Financial Aid Eligibility Verification

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS) partners with ProVerify to process verification.  If your FAFSA application is selected for verification by the U.S Department of Education you will receive an introductory email at your UAFS email address. 

Below is additional information concerning the Verification process at UAFS.

Once a student (and parent, if dependent) has signed and submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using their FSA ID, the student will be notified immediately if they have been selected for Verification in their Student Aid Report (SAR).  It can take an additional 5-7 business days for the UAFS Financial Aid Office to receive the completed FAFSA.

When the UAFS Financial Aid Office receives a FAFSA that has been selected for Verification the following steps take place:

Step 1—The student will be notified of the required documentation via their UAFS email account.  The requirements will also be viewable in the student’s My.UAFS account.

Step 2—The student will receive an introductory email at their UAFS email address explaining how to use the ProVerify system to complete their required documents for Verification.

Step 3— The link in the introductory communication will invite you to access the ProVerify system and do the following: 

• Confirm your identity (authentication).
• Create a secure password
• Access your Documents and begin the verification process (this includes the completion of online forms). 

Step 4— Upon receipt of all required documents, the automated verification process will begin. Students will be notified via email or text if there are any questions or if any additional documentation is required.

Step 5— Once verification has been completed the UAFS Financial Aid Office will complete the awarding process and send you an award notification. 

In addition, you can monitor the status of your financial aid by logging into your My.UAFS account.

 

Any necessary corrections to financial information or household size will be made by the UAFS Financial Aid Office through the Verification process.

Any necessary corrections to student demographic information, dependency questions, or parent personal or marital information will be expected to be made by the student and/or parent.

Any corrections made to the FAFSA may take an additional 5-7 business days to be processed and returned to UAFS, if our federal school code (001110) is on the FAFSA.

If you cannot answer “Yes” to the FAFSA dependency questions and are therefore required to include your parent information; however, due to extenuating circumstances such as abuse or abandonment you cannot or should not have contact with your parent you may complete a Dependency Appeal Form and the Independent Verification Worksheet.  If your dependency appeal is approved, the UAFS Financial Aid Office may use Professional Judgment to override your dependency status for FAFSA purposes.  This would require additional action each year the student is seeking aid at UAFS.  You must meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to request the Dependency Appeal Form.

 

If your family’s financial situation has changed since you completed your FAFSA such as parent losing a job due to business closure or layoff, or a parent has become deceased, or your parents have divorced/separated, you may complete a Special Circumstance Appeal and the Verification Worksheet.  If the appeal is approved, the UAFS Financial Aid Office may use Professional Judgment to adjust the finances reported on the FAFSA to re-evaluate your financial aid eligibility.  You must meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to request the Special Circumstance Appeal Form.

NOTE: If you choose to pursue a Dependency Appeal or a Special Circumstance Appeal, you must first complete the Verification process.  This will include completing the appropriate Verification Worksheet and providing additional financial information.  See instructions on the appropriate forms.  This may delay your financial aid award.