Federal Student Aid Facts
In order to meet federal aid general eligibility requirements, students must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Have earned a high school diploma or GED
- For grants and Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loans, have financial need
- Be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress
- Not be in default or owe a repayment on any federal student loan or grant
FAFSA Verification
FAFSA Verification is the process used by the U.S. Department of Education to confirm the financial information of students. About 30 percent of FAFSA applicants are required to verify their information each year. Most are randomly chosen, and there is no need for concern if you are selected.
If you are selected for FAFSA Verification, you will be notified by email. The required documents can be found in your MyNewSchool portal Financial Aid dashboard.
Listed below are documents you may be asked to submit for FAFSA Verification:
- A completed Verification Form, a document used to confirm income and the number of members in your household
- A signed copy of your 1040 tax return or tax return transcript, which you can obtain free of charge at irs.gov or by calling 1.800.908.9946
- A signed copy of your parents' 1040 tax return or tax return transcript if you are a dependent student
- A signed copy of your spouse’s 1040 tax return or tax return transcript if you are married filing separately
- W-2 forms for all earned income if you did not file an income tax return
- An IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter, a document that may be required of independent students and their spouses or any parents of dependent students who are included on the FAFSA® and who did not file taxes
- Proof of identity: a state ID or U.S. passport
- A signed statement of educational purpose
All verification documents should be submitted within 45 days from the day you were notified on your student portal.
Note: To reduce the likelihood of having your FAFSA selected for verification, you and your parents should use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) when completing the FAFSA each year. Data is transmitted directly from the IRS to the FAFSA form.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require that schools monitor the academic progress of each applicant for federal financial assistance, including loans, grants, and work-study awards. The New School is required to certify that each student receiving federal aid is
making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward earning their degree. This determination of progress must be made at least once a year, at the end of the spring semester.
Students who fail to meet the minimum SAP standards are placed on financial aid suspension and are notified by email. If you are notified that you have been placed on financial aid suspension, you can request that your financial aid eligibility be restored
by submitting an Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form, accessible to eligible students through Financial Aid Requirements on their MyNewSchool. Appeals will not be accepted after July 28.
Please note that decisions about academic probation and institutional scholarship eligibility are separate from the process of certifying that SAP standards are being met.