Financial Aid Verification Requirements

If your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is selected for verification, the Department of Education requires the University of Cincinnati to check the accuracy of the FAFSA information you provided. Verification must be completed before financial aid can be disbursed. You will be notified via your UC email of any required documentation. Instructions for your Financial Aid Portal will be listed on the To Do List in your Catalyst account.

• Check your Catalyst To Do List, Financial Aid Portal, and UC email account often to know what documentation to submit.
• Complete all requested forms fully. All items must have a response, even if it is a "0" or “N/A”.
• File your FAFSA as early as possible and send all required documents together to expedite processing.
• Include the student’s UCID number on all documents.
• The FAFSA becomes available October 1 of the year prior to the start of the academic year.
  • Ex: The 2020-2021 FAFSA will be available October 1, 2019.
• You and your parent(s) should use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. The IRS Data Retrieval tool uploads your IRS tax information directly into your FAFSA application.
• Verification for continuing students must be completed before financial aid can be awarded or disbursed.