University asking for SSN card and driver's license for FAFSA verification - is this normal?

DONT DO IT!!!! This sounds like a phishing scam to me. I work in IT and universities NEVER ask for your full social security card via email. FAFSA verification usually requires tax transcripts, household info forms, maybe your W-2, but NOT your drivers license AND social card together!!! That's identity theft 101. Call the financial aid office directly using the number from the official website (not from the email) and verify if this is real. I bet you $100 it's not.

While I agree with being cautious, some schools do require additional verification documents beyond what FAFSA initially requests. It's called institutional verification, which is different from federal verification. However, they typically don't ask for these exact documents via email. Most schools would have you upload these to a secure student portal or bring them in person. I would definitely call the financial aid office directly to confirm if this request is legitimate before sending anything.

This seems fishy to me. When I went through verification last year, they asked for my parents' tax information and had me fill out a verification worksheet, but never asked for my ID or SS card. They definitely wouldn't ask you to send these documents through regular email since that's not secure. Maybe check your student portal to see if there are any official communications about verification requirements there?

Financial aid advisor here. This is concerning. While schools do conduct verification processes, sending your SSN card and driver's license via email is NOT standard procedure and would violate security protocols at most institutions. Legitimate verification typically requires: 1. Verification worksheets (sent through secure portals) 2. Tax return transcripts 3. W-2 forms 4. Sometimes statements of educational purpose For identity verification, you might need to present ID in person or through a notarized form, but they wouldn't ask for both license and SSN card via email. Contact your financial aid office immediately through their official phone number. If it is somehow legitimate, they'll have secure methods for document submission.

I had something similar happen but it turned out to be legit - BUT they wanted me to bring the documents IN PERSON or upload to their secure system. They absolutely did NOT want them emailed. Email is not secure for those kinds of documents. Call the financial aid office directly!

my school made me verify my fafsa last yr but they jus wanted tax forms n stuff they NEVEr asked for SS card thats sketch af

Update on this topic: I just spoke with a colleague in university financial aid. There is a legitimate verification process called 'identity and statement of educational purpose verification' that sometimes requires government-issued photo ID, but: 1. It NEVER should be submitted via email 2. Social security cards are NOT part of this process 3. For distance students, this verification must be completed with a notary public So if you receive requests like this, always verify through official channels before sending anything. Your school's financial aid office can confirm what's actually required.

Pro tip: NEVER send sensitive documents via regular email. Any legitimate university will provide a secure upload portal or physical dropoff option. If you're ever unsure, ALWAYS call the office directly using the official number from the university website.

I'm glad you trusted your instincts and asked here before sending anything! This is a perfect example of why scammers target students during financial aid season - they know people are anxious about deadlines and might act quickly without verifying. For anyone else reading this: legitimate FAFSA verification requests will come through official channels (student portal, official mail, or in-person), never ask for both SSN card AND driver's license together via email, and always give you secure submission options. When in doubt, hang up and call back using the official number from your school's website. Your caution probably saved you from major identity theft!

This is such an important thread for all students to see! As someone who works in cybersecurity, I can't stress enough how sophisticated these phishing attempts have become. The fact that they used official logos and a .edu-looking email shows they're really targeting students specifically. A few red flags everyone should watch for: 1) Urgent deadlines to pressure quick action, 2) Requests for multiple forms of ID together (huge red flag), 3) Email requests for documents containing SSN, and 4) No mention of secure portals or in-person options. Always remember - legitimate institutions have security protocols precisely because they know how valuable this information is to criminals. Trust your gut and verify through official channels every time!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how valuable this thread has been! I'm currently filling out my FAFSA for the first time and had no idea these kinds of sophisticated scams were targeting students. The detailed explanations from everyone, especially those with professional experience in financial aid and cybersecurity, have really opened my eyes to what red flags to watch for. It's scary how official these fake emails can look - I probably would have been fooled too if I hadn't read this first. I'm definitely going to share this information with other students in my program. Thank you all for creating such a helpful and protective community space where people feel safe asking these important questions!

As someone who just went through the FAFSA verification process this past fall, I can confirm that legitimate verification NEVER involves emailing sensitive documents like SSN cards and driver's licenses together. When my school needed to verify my information, they sent me a secure link through my student portal to upload tax transcripts and a verification worksheet - that's it. The biggest red flag here is them asking you to email these documents directly. Even if a school did need to see your ID for some reason, they'd have you bring it in person to the financial aid office or use a secure document upload system. I'm really glad you asked here first instead of sending those documents! This is exactly the kind of scam that targets stressed students during aid season.

As a new member here, I just want to echo what everyone has said about this being a scam - legitimate financial aid offices have strict security protocols and would NEVER ask for your SSN card and driver's license via email. I work as a student advisor and we constantly remind students that any request for sensitive documents should immediately raise red flags if it's not through official secure channels. What makes these scams particularly insidious is they target students during high-stress periods when you're worried about missing aid deadlines. The scammers know students are vulnerable and might act quickly without verifying. Always remember: when in doubt, hang up/don't respond and call the official number directly from your school's website. Your instinct to ask here first probably saved you from serious identity theft - never feel embarrassed about double-checking these things!

This thread is such a valuable resource for students! As someone new to the FAFSA process, I had no idea how sophisticated these phishing scams targeting students have become. Reading everyone's responses has really educated me on what legitimate verification processes actually look like versus these red flags. It's particularly helpful hearing from people with professional experience in financial aid, IT, and cybersecurity all confirming this was definitely a scam. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) legitimate schools never ask for SSN cards + driver's licenses together via email, 2) real verification uses secure portals or in-person submission, 3) when in doubt, always call the official number from the school's website directly, and 4) trust your instincts if something feels off. Thank you to everyone who jumped in so quickly to help - this community's protective response shows how important it is to look out for each other during vulnerable times like financial aid season!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, this thread has been absolutely eye-opening! I'm currently preparing my first FAFSA application and honestly had no idea these sophisticated phishing scams were targeting students. Reading through everyone's responses - especially from professionals in financial aid, IT, and cybersecurity - has really driven home how dangerous these fake requests can be. The fact that scammers are using official logos and .edu-style emails to trick students is terrifying. What strikes me most is how they prey on our anxiety about deadlines and financial aid, knowing we might act quickly without verifying. The key lessons I'm taking from this discussion: never send SSN cards or driver's licenses via email, always use official secure portals, call the school directly using numbers from their official website, and trust your instincts when something feels off. Thank you to everyone who responded so quickly to help protect a fellow student - this community's response shows how important it is to look out for each other during vulnerable times like financial aid season. I'll definitely be sharing this information with other first-time FAFSA applicants in my program!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for threads like this! I'm just starting my FAFSA journey and had no idea how sophisticated these phishing scams have become. Reading through all the expert advice from financial aid professionals, IT specialists, and cybersecurity folks has been like getting a crash course in protecting myself from fraud. What really scares me is how convincing these fake emails can be - using official logos and .edu domains to target stressed students who are worried about missing aid deadlines. The consensus here is crystal clear: legitimate schools NEVER ask for SSN cards and driver's licenses together via email, and they always provide secure submission methods through student portals or in-person options. I'm definitely going to follow the advice to always call the school directly using the official number from their website whenever I receive any suspicious requests. Thank you to everyone who jumped in so quickly to help protect a fellow student - this community's protective response gives me confidence that I have a safe place to ask questions as I navigate this complex financial aid process for the first time!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone who contributed to this incredibly important discussion! I'm just beginning my FAFSA application process and honestly would have been completely vulnerable to this type of scam without reading this thread first. The detailed explanations from financial aid professionals, IT experts, and cybersecurity specialists have been invaluable in helping me understand what legitimate verification processes actually look like. What's particularly alarming is how these scammers are specifically targeting the exact documents (SSN card + driver's license) that would give them everything they need for complete identity theft. The fact that they're using official-looking logos and .edu-style emails during the stressful financial aid season shows how calculated these attacks are. The key lessons I'm taking away: legitimate schools never request these sensitive documents via email, always use secure portals or in-person submission, and when in doubt, call the official number directly from the school's website. This community's quick and protective response really demonstrates the importance of looking out for each other during vulnerable times. I'll definitely be sharing this information with other first-time FAFSA applicants to help protect them from these sophisticated scams!

As someone who's completely new to both this community and the FAFSA process, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently preparing to submit my first FAFSA application and honestly had no clue that scammers were running such sophisticated operations targeting students during financial aid season. Reading through all the expert responses from financial aid advisors, IT professionals, and cybersecurity specialists has been like getting a free education in fraud prevention that I desperately needed. What's most terrifying to me is how these criminals are specifically requesting the exact combination of documents (SSN card + driver's license) that would give them everything needed for complete identity theft, and they're doing it during the most stressful time when students are panicked about missing aid deadlines. The fact that they're using official logos and .edu-style emails shows just how calculated and predatory these attacks have become. The consensus from everyone here is crystal clear: legitimate schools NEVER request these sensitive documents via regular email and always provide secure submission methods through student portals or in-person options. I'm definitely going to follow the advice to always verify any suspicious requests by calling the school directly using the official number from their website, not any contact info from the potentially fake email. Thank you to everyone who jumped in so quickly to protect a fellow student - this community's response gives me so much confidence that I have a safe place to ask questions as I navigate this complex process. I'm absolutely going to share this thread with other first-time FAFSA applicants in my program to help protect them from these dangerous scams!