The U.S. Department of Education selects approximately one in three students for verification of the information provided on the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In limited situations, USD may also select students for verification of FAFSA information.
The South Dakota Enrollment Services Center (ESC) will send an email containing a link for the appropriate verification forms to all USD students selected for verification. Students should promptly complete and return the completed forms with the required documentation. Incomplete verification forms will be returned to the student for completion. Unless otherwise instructed, the verification forms should be returned to the Enrollment Services Center. If additional information is required, the student will receive further communication from ESC. If you have questions regarding the verification process or required documentation, you can contact the Financial Aid Office at 605-658-6250. Financial aid eligibility cannot be determined until the verification process has been completed.
You can also access the verification forms by logging into your self service:
- Select University of South Dakota as the campus
- Select the Financial Aid Status option
- Select the correct awarding year
- Click on the unsatisfied student requirements link
- Click on the link for each of your unsatisfied requirements to be directed to the required form
Once the verification documentation has been received, it will be compared to data elements on the student’s FAFSA. If the information on the FAFSA matches the documentation provided, then no changes to the FAFSA are required, and USD will award financial aid based on the original FAFSA results.
If the verification process results in corrections to any data elements on the FAFSA, the Enrollment Services Center will submit those changes electronically. Both the student and USD will be notified of the reprocessed FAFSA results. In this situation, USD will award financial aid based on the reprocessed FAFSA results.
If you make corrections to your aid record and are selected for verification after aid has already been awarded or disbursed to you, adjustments to the already awarded or disbursed aid may be necessary. USD’s Financial Aid Office will notify the student of the adjustment with a revised Award Letter.
If verification reveals that your aid eligibility has changed, it may be necessary to adjust aid already disbursed to you. Failure to repay aid funds for which you have been determined ineligible will make you ineligible for further Federal Student Aid at any institution until the aid is repaid in full. Unresolved refunds and/or fraud verification cases may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education for collection purposes and to document ineligibility for future student aid.
