Verification of Identity is Returning with Vengeance

The COVID-19 pandemic years of awarding federal student aid brought lax verification criteria for financial aid administrators. The reduction in verification of applicants allowed financial aid offices to focus more of their efforts on assisting students, especially with the rollout of the new FAFSA form in 2024. After a period of tranquility, the federal government is relaunching its focus on verifying the identity of students applying for federal student aid.

On June 6, 2025, an electronic announcement from the Office of Federal Student Aid outlined the rationale behind the sudden increase in verifying the identity of applicants for federal student aid. “Recent data from Federal Student Aid (FSA), States, and financial aid administrators (FAAs) at a wide range of institutions of higher education has made it clear that the rate of fraud through stolen identities has reached a level that imperils the federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA),” the electronic announcement states.

The electronic announcement further explains the need to increase scrutiny of verifying the identity of federal student aid recipients, saying “this is especially acute for the Pell Grant program, which is already facing a budgetary shortfall and has been targeted by technologically advanced fraud rings.”

Most of the time, the federal government randomly selects students for verification. There are three types of verification for FAFSA applicants. The first one is known as a V1, which is a simple verification of certain financial assets reported on a student’s FAFSA form. The second verification form is V4, which focuses on verifying the identity of a student attempting to receive federal student aid. The final verification method, V5, comprises a mixture of both approaches detailed in V1 and V4.

If selected for V4 verification, a student must go to their institution’s Financial Aid Office to verify their identity. Typically, students will sign a document stating who they claim to be. Students also attest that their use of federal student aid funding will only go for educational purposes. Students must also submit proof of identification, such as a state-issued driver’s license.

Students who need to complete V4 verification but cannot make it to their school in person can visit a notary local to them. On the V4 verification form, there’s a section where a notary can notarize the document after verifying the student’s application. If a student pursues this option, they may need to pay for notarized services.

As spooky as this process can sound, it’s important to note that the Financial Aid Office is eager to assist you with this verification process. Don’t let a simple verification document prevent you from accessing federal student aid funding.