Additional Items

Keep your tax and income forms handy:

Know where to find your tax forms and W-2 forms in case you are selected for verification. Verification is a process where you would be selected by the federal government to support information that you have included on your FAFSA.

Make sure that your official documents have the correct name(s):

Many aid notifications are held up because the federal government or the school are not able to match the federal and school records.

Be sure that:

  • Your social security card correctly displays your official name (first, middle, and last).
  • When applying to school or completing federal logins or forms, this name must exactly match what is on your social security card.
  • Use your social security number on your Penn State application and make sure that it has been entered correctly. This is required for us to award federal financial aid.

Additional Resources