After You Apply

You’ve filed your FAFSA—now what?

After you file, you’ll be prompted to review your application and make any necessary corrections. Here are some of the most common mistakes you’ll want to avoid:

  • Switching two numbers (for example, “$1,200” instead of “$2,100”)
  • Adding too many or too few zeroes to a number
  • Listing your parents’ income as yours (and the other way around)
  • Forgetting to have your parent electronically sign the application with his or her FSA ID

Your FAFSA will be processed with the information you provide, so make sure everything is correct. We’ll notify you if we get your FAFSA but it can’t be processed.

(Note that you do not need to update your FAFSA based on changes to the amount of money in your bank account. We know that updating your FAFSA every time you write a check or make a deposit would be nearly impossible.)

If you’re an incoming freshman

We’ll send you a paper award letter beginning in February. It will include an estimate of your financial aid award, your estimated cost of attendance, and other information you’ll want to know.

If you’re a current student

We’ll email you in June to let you know that your financial aid summary is available in the Student Center in One.IU.

Verifying your information

You may be asked to verify the information you provided on your FAFSA before you can be declared eligible to receive financial aid. We’ll contact you by mail if you’re selected for verification. And check your One.IU To Do List—we’ll notify you there, too.

Be sure to complete verification as quickly as you can and turn in all required documents at the same time to avoid delays with your financial aid. To make sure your aid is processed in time for the fall semester bill, you should finish all required steps no later than June 15. We’ll process your file within three weeks after we have all of your documentation.

Keep watching your IU email account and your To Do List for updates about the verification process.

Use our secure contact form to send us your completed forms or mail them to:

Office of Student Financial Assistance
ATTN: Verification Department
Indiana University
408 N. Union Street
Bloomington, IN 47405

 

Need help with signing verification forms? Watch the video below.

Description of the video:

[Upbeat music plays.]

[Video: The screen is red. The IU trident logo appears at the top of the screen]

Words appear: Verification

[Video: Words and logo reduce and fade from the screen.]

Voiceover: After you file your FAFSA,

[Video: An image of a desktop computer appears with the words FAFSA and Submit on screen. A cursor moves over the submit button and clicks]

Voiceover: you may be asked to verify the information you provided before you can be declared eligible to receive financial aid.

[Video: The word submit and the cursor disappear. On the screen, an envelope appears and the word FAFSA moves inside. The envelope closes.]

Voiceover: If you're selected for verification, we will contact you via your IU email address.

[Video: The envelope flies off the right side of the computer screen. The One.IU icon appears on the screen with the words search, click, done.]

Voiceover: You can also check your One.IU to do list. We'll notify you there too.

[Video: The desktop computer fades. Fade in on an image of clip art papers at the center of the screen.]

Voiceover: Be sure to complete the verification tasks as quickly as possible

[Video: The paper icon moves to the left. A green circle and checkmark appear over it.]

Words appear: As quickly as possible

Voiceover: and turn in all required documents at the same time to avoid delays with your financial aid.

[Video: The images fade off screen. A laptop computer image appears on screen with a checklist icon.]

Voiceover: To make sure your aid is processed in time for the fall semester bill, you should finish all required steps no later than June.]

[Video: Check marks appear on the checklist icon. The words ‘No later than June’ appear under the laptop image before the images and words fly off screen to the right. An image of papers appears with a magnifying glass overlaid on top.]

Voiceover: Once you submit all of the required verification documents, we will review and verify that the information matches your submitted FAFSA.

[Video: The papers and magnifying glass move left.]

Words appear: A few weeks or more to review

Voiceover: We process documents in the order they are received, and it can take a few weeks or more. Please note that your One.IU to do list may still reflect outstanding items during this time.

[Video: Words and images move off screen. An image of two papers appears on screen, one slightly behind the other, with an arrow pointing from the paper behind to the paper in front.

Voiceover: You should not submit duplicate documents unless requested

Words appear over icon: Duplicate

Voiceover: and should wait at least three weeks before reaching out about a status update.

[Video: The images fade. The desktop computer image pops up at the center. A paper with red x marks on the sides appears on the computer screen.]

Voiceover: If the documents you submitted do not match your FAFSA or are incomplete,

[Video: The checklist flies off screen, replaced by a mailing envelope.]

Voiceover: we will reach out to you via IU email, letting you know what we still need from you.

[Video: The envelope flies off screen right and the desktop computer images fades away.]

Voiceover: Finally, after your verification is complete,

[Video: A money bag icon appears on the screen.]

Voiceover: we will process your financial aid.

[Video: The money bag flies towards the screen, disappearing.

Words appear: Questions?

[Video: An image of a laptop computer displaying a screenshot of the Student Central website appearing underneath.]

Voiceover: If you have questions, head to the Student Central website and connect with us

Words appear: studentcentral.indiana.edu

Voiceover: through the virtual assistant or secure contact form.

[Video: Images fade off screen. The IU trident fades on screen]

Words appear: Indiana University, studentcentral.indiana.edu

[Upbeat music fades.]

[End of transcript.]