Financial Aid Verification

Financial Aid

Verification is the process schools use to ensure the accuracy of the information reported on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). About 1 in every 4 FAFSA filers is selected by the Department of Education to document their income, family size, and other FAFSA data.

Your customized Verification Worksheet explains what data you need to submit and is available under Financial Aid Requirements in your MyBethel checklist.

Beginning with the 2024-2025 award year, the IRS Data Retrieval process is being replaced with the Direct Data Exchange (DDX) process. Everyone required to provide a signature on the FAFSA form will need to give consent to have their federal tax information (FTI) transferred from the IRS directly into the FAFSA form.

How will I know I've been selected?

After submitting your FAFSA, you'll receive a FAFSA Submission Summary from the Department of Education, which indicates if you're selected for verification. If selected, Bethel will send you a personalized Verification Form outlining the process.

What documents do I need to submit if I'm selected?

Documents will vary by student and by academic year. Your Verification Form will indicate what you must verify, along with instructions for how to submit the information. The Department of Education can adjust or add to the items they ask the school to verify. If this happens, we will contact you to request additional documentation.

What tax year do I need to provide income documentation for?

The FAFSA for 2025-2026 collects income information from your 2023 taxes. The FAFSA for 2024-2025 collects income information from your 2022 taxes.

How do I verify my income?

If you filed a Federal Income Tax return, you have options:

1. Federal tax return transcript. You may contact the IRS to obtain a tax return transcript. After receiving it, you must submit it to the Bethel University Office of Financial Aid. Please use our secure document upload tool to send documents.

  • Get transcript by mail—Go to IRS. Select "Get Your Tax Record." Click "Get Transcript by Mail." Make sure to request the "Return Transcript" not the "Account Transcript." The transcript is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS's receipt of the online request.
  • Get transcript online—Go to IRS. Select "Get Your Tax Record." Click "Get Transcript Online." Complete the identity authorization process. If asked for a reason for the tax transcript, select Higher Education/Student Aid. You should request the "Return Transcript" not the "Account Transcript." After successful authentication, you will be able to view, print, or download your transcript.
  • Automated telephone request—800.908.9946. Follow the prompts and select "Option 2" to request a Tax Return Transcript not a Tax Account Transcript. The transcript is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS's receipt of the telephone request.
  • Paper request form—IRS Form 4506-T (pdf). Complete the form carefully and request a "Return Transcript." The transcript is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS's receipt of the paper request form.

2. Federal tax return. Obtaining a tax return transcript from the IRS is the preferred method for documenting income. However, the Department of Education allows schools to accept a signed copy of the federal income tax return as documentation of income for tax filers. Income verification for 2025-2026 requires a signed copy of the federal 1040 for the 2023 tax year along with schedules 1, 2, and 3. Income verification for 2024-2025 requires a signed copy of the federal 1040 for the 2022 tax year along with schedules 1, 2, and 3. Additional schedules or forms (including W-2 forms) may be required to resolve conflicting information. Please use our secure document upload tool to send documents.

If you cannot use any of these methods, please document the issue you're experiencing and email Bethel's Financial Aid Office so we can assist you.

How should I send the required information?

Tax documentation and other forms containing personally identifiable information should not be sent via email. Please use our secure document upload tool. You may also send documents via the U.S. Postal Service or fax them to 651.635.1491. If you send documents via one of these methods, make sure to print the student's full name (and Bethel ID number, if known) at the top of the document.

If you have been selected to complete the Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose as part of the verification process, there are two ways to submit that information. The first is to bring your form to the Financial Aid Office along with your valid government-issued photo ID and complete the form in person. If you are unable to appear in person, you can have a notary complete and document your identity verification. The notarized form and identity documents cannot be faxed, emailed, or uploaded. You must either send the original signed and completed form to the Financial Aid Office via the U.S. Postal Service or drop it off in person.