Verification and Additional Documentation

Verification is a quality-assurance measure used by the US Department of Education to verify the accuracy of information submitted by students and families on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

• All schools that disburse federal Title IV funds are required to participate in the verification process
• Families selected for verification will be required to submit additional documentation to the Office of Financial Aid
• If there are differences between your FAFSA information and your financial documents, Hamline University may make electronic corrections to the information reported on your FAFSA

There is no uniform process followed by all families that have been selected for verification. Families will be asked to verify specific pieces of data, and not all families will be asked to verify the same data. 

To know what information you must provide, please review the information Hamline University has sent you regarding verification or check Workday for more information (directions above). When you know what you must verify, additional information about each area can be found below. If the information you have been asked to provide is not listed below, or if you have any further questions, please contact us for additional information.

Income verification

The preferred method is to use the Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) Tool on the FAFSA. Information about the FA-DDX Tool can be found on the FA-DDX Tool page. If you used this tool and did not change any of the imported data when you first completed the FAFSA, you do not need to do it again, you just need to indicate that you used it on the verification form (below). 

If you cannot use the FA-DDX Tool, you can send us a copy of your hand-signed 1040 Tax Return and Schedules or Tax Return Transcript.

For the 2025/26 school year use your 2023 taxes. For the 2024/25 school year use your 2022 taxes. Please be aware that the IRS now redacts name and Social Security Number information from Tax Return Transcripts. If you are sending us a copy, please be sure to include your name and student ID number. Information about obtaining a free copy can be found on the Tax Return Transcript page.

For independent students, parents, and spouses who did not file taxes in 2023 (for the 2025/26 school year) or 2022 (for the 2024/25 school year), the federal government requires Hamline to collect letters of non-filing. These can be obtained by completing the IRS-Form 4506-T or online through IRS.gov. If a non-filer earned income from work, they must also supply income documentation such as W2 statements or a wage and income transcript.

Please review our instruction form for help requesting a Letter of Non-Filing based on the year you were selected for verification:

• 2025/26 non-filer instructions
• 2024/25 non-filer instructions

If you requested a Letter of Non-Filing but were unsuccessful after three weeks, please complete the Statement of Non-Filing Form:

• 2025/26 Statement of Non-Filing
• 2024/25 Statement of Non-Filing

Once you have decided which method of income verification you will utilize, you must indicate your decision on the appropriate verification form.

2025/26 academic year

• For dependent students: 2025/26 Dependent Student Verification Worksheet
• For independent students: 2025/26 Independent Student Verification Worksheet

2024/25 academic year

• For dependent students: 2024/25 Dependent Student Verification Worksheet
• For independent students: 2024/25 Independent Student Verification Worksheet

Verification of income for individuals with other circumstances

If you were granted an additional tax extension beyond the automatic six-month extension, you will need to provide us with all of the following documents:

• A signed statement that certifies you were unable to secure VONF documentation from the IRS, that you did not file a 2023 (for the 2025/26 school year) or 2022 (for the 2024/25 school year) income tax return, and include a list of sources of income, and the amount of any income from each source
• A copy of the IRS's approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension for the appropriate tax year
• A copy of any W-2 form for each source of 2023 or 2022 employment income received. If self-employed, must provide a signed statement that indicates the estimated AGI and US income tax paid for the relevant tax year

Individuals who filed an amended IRS Income Tax Return

If you have filed an amended tax return, please notify the financial aid office and supply both of the following documents:

• An IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed IRS Form 1040 for either 2023 (2025/26) or 2022 (2024/25) that includes information from the original tax return, and an IRS Tax Account Transcript for the relevant year
• A signed copy of the IRS Form 1040X that was filed with the IRS

Individuals who filed foreign tax returns

If you filed taxes in 2023 (2025/26), please submit a tax transcript from the relevant taxing authority that lists the tax account information for the tax year (only if it can be obtained at no cost); or a copy of a signed tax return and applicable schedules filed with the taxing authority.

Tax filers and non tax filers in the freely associated states, a US Territory, or a Commonwealth

If you filed taxes in 2023 (2025/26) or 2022 (2024/25), please submit a tax return transcript from your taxing authority. If you were not required to and did not file taxes in 2023 or 2022, then you may submit a copy of your Wage and Tax Statement for each source of income for 2023 or 2022 and a signed statement identifying all income and taxes for 2023 or 2022.

Individuals who were victims of IRS identity theft 

If you are a victim of IRS identity theft who is not able to obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript or use the IRS DRT, you must complete the following steps for income verification: 

• Provide a copy of your signed 2023 income tax return and applicable schedules.
• Provide an IRS 4647C letter (a letter from the IRS acknowledging the identity theft). Or a statement signed and dated by the tax filer(s), indicating that they were a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft and that the IRS has been made aware of the tax-related identity theft

Undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, online bachelor's degree completion, and teaching licensure

Half-time: At least 6 credits per semester
Full-time: At least 12 credits per semester
State Grant: At least 15 credits per semester for full financial aid offer

Master, graduate certificate, and doctorate programs

Half-time: At least 4 credits per semester.
Full-time: At least 8 credits per semester.

Only courses required for your program count in the Financial Aid Enrollment Status.