The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has published a notice in the Federal Register on October 23, 2026, outlining the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) information that institutions may be required to verify for the 2027–28 award year, along with acceptable documentation requirements.
The annual notice identifies the information subject to verification, including income and tax information, family size, and identity, depending on the applicant’s assigned verification tracking group.
Verification Requirements Remain Largely Unchanged
The 2027–28 verification requirements remain substantially consistent with those established for the 2026–27 award year, with no significant changes to the verification tracking groups or the information subject to verification.
The three verification tracking groups remain:
- V1: Standard Verification: Income and tax information and family size, as applicable.
- V4: Custom Verification: Identity verification.
- V5: Aggregate Verification: A combination of V1 and V4 requirements.
The notice also continues to recognize alternative identity verification methods, including video calls with authorized institutional personnel and third-party verification meeting National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Identity Assurance Level 2 standards. These options were introduced for the 2026–27 award year.
IRS Data and Documentation Requirements
Consistent with prior years, federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS and used without modification generally does not require additional verification. However, manually entered income and tax information may still be subject to verification.
For the 2027–28 award year, verification of income and tax information generally relies on 2025 tax year data.
The notice also outlines acceptable documentation for various circumstances, including non-tax filers, amended tax returns, changes in marital status, and identity verification.
What Institutions Should Know
Although the requirements remain largely unchanged, financial aid administrators should review the annual notice to ensure their verification policies, procedures, and documentation practices remain aligned with federal requirements.
Institutions should consult the full Federal Register notice for specific verification items, acceptable documentation, and applicable exceptions.
Read the full Federal Register notice.
If you need assistance, College Aid Services can assist institutions with verification processing, policy and procedure reviews, and Title IV compliance support. Contact us here.