and instructions in your MyCPP Student Center.    

On your MyCPP Student Center, you will see a To Do item on your account (you may have multiple To Do items). When you click the details of this To Do item, you will see that it is directing you to the Cal Poly Pomona Financial Aid Student Forms portal.  Once you log into your Student Forms portal, you will see the tasks that are being requested of you.  

As you work through the items on your task list, it will update in real time with documentation that is needed from you based on your answers.  

If you have been selected for verification, you will see your requirements listed as tasks in your Cal Poly Pomona Financial Aid Student Forms portal.  Information & documents required vary by student.  Some examples of items we may be required to verify include: 

• Household size 
• Number enrolled in college 
• Income & Tax Filing Information
• Confirmation of Citizenship (or Eligible Non-Citizen) Status 
• Enrollment History 
• Confirmation of Identity 
• Information regarding prior federal student aid history
• Asset Information 

If your file is selected for verification, no aid will be released until all requested items are received and verification has been completed.  

When creating your Financial Aid Student Forms account, you’ll be using your Cal Poly Pomona email. You will want to make sure your information matches exactly what is on your financial aid application 

• First Name 
• Last Name 
• Social Security Number or (California Dream ID) 
• Date of Birth 

Once you have successfully created your account, it will be linked with your MyCPP portal and you’ll be able to take care of tasks electronically!  

NOTE: If you completed the California Dream Act Application, you will need to enter your California Dream ID in lieu of a social security number when creating your account. This ID# can be found on your CA Student Aid Report on Webgrants.   

Here are a couple of items that your parent will need to keep in mind when creating their account:  

• When you identify which parent you are requesting a signature from, that is the only parent that will be able to sign the document, unless you go back into the task and edit the selected parent.  
• Your parent will need to notify you if the information on the document is inaccurate and needs to be changed. You will need to make this change and re-request your parent’s signature.  
• If your parent has more than one child attending Cal Poly Pomona, they should create a separate username for each child. It is highly encouraged that they use a different email for each child as well.  

Parent without an SSN:  If your parent does not have a valid SSN, they will not be able to electronically sign and neither will you.  You will instead click Opt out of E-sign which will allow you to download and print the document so that both you and your parent can provide wet signatures. Once the document has been signed, you will upload it back to the Student Forms portal.

If you have been selected for verification, we will notify you through your MyCPP Student Center that there are items you need to review. Verification and other requirements are completed through the Cal Poly Pomona Financial Aid Student Forms portal.  

Note- if you have not registered with the Cal Poly Pomona Financial Aid Student Forms portal, you will need to do that first. This is a one-time process that matches up your personal information with the aid application we have on file for you. Review the information above on creating an account on the Cal Poly Pomona Financial Aid Student Forms portal.  

• When you have successfully logged into the Cal Poly Pomona Financial Aid Student Forms portal, you will be taken to a task list- select anywhere on the task to expand and get additional information about what is needed.  
• Some tasks you will be able to satisfy completely online, while others will require you to download, complete, and upload back to the task.  
• To e-sign an online form, you will need to create a pin that you will use to sign all your online forms on the Cal Poly Pomona Financial Aid Student Forms portal. You can also opt out of e-signing your documents – it is up to you!  
• Dependent students may have forms that require a parent signature. After you (the student) have e-signed a document, you have the option to request a parent signature.  You will need to:  
  • Select the parent you would like to sign the document 
  • Enter the parent's email address
  • Confirm their email 
  • Select the Send Request button  
  • Registration instructions for parents are located above.  
• Upload any documents needed to complete your tasks 
• Once all documents are completed and all additional information uploaded, you can submit your verification for review. 

Once you provide all requested documentation to our office, your file will be reviewed to ensure no documents are missing and then processed by a member of our team. Typically, this process takes 1 – 2 weeks, but may take longer during our peak processing times of April – July.    

Submitting documentation to our office by the priority deadlines will ensure that your file is evaluated in time for you to receive financial aid for the term when you need it.  

Yes! Once you have e-signed your document, you will be brought back to the main page of your tasks and you will see a section that indicates a parent signature is required, as well as a button that says Request.  

1. You’ll click the Request button and a pop-up showing the parent(s) listed on the financial aid application will appear.
2. Click the parent you would like to electronically sign the document (NOTE: if you have two parents listed on your financial aid application, only the parent you choose will have the ability to sign the document.)  
3. Your parent will receive an email notification letting them know that a document needs their signature – They will need to create an account if they have not already.  
4. Your parent can review and electronically sign the document through their account. 

IMPORTANT: Your parent will need to notify you if the information on the document is inaccurate and needs to be changed. You will need to make this change and re-request the signature.  

Parents without an SSN:  If your parent does not have a valid SSN, they will not be able to electronically sign and neither will you. You will instead click Opt out of E-sign which will allow you to download and print the document so that both you and your parent can provide wet signatures. Once the document has been signed, you will upload it back into your task.  

If additional documents are needed, you will be notified in a couple of ways: 

• E-Mail: You will receive an e-mail to your Cal Poly Pomona email. 
• Text Message: If you provide your cell phone information upon creating your account with the Student Forms Portal, you will be notified via text message. 
• Status of To Do Item: On your MyCPP Student Center, the status of the To Do item will change with 24 hours: 
  • If the status is initiated, there are tasks that require your attention. 
  • If the status is received, we have received your submitted documents and are reviewing. 
  • Please note that if you submit all of the requested items, the status will change to Received within 24 hours. If additional information is needed, the status will change back to initiated within 24 hours. 

The To Do item will disappear once the review process has been completed. 

However, if you click the More button from your Student Center, you will be able to see more information about the To Do items on your account, including the status. This status will change based on the following: 

•  If the status is initiated, there are tasks that require your attention 
•  If the status is received, we have received your submitted documents and are reviewing 
• Please note that if you submit all of the requested items, the status will change to received within 2 business days. If additional information is needed, the status will change back to initiated. 

If you missed the priority deadline for submitting documents, you are risk of not having your financial aid available at the start of the semester – and may be required to pay your tuition and fees in advance of having your aid eligibility finalized. 

Even if you missed the priority deadline, you should still submit your documents.  We will continue to review student files and documents – in order of when they are completed.   Please submit your verification documents as soon as possible, as processing time increases as we approach the start of classes.

Your household size and the number of household members attending college are a factor in calculating your Expected Family Contribution. When selected for Verification, we will generally need to confirm who lives in your household and how many of them are attending a degree-granting program in college. We do this by asking you to complete a Verification form. 

The FAFSA & Dream Application have very specific guidelines on who they consider as part of your household.  

Who Should be Included in the Household Section of your Verification Form

Dependent Students: 

The following people should be counted and reported on your Household Verification form: 

Independent Students

The following people should be counted and reported on your Household Verification form:  

Household Members Attending College

If any of the household members listed on your Verification form are attending college, tell us what school they are attending. Note that attending college means that the household member is enrolled in a program that will lead to a degree at a school that is eligible to participate in the Federal Student Aid programs; auditing courses does not count. A lso be aware that Federal Student Aid and the California Student Aid Commission do not allow dependent students to count their parents in the number in college.  

You may be required to provide information regarding your income as part of the verification process.  Depending on your answers to these questions, you might need to provide additional documents 

Tax Filers 

If you filed a tax return, you will need to provide additional documentation from the IRS confirming your tax return information. This will either be in the form of a Tax Return Transcript, submitting a signed and dated copy of your federal tax return (Form 1040 + Schedules 1, 2, and 3 if filed), or a signed and dated copy of an amended federal tax return (Form 1040X). 

Non Tax Filers 

If you were not required to file a tax return, but you did work, you will need to provide a W-2 statement or 1099 statement for each source of income. If you cannot provide a W-2 or 1099 statement, please contact us to discuss your options. 

Verification of Non-Filing for Independent Students and Parents of Dependent Students 

If you were not required to file a tax return, whether you worked or not, you will need to submit a Verification of Non-Filing letter, dated after October 1, 2022. You can obtain this from the IRS via their website; by phone; or by submitting Form 4506-T to the IRS.  

If you have attempted to obtain the Verification of Non-Filing from the IRS but have not been successful, you can choose the Statement of Nonfiling option in the Student Forms portal.  You will then be provided with a form to complete, printout, and sign.  Once signed you will upload the form back to your task. 

NOTE on Statement of Nonfiling: 

If you choose to complete the Statement of Nonfiling, you must complete all sections / check each box: 

• The first box is confirmation that you were not required to file taxes 
• The second box is confirmation that you attempted to obtain a Verification Letter from the IRS – but were not successful in obtaining the letter. 

If both boxes have not been checked, the Statement will be rejected – and you will be required to complete a new one.  

What if my Marital Status has changed since I filed my Tax Return? 

If you were married and filed jointly and are now separated; divorced; or widowed, submit your W-2 statements for us to separate your income.  

If you were married at the time you submitted the FAFSA or Dream Application, but weren't married when you filed your tax return, you will need to submit income information for both you and your spouse, even though you weren't married when you filed taxes. 

What if my Parents are Divorced or Remarried? 

If your biological or adoptive parents are divorced, you would only list the information of your custodial parent on your FAFSA or Dream Application. Your custodial parent is whichever parent provides more than 50% of your financial support, or with whom you live more than 50% of the year. Do not list any information about your non-custodial parent on your FAFSA or Dream Application. 

If your custodial parent has married or re-married, you must include the information for that step-parent on your FAFSA or Dream Application – including their income information (as detailed in the FAFSA and Dream Application instructions).  

• Follow directions when completing the FAFSA or Dream Application. Instructions and an explanation for each question is located on the right-hand side of the screen.  Carefully review the application and provide accurate information. 
• FAFSA Filers:  The IRS Data Retrieval Option allows you to transfer federal income tax return data to the FAFSA. Applicants who use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool are less likely to be selected for verification.  
• All Students:  Request your Federal Tax Return Transcripts from the IRS when your complete your FAFSA or Dream Application, so that you have them available should they be requested!  
• Monitor your To Do List on your MyCPP Student Center 
• Respond quickly to requests from our office... waiting until the last minute can cause you a lot of stress if your financial aid is not ready in time!  
• When completing a task or form, read the instructions prior to entering information to avoid the need for additional requests or clarification.  Most mistakes can be avoided by simply reading the instructions prior to completing an item. 
• Submit your documents prior to our priority deadlines to ensure you are considered for as many aid opportunities as possible!  
• If you have questions about your situation, contact our office for additional guidance.