Helpful Hints

 

All photocopies of tax returns must be signed and dated

Send photocopies of tax returns to the University of Iowa Office of Student Financial Aid, not to the federal processor with your FAFSA

Do not send state tax returns or estimated tax returns

Do not send IRS Form 8453 or Federal Return Recaps

Mail the IVF and tax returns together.

 

Required Forms:
University of Iowa Verification Form (IVF) and Federal Income Tax Returns

 

To be considered for financial aid at the University of Iowa, after filling the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you must complete an IVF and submit it to the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) along with photocopies of your and your parents' (if applicable) federal income tax returns.

After submitting the IVF and federal tax returns, check ISIS to see if the Office of Student Financial Aid has received them.  After accessing ISIS:

            • click on the heading Student Records and find the heading Financial Aid  (make sure you select the correct session in the upper right corner when viewing each page, i.e. Fall 2012)
            • click on the heading Application Status

 

Iowa Verification Form (IVF)

If you have been admitted to a degree program and The University of Iowa has received your FAFSA results from the federal processor, the UI OSFA will send you the IVF or a postcard directing you to ISIS to print the IVF. This IVF notification also serves as confirmation that the UI OSFA has received your FAFSA information. You will need to complete the IVF and submit it to the Office of Student Financial Aid as soon as possible. This form allows you to report any updated information, unusual circumstances, or changes in income.

The IVF or postcard will be sent to the student's residing address on record at the UI Registrar's or Admissions Office.  It is important that you keep your address current.  Check ISIS to verify or update your address.

If you do not receive the IVF/postcard within four weeks of submitting the FAFSA, check ISIS to see if the IVF is available. (Once in ISIS, click on the heading Student Records. Under the Financial Aid heading, click on Verification Form. Be sure to select the correct session in the upper right corner.) You will not be able to access the IVF on ISIS until the Office of Student Financial Aid has received the results from your FAFSA and you are currently enrolled or admitted to a degree program. If you are not able to obtain the IVF from ISIS and it has been three weeks since you submitted the FAFSA, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Federal Income Tax Returns

Submit to the Office of Student Financial Aid a signed and dated photocopy of your own federal income tax return, if filed. Be sure to sign and date the photocopy. If your parents' income information was provided on the FAFSA, you must also submit to the Office of Student Financial Aid a signed and dated photocopy of your parents' federal income tax return.

Acceptable federal tax forms are:

  • Federal (U.S.) 1040, submit the first page (line items 1-37) and the second page (line items 38-77)
  • Federal (U.S.) 1040A, submit the first page (line items 1-21) and the second page (line items 22-46)
  • Federal (U.S.) 1040EZ, submit single page (line items 1-12)

Electronic returns do not have a signature block, so provide your signature and date at the bottom of the form. Do not submit the Electronic Summary Page by itself, send the equivalent of the acceptable forms specified above.

Print the student's name and social security number in the upper right corner of each tax return.

If you are not able to locate a copy of your tax return, you should contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and obtain a tax return transcript.

You must submit the tax return for the calendar year prior to the academic year. (For the 2012-2013 academic year, submit the 2011 federal tax return.)

During the review process, the Office of Student Financial Aid will use the tax return(s) to verify income amounts provided on the FAFSA.

The U.S. Department of Education will be selecting certain students for verification.  If you are selected, our office will contact you with details.  You may be required to update your FAFSA information for the IRS retrieval or submit an IRS tax transcript.

If you and/or your parents will not file a federal income tax return, you will be asked to verify this on the Iowa Verification Form (IVF).