Why FAFSA skipped IRS verification for me this year - should I be worried?
I'm totally freaking out right now. I just submitted my FAFSA for 2025-2026 and noticed something weird. In previous years, I was always directed to the IRS verification portal to confirm my tax info after completing the application. This time? Nothing. It just submitted without any IRS verification step. Has the process changed? Is my application going to be flagged for missing verification? I'm a returning student so my financial situation hasn't changed dramatically. Anyone else notice changes to the verification routing process? I'm scared I did something wrong and my aid will be delayed. Help!
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Nora Bennett
same happened to me!! i was like wait did i miss a step?? but my confirmation email came through fine so idk maybe they changed something
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Oscar Murphy
•Did you call to ask about it? I'm thinking about calling but I know I'll be on hold forever 😩
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Ryan Andre
The FAFSA application for 2025-26 uses a different verification approach. Not everyone gets routed to the IRS verification portal now - they're using a risk-based model to determine who needs additional verification. If you successfully used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool during your application, that's often sufficient. It's actually good news if you weren't selected for additional verification - it means your application is likely moving forward without the extra steps.
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Oscar Murphy
•Really? That's a relief! I did use the Data Retrieval Tool, so maybe that's why. I was worried something was wrong with my application.
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Lauren Zeb
•THIS IS WRONG! my cousin didn't get verification last year and his application got REJECTED three months later! they said he should have known something was wrong. always call and check!!!!
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Daniel Washington
When I filled out FAFSA back in January I did get the IRS verification step, but my roommate didn't. We were both really confused about it too but we both got our SAI scores within like a week of each other so it didn't seem to matter? The whole system is so inconsistent.
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Oscar Murphy
•That's so weird! Did your roommate have any issues later on? I'm hoping this means my application will be processed faster.
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Daniel Washington
•Nope! Her financial aid package actually came through before mine did lol. I think it's actually a good thing if you don't get flagged for extra verification.
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Aurora Lacasse
The Federal Student Aid office implemented a new risk-based verification model for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. Previously, they were verifying around 30% of all FAFSA applications. Now they're being more selective about who gets verified, focusing on applications with higher likelihood of error or inconsistency. If you used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, have filed FAFSAs before without issues, and don't have unusual financial circumstances, you're less likely to be selected for verification. It's actually a GOOD thing - means less paperwork and potentially faster processing of your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation.
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Oscar Murphy
•Thank you for explaining! That makes so much more sense now. So it sounds like maybe I've established a good track record with previous FAFSAs? I've always been honest with my reporting so that's reassuring.
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Anthony Young
I work at my school's financial aid office, and I can tell you that verification selection is semi-random but also targeted. The Dept of Education has specific criteria they're looking for, and they change them every year. Being selected or not selected doesn't necessarily reflect on the accuracy of your application. However, if you're worried, you can always check your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation once it's processed. If your SAI seems way off from previous years (when your financial situation hasn't changed), that might indicate an issue to investigate.
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Oscar Murphy
•That's really helpful insider info, thank you! About how long does it usually take for the SAI calculation to come through these days? I want to make sure I know when to expect it.
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Anthony Young
•Currently processing time is about 3-5 business days for applications that don't require verification. If you check your FAFSA portal and see "processing" that's a good sign everything's moving along normally.
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Lauren Zeb
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I got routed to IRS verification and then my school STILL asked for more verification documents three months later!!! Meanwhile my roommate wasn't asked for any verification and got her full Pell Grant no questions asked. It's completely arbitrary who they put through the extra hoops.
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Aurora Lacasse
•School verification and federal FAFSA verification are two different processes. Your school's financial aid office can request additional verification documents regardless of whether the Department of Education selected you for federal verification. This typically happens when there are discrepancies in the information provided or when students are selected for institutional verification.
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Oscar Murphy
Update: My Student Aid Index calculation just came through! Only took 4 days, which seems really fast. And I was approved for the same Pell Grant amount as last year, so I guess not being routed to the IRS verification didn't hurt anything. Thanks everyone for calming my nerves!
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Nora Bennett
•thats awesome!! mine is still processing but this gives me hope lol
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Ryan Andre
•Great news! The new streamlined process seems to be working as intended. For anyone else reading this thread, remember that verification is not an indication of application accuracy - it's partially random and partially targeted based on changing criteria each year.
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Amara Okafor
Congrats on getting your SAI so quickly! This is really helpful to see how the new system is working. I'm a first-time FAFSA filer and was also confused about not getting the IRS verification step - I kept double-checking that I had completed everything correctly. It's reassuring to hear that the streamlined process can actually speed things up rather than cause problems. Thanks for sharing your update!
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Daniela Rossi
•Welcome to the FAFSA world! It's definitely confusing as a first-timer, but you're asking all the right questions. The fact that you're double-checking everything shows you're being careful, which is great. From what everyone's shared here, it sounds like not getting the IRS verification is actually a positive sign that your application is moving smoothly through the system. Good luck with your financial aid journey!
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