Verification

To view the requested verification documents, log in to your MyUNIverse account and go to your Student Center. The requested verification documents will be listed in your To Do List on the Student Center. For a list of step-by-step instructions with screen shots, please review this PDF document: How to View Requested Verification Documents. 

YOUR FINANCIAL AID WILL NOT DISBURSE UNTIL WE RECEIVE THE REQUESTED INFORMATION AND ANY NECESSARY CHANGES HAVE BEEN PROCESSED. When verification is complete, you will receive an email communication advising you to review your financial aid offer online and accept/decline any new offers. 

The following are options for submitting documents to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. Please make sure to include student name and UNI ID number on all documents.

• Fax: 319-273-6950
• Mail: 105 Gilchrist Hall, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0024
• Email: fin-aid@uni.edu (as a reminder, no personal information (e.g., social security numbers, date of birth, etc.) should be sent via email)

Submit all documents as quickly as possible. Make sure your UNI student ID number is on each page. Double-check that all documents are complete and signed by the necessary individuals. Once you have submitted the requested information, continue to check your UNI email in case additional information is required. As a reminder, students and parents should never send personally identifiable information, such as Social Security Numbers, via email. 

• Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, 105 Gilchrist Hall, Cedar Falls, IA  50614-0024
• Email: fin-aid@uni.edu
• Fax: (319) 273-6950

It means that you weren’t able to use the Direct Data Exchange. You or your parent(s) will have to turn in signed copies of their 2022 Federal Tax Return. If you didn’t file taxes, please refer to: What if I didn’t file taxes?

The Direct Data Exchange is a tool that is built into the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), that allows you and/or your contributors to pull federal tax information directly from the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) system into your FAFSA.

There may be some cases where the Direct Data Exchange is used, but we will need to review your 2022 tax information. Please review your To-Do-List to see if tax information is needed. 

HOWEVER, if you were unable to use the Direct Data Exchange, the following will be required:

• If you were unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool for the 2023-24 FAFSA, you can submit your 2021 signed Federal Tax Return OR your 2021 Tax Return Transcript to our office to fulfill this requirement.
• If you were unable to use the Direct Data Exchange for the 2024-25 FAFSA, you can submit a signed copy of your 2022 Federal Tax Return OR your 2022 Tax Return Transcript to our office to fulfil this requirement. 

If you are a dependent student:

• If you (the student) did not file taxes, please check the appropriate box on the Verification Form.
• For the 2023-24 FAFSA:
  • ​If your parent(s) did not file taxes, please provide documentation from the IRS that indicates a 2021 federal income tax return was not filed with the IRS.
  • If you or your parents worked but weren't required to file, please provide us a copy of the 2021 W-2 form(s).
• For the 2024-25 FAFSA:
  • If your parent(s) did not file taxes, please provide documentation from the IRS that indicates a 2022 federal income tax return was not filed with the IRS.
  • If you or your parents worked but weren’t required to file, please provide us a copy of the 2022 W-2 form(s).

If you are an independent student:

• For the 2023-24 FAFSA: 
  • If you did not file taxes, please provide documentation from the IRS that indicates a 2021 federal income tax return was not filed with the IRS.
• For the 2024-25 FAFSA: 
  • If you did not file taxes, please provide documentation from the IRS that indicates a 2022 tax return was not filed with the IRS. 
  • If you worked but weren’t required to file, please provide a copy of the 2022 W-2 form(s). 

If you have filed or will file an amended tax return, you will need to provide UNI with a signed tax return or a transcript obtained from the IRS for the applicable tax year, as well as a signed amended return (IRS Form 1040X) for the applicable year filed with the IRS. 

Students or parents who have been victims of Identity Theft and are unable to get a tax return transcript through one of the normal ways must contact the Identity Protection Specialization Unit (IPSU) of the IRS at (800)908-4490. After the IPSU authenticates the tax filer’s identity, the tax filer can request that the IRS mail them an alternate paper tax return transcript called the TRDBV (Transcript Database View).  This form is only available by calling this number and will only be mailed to the tax filer.

Once you have received the Tax Return Database View (TRDBV), send it to UNI along with a statement signed and dated by the tax filer indicating that they were victims of IRS related identity theft and that the IRS has been made aware of the tax-related identity theft.