The Department of Education announced on December 6th that it would implement additional changes to the identity verification process for FAFSA applicants and contributors without a Social Security Number (SSN) to streamline the process for impacted users. The most significant updates to the process include a temporary pause in manual identity document submission through IDVerification@ed.gov and a new paper-based Attestation and Validation of Identity form that goes into effect for the 2025-26 cycle. Furthermore, the federal government has expanded its list of accepted identification documents that users can submit to improve accessibility and plans to implement a long-term solution for identity verification beginning with the 2026-27 FAFSA.
This is the fourth time this year that the Department has altered the FAFSA identity verification process for those without an SSN as part of its commitment to ensure that the application is available to qualified students. Below, we outline the key changes over the past 8 months and what they mean for institutions moving forward:
- May 6, 2024: The Department of Education updates the system to allow individuals without an SSN to immediately access the 2024-25 FAFSA form after creating a StudentAid.gov account. This eliminates the need to complete the manual identity verification process upfront, although the process must still be completed later.
- July 30, 2024: The process change is extended into the 2025-26 FAFSA cycle, with the Department assuring that no restricted status will be applied to students or contributors without an SSN.
- August 2, 2024: The Department revises its announcement to clarify the continued extension of this change and its long-term plan to implement a more efficient identity validation process, including potential integration with the FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange for tax information.
- December 6, 2024: The Department announces that the acceptance of new identity documentation for individuals without an SSN is paused temporarily. Students and contributors who are unable to validate their identity through the automated system can still access the FAFSA form without further validation until a long-term solution is developed.
Along with these alterations, applicants can submit more than 3When you re0 types of documents to confirm their citizenship status once the temporary pause on manual identification is lifted. Any document that users submit must be valid (i.e. current and unexpired) and can either be one document from Group A or two from Group B (at least one document submitted must be a photo ID) if the documents from Group A are unattainable. Below is a list of acceptable forms that can be used until the pause on manual verification is lifted.
Group A
- Driver’s license, temporary license, or ID issued by a U.S. State or Territory (paper documents NOT accepted)
- U.S. Passport or passport card
- Foreign Passport or passport card
- Consular ID Card/Matricula Consular
- U.S. Border Crossing Card
- U.S. Military ID Card (front and back) or U.S. Military’s dependent ID card
- Native American Tribal ID
- Permanent Resident Card (form I-551) “green card”
- Government-issued Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card
- Common Access Card (CAC)
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
- U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (Form-550 or Form N-570)
- DHS/ICE Miramar Check-in Paperwork – must have a photo and seal
- U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (form N-560 or Form N-561)
- Prison ID with picture, name, and date of birth
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Document (EAD) (I-766)
- US Merchant Mariner Credential
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
- Documents reflecting TPS (Temporary Protected Status) eligibility
Group B
- Social Security Card
- Birth certificate or document issued by a foreign country or U.S. state, jurisdiction, or territory
- Foreign driver’s license
- Marriage license or divorce decree
- U.S. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) provided on official letter awarding the ITIN or an official renewal ITIN letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Municipal identification card (such as those issued by city ID program)
- Community ID
- Voter registration card
- U.S. or foreign passport or passport card that expired within the previous 2 years
- Consular ID from applicant’s country of citizenship that expired within the previous 2 years
- Credit card/debit card statement
- Mortgage statement
- Financial institution account statement
- Utility bill
- Federal or State tax return
- W-2
- Insurance documents, including medical, dental, vision, life, home, rental, or vehicle
- Rental or lease agreement with signature of landowner and tenant
- Property tax bill or statement or deed or title to residential property
- Pay stubs
- Car registration
- Foreign or U.S. School-issued or college ID card
- Employee identification card
- Union or worder center identification card
- Foreign border crossing card (example: ECOWAS is accepted)
- Foreign Military ID Card (front and back)
- Foreign federal electoral photo card
- Foreign national or federal government-issued ID cards (from individual’s home country)
- Other foreign federal government-issued identification documents
- U.S. Prison ID missing picture, name, or DOB can be accepted with 2nd form of ID or official document (letter or other) from prison
Although the new measures allow for more flexibility, your office is required to collect the appropriate documentation to confirm a student’s noncitizen eligibility status and resolve conflicting information before disbursing any federal aid. The Department also expects administrators to continue verifying income, as users without SSN still do not have access to the FA-DDX and provide files when it conducts program reviews to mitigate potential fraud. It is recommended that you review Volume 1: Student Eligibility, Chapter 2 of the 2024-2025 FSA Handbook for more information about verifying noncitizen status and direct students to the eligibility section of the StudentAid.gov website if they have specific questions.
As FSA continues to improve its process, schools should ensure that their systems are up-to-date and monitor official sources for future updates from the Department. We will continue to provide updates as they are announced by Federal Student Aid.
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