Patriot Forms (Verification)

Beginning October 15, 2021, the Office of Student Financial Aid introduced a new process by which you submit your verification documents electronically. On this date, verification related paper forms were removed from our website. For instructions and screenshots of how to set up your Patriot Forms account, click the button below.

What is verifiation?

Verification is a federal process of confirming the accuracy of information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

What does it mean to be "selected for verification"?

All students selected for verification must submit their verification documents to the Office of Financial Aid. All students (new and returning) will need to create a Patriot Forms Account to complete the FAFSA verification process.

What is the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)?

The DRT allows students and parents who filed a U.S. tax return with the IRS to access the IRS tax return information needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form by transferring the data directly into their application.

What is FADDX?

The 2024-25 FAFSA and beyond will use the Future Act Direct Data Exchange (FADDX), instead of the DRT to receive Federal Tax Information (FTI) from the IRS. Each contributor (student and parents) must give consent for this information to be retrieved by FAFSA.

Tax return recently filed and tax data not accessible for transmission?  

When you attempt to use the Direct Data Exchange (DDX) as the applicant and/or parent who recently filed 2022 federal taxes, FAFSA will inform you that the tax information (if electronically filed within the last 2 weeks or submitted by mail within the last 8 weeks) may not be available.

Student or Parent not eligible for Direct Data Exchange transfer?

Occasionally, the DDX will not be able to transfer in tax information. Applicant will be informed, that based their responses, they are not eligible to transfer tax data from the IRS to the FAFSA. If student is not eligible to use the DDX because of their 2022 tax filing and/or marital status, and their 2024-25 FAFSA is selected for verification, student will be required to submit documentation to verify data reported on FAFSA.

How do I obtain IRS transcripts?

You can access personal tax records online at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript, including transcripts of past tax returns, tax account information, wage and income statements, and verification of non-filing letters. Transcripts partially mask your personally identifiable information for protection. Financial data will remain fully visible to allow for tax preparation, tax representation or income verification.

Updates from the 2024-25 FAFSA

We have created a centralized resource where you can read the most up-to-date information about the 2024-25 FAFSA.

Changes introduced with the 2024-25 FAFSA affect verification in the following ways:

  • For students whose parents are separated or divorced, the guidance on which parent income to report has changed to: the parent who provides the most financial support to the student, rather than the parent who lives at the student’s primary residence.
  • The net worth of a business is no longer limited to those with more than 100 full-time employees. Applicants will be asked to report the net worth of all businesses, regardless of the business size.
  • FADDX will increase the accuracy of financial information related on FAFSA and lower the percentage of FAFSAs selected for verification.
  • Household number of in college is no longer used. Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, the application will still ask how many household members are in college, but your answer will not be calculated into the SAI. Consequently, if selected for verification, you will not be required to report this data. 

Special Note for Students New to Mason:

New students attending Mason for the first time need to activate a Patriot Pass account which allows access to important financial aid information via Patriot Web (a self-service website for students). To do so, please navigate to the Password Management page HERE

Note: You will need your Mason G number and a Claim Code, which is your date of birth formatted as MMDDYY.

Once you have completed these steps and received your Mason Username (also called NetID) and you have set up your password, you will have access to Patriot Web where you can view your financial aid offer.

For All Students Selected for Verification:

To submit your verification documents to the Office of Financial Aid, all students (new and returning) will need to create a Patriot Forms Account.

Create Your Patriot Forms Account

This is a one-time account creation. You’ll be asked for some basic information when creating your account. This information is used to validate your identity so that electronic signature can be used on future forms.

Four Easy Steps:

  1. Go to Patriot Forms
  2. Click ‘Create Account’ link
  3. Enter/confirm your student information
  4. Click ‘Create Account’ button

It’s important that you use the full name and correct social security number that you entered on your FAFSA so that your verification account can link up with your FAFSA. Don’t use any nicknames or shortened versions of your name. Use what you entered on your FAFSA!

Once your account is created, any required tasks you need to complete will become available.

In Patriot Forms, you will be able to:

  • Complete financial aid forms on your phone, tablet, or computer.
  • Securely upload documents from any device.
  • E-sign documents—both you and your parents!
  • Manage your financial aid tasks online.
  • Receive automated reminders about outstanding tasks and next steps.

Failure to provide documentation may result in your financial aid being revoked. Following the verification process, your financial aid package could be adjusted based on any updates to your financial aid eligibility. Financial aid cannot be disbursed until verification is complete.