Federal Verification Process

Schools may be required to verify some or all of the data elements below:

• Family size (number of people in your household)
• Number in college (number of household members attending a post secondary educational institution at least half time)
• Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or income earned from work if income is below minimum required for income tax filing
• U.S. Income Tax Paid for the base year
• Certain Untaxed Income and Benefits for the base year:
  • Untaxed IRA distributions
  • Untaxed pensions
  • Education Credits
  • IRA deductions
  • Tax exempt interest
• High school completion status
• Identity 

In addition to these basic verification requirements, students may be asked to verify any other data item reported on the FAFSA.

Federally dependent students are required to submit:

• Dependent federal verification worksheet 
• Copy of federal income tax transcripts (student and parent)
  •  2023 for 2025-26 verification 
  • 2024 for 2026-27 verification 

• Signed 1040 tax return forms (student and parent) 
  •  2023 for 2025-26 verification 
  • 2024 for 2026-27 verification 

Federally independent students are required to submit:

• Independent federal verification worksheet
• Copy of either the federal income tax transcript for the applicable tax year or the signed 1040 tax return form 
  •  2023 for 2025-26 verification 
  • 2024 for 2026-27 verification 
• If an independent student was married at the time the FAFSA was signed and did not file a joint tax return, the student must also submit a tax transcript or signed 1040 tax return form for their spouse. 

Note: If a federal tax transcript or 1040 tax return form is unavailable to you because you, your spouse, or your parent filed a Puerto Rican or foreign tax return, please contact our office for further instructions.

Other documents may be requested by our office during the verification process.  Students will be notified via their NU email  and the  To-Do list in CAESAR.

Tax filers can request a federal tax transcript from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), free of charge, in one of four ways. 

1. Select the appropriate form based on your student type: 
   1. Dependent students must complete the Dependent Student Income Tax Non-Filer Form
   2. Independent students must complete the Independent Student Income Tax-NonFiler Form.
2. Complete the form based on whether you were required to file a return:
   1. Students not required to file a tax return for the selected year, submit:
      1. Copies of all W-2s received for the prior tax year
      2. Signed Student Income Tax Non-Filer form for the applicable academic year certifying:
         1. That the individual has not filed and is not required to file an income tax return for the prior tax year
         2. The sources of income earned from work as reported on the FAFSA and amounts of income from each source for the appropriate year that is not reported on W-2 forms
         3. Check the appropriate box in Section B of the Student Income Tax Non-Filer form

Students who did not work at all during the tax year:

• Check the appropriate box in Section B of the Student Income Tax Non-Filer form

Note: Independent student non-tax filers are also required to provide confirmation of non-filing status from the IRS (Verification of Non-filing letter)

1. Complete the Parent Income Tax Non-Filer form for the applicable academic year
2. Parent(s) who were not required to file a tax return for the selected year, submit: 
   1. Copies of all W-2s received for the prior tax year
   2. Check the appropriate box in Section B of the Parent Income Tax Non-Filer form
   3. Write in the sources and amounts of earnings 
   4. The signed form certifies that:
      1. That the individual has not filed and is not required to file an income tax return for the prior tax year
      2. The sources of income earned from work as reported on the FAFSA and amounts of income from each source for the appropriate tax year that is not reported on W-2 forms

• Check the appropriate box in Section B of the Student Income Tax Non-Filer form

If a student indicated on the FAFSA that there is more than one family member attending college, Northwestern may require proof that the family member is in fact attending a college/university.  In this case, the Chicago Office of Financial Aid will follow up with you to request that you submit the Family Size verification form.

To help diminish the possibility of verification processing delays, submit all documents at the same time by uploading them via the Document Upload,  sending them via email, fax, or regular mail:

Northwestern University
Chicago Office of Financial Aid
710 N. Lake Shore Drive Suite 629
Chicago, IL 60611

Fax: (312) 503-8700

Email: financial-aid-chicago@northwestern.edu (PDF versions only, no screenshots or pictures will be accepted)

Submission Guidelines:

• Make photocopies for your records:
• Print your name and 7-digit ID number (found on your Wildcard) on each page of the documents that you submit
• Respond to all sections of any requested verification worksheets.
  • If a section or part of a section does not apply to you, your parent(s), and/or your spouse, write “N/A” or “0” as appropriate.
• Do not leave any sections blank as that may result in delays in processing your verification. If a section does not apply to you, your parent(s) and/or your spouse, write "N/A" or "0".

If the accuracy of the data reported on your FAFSA is confirmed:

If verification indicates differences between the data reported on your FAFSA and the tax documents/income information you submitted,  our office may need to make corrections to the data on your FAFSA and electronically transmit the corrected data to the federal processor. Our office will notify you via your NU email account if corrections are made to the data on your FAFSA.

Financial aid packages are based on the information provided on your FAFSA. Federal financial aid programs such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG Grant, and the Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan Program have strict eligibility requirements. If the data reported on verification documents differs from the information reported on the student’s FAFSA, the student’s eligibility for these programs may be affected.

The verification review process can range from 2 - 6 weeks.  Students are advised to submit requested documentation within 14 days of when the request is made by the Chicago Office of Financial Aid.

For federal loan applicants, Northwestern University requires verification to occur before determining eligibility; a federal loan application cannot be certified for a period of enrollment that has already passed.