Missing Information Glossary

Annual Loan Acknowledgement 

 Starting with the 2022 - 2023 aid year, all borrowers (Students and parent PLUS borrowers) are encouraged to complete the annual student loan acknowledgment process. This process takes approximately 10 minutes. www.studentaid.gov/asla

Awaiting Response

Your financial aid counselor has indicated they have communicated either by telephone or email with a clarification request. Please contact your financial aid counselor for clarity if needed.

CSS Profile

 Entering students (first-year) and transfer students need to complete this form in addition to the FAFSA to be considered for W&M need-based funding. You can complete the College Board Profile, make sure to include our school code is 5115. An application fee may be waived if a student meets specific College Board criteria.

Correct FAFSA with Federal Processor: Rejected

Your FAFSA was unable to be processed. You must resolve all issues and make the corrections to your FAFSA.  You can review your FAFSA Submission Summary for guidance and make corrections online at www.studentaid.gov. Do not return a paper copy of your FAFSA to our office.

Note: “Rejected” does not mean that all the other conditions on this Glossary are appropriate. You need to address items only if they are listed in the email W&M sent.  If your FAFSA is rejected and we have not requested a specific document, please review your FAFSA to determine what else is needed for the Federal Processor to continue.  If you have questions regarding your FAFSA, call the federal processor at 1-800-433-3243.

Default on Loan

Federal records indicate that you are in default on a federal student loan. You are not eligible to receive any federal student aid until your default has been resolved. If this is resolved, please provide a written statement from the holder of your debt that states the specific debt has been paid or that you have made satisfactory repayment arrangements with the holder.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could not confirm your statement that you are an eligible non-citizen because there is a question about your Alien Registration Number. You must submit proof of your non-citizen eligibility to your school. If you fail to submit confirmation within 30 days, you may not be eligible for federal student aid.

FAFSA

We have received your CSS Profile, but we still need your FAFSA. Our school code is 003705.

Foreign Income Exemption

The student, student spouse, student parent(s), or spouse/partner of the student's parent reported receiving an exemption for foreign income. You will need to provide the Federal 1040 pages 1, 2, and Schedule 1 to the financial aid office for review.

Foreign Income

The student, student spouse, student parent(s), or spouse/partner of the student's parent reported on the FAFSA that they had foreign income and did not file a return or file/ed a foreign income tax return. You will need to provide either:

• A signed copy of the foreign return translated into English and converted to U.S. dollars and the date of conversion and conversion rate used.
• If you live in a country where taxes are not filed annually then copies of end-of-year pay stubs or employer verified income.  These documents should be translated to English and converted to U.S. dollars and the date of conversion and conversion rate used.

Please note that U.S. Citizens or resident aliens that live abroad, may be required to file a U.S. tax return.

I-551 or I-151 (Green Card)

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security did not confirm that you are a non-citizen with an immigration status associated with the requirements of eligibility for the financial assistance for which you have applied. You must submit proof to your school that you are in the required non-citizen immigration status. If you do not present evidence within 30 days, or longer if your school allows, you may not be eligible for federal student aid to the Office of Financial Aid. To submit, bring the original documentation to the Office of Financial Aid for verification. Alternatively, if you cannot come to campus, take the documentation and W&M’s Original Citizenship Document Affidavit to a Notary Public for completion. You may then submit the
original Affidavit form and copy of the citizenship documentation via US Mail. Faxed or electronic copies are not permitted
Note: You are permitted to copy these forms to meet financial aid requirements.

Educational Purpose

The US Department of Education requires you to complete an Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose form to establish your identity and certify that any federal aid you may receive will be used only for educational purposes. You can complete the form either by appearing in person in the Financial Aid Office or by having the form completed and notarized by someone outside the College.

If you choose the second option, you must mail us the completed and notarized form—digital documents (fax/scans of documents cannot be accepted. If you are an entering student applying to more than one school, you will need to complete a separate notarized form for each school as the
document is school-specific.

The forms for W&M are available here:
2023 - 2024 School Year: https://www.wm.edu/admission/financialaid/docs/24isep.pdf

2024 - 2025 School Year: 

IRS Tax Return Transcript 

If you cannot provide a Federal 1040 Tax Return (signed by the filer), you need to provide a complete IRS Tax Return Transcript for review. Information on how to obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript can be requested from the IRS Get A Transcript Website.

You do not need to submit state tax returns. 

Please include the student’s William & Mary 93 number on the documents when you submit them to us.

IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter

The FAFSA reported that the student’s parent(s), or the independent student, did not file Federal income taxes for the FAFSA tax year. You must provide a letter from the IRS to verify this for each appropriate party that did not file – i.e., parent one and parent two or an independent student.

Note: If you do not have an SSN, ITIN, EIN and are not able to obtain a letter of non-filing from the IRS, you must:
• Let your financial aid counselor know.
• Provide a signed/dated statement certifying the individual does not have an SSN, ITIN, or EIN & listing
the sources and amounts of earnings, other income, and resources received for the tax year
• If applicable, provide a W-2 or equivalent document for each source of employment income for the tax year.

Note: If you are a non-citizen living (thereby not required to file US Income Tax Returns) in another country, then you would
• Let your financial aid counselor know.
• Provide proof from that country’s taxing authority filing requirements – either obtained directly from the taxing authority or their website.

Loan Bankruptcy

The Dept. of Education records indicate you have one or more student loans in active bankruptcy status. If this has been resolved, please provide a written statement from the debt holder stating that the specific debt has been discharged or is dischargeable in bankruptcy. If the defaulted loan is NON-dischargeable and you have made satisfactory repayment arrangements with the debt holder, provide us with that documentation.

Loan Discharge

You have discharged a previous student loan debt. Please get in touch with the W&M Loan team to discuss your status.

Loan Exceeding Limits

We have determined that you may have received student loans above federal limits based on data from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and your reported grade level. Please get in touch with the Financial Aid Office to discuss this matter.

Overpayment

Federal records indicate that you received at least one overpayment of federal student aid funds. You are required by law to repay any funds received from the federal aid programs you were not entitled to receive. Until your overpayment has been resolved, you are ineligible to receive any federal student assistance. Call the US Department of Education at 1-800-621-3115 to resolve this matter.

Pell Lifetime Limit Close

The amount of Federal Pell Grant a student may receive over their lifetime is limited by federal law to 600%. You are close to your maximum Pell funding eligibility and will soon no longer be able to receive the Pell Grant. 

Pell Lifetime Limit Met

The amount of Federal Pell Grant a student may receive in a lifetime is limited by federal law to 600%. You have met your maximum Pell funding eligibility and will no longer be packaged with a Pell Grant. W&M will not provide additional Pell grant funds to replace those you are no longer eligible for.

Social Security Card

You meet one of the following conditions:
a) The Social Security Administration (SSA) did not confirm that the social security number (SSN) you reported on your FAFSA is valid or it is inconsistent with your name and/or date of birth. If you find that you misreported this, provide us with a copy of your SS Card. If your SSN was reported correctly, you must contact the SSA office to resolve this problem.
b) The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) reported that your name and date of birth did not match your SSN. Provide a copy of your SS Card.

Unusual Enrollment History

The US Department of Education has noted that you have an unusual enrollment history. Your financial Aid counselor will be in touch if they need clarity, academic transcripts, or other information.

U.S. BirthCertificate or Naturalization Papers

You meet one of the following conditions:
a) The date of birth you reported on your application is inconsistent with the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) records. If you find that you misreported this, provide us with a copy of your US birth certificate or naturalization papers. If all of these items are correct, you must contact an SSA office to resolve this problem.

To submit, bring the original documentation to the Office of Financial Aid for verification. Alternatively, if you cannot come to campus, or you can got to a Notary with your original documents and W&M’s Original Citizenship Document Affidavit. Once complete, you may then submit the original Affidavit form and copy of the citizenship documentation via US Mail. 

b) As we previously indicated, the date of birth you reported in Item 9 does not match the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) records. You must provide proof of your date of birth to your Financial Aid Administrator. You might also want to check with SSA to make sure your information has been updated or corrected. If Item 9 is not correct, you need to make the necessary corrections.

Please note: We do not accept documents via e-mail attachments to protect your data.

VASA - Virginia Alternative State Aid application

The VASA is an option for students who are ineligible to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students eligible for federal Title IV funds should always complete the FAFSA application. To be eligible to file the FAFSA, you need to be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen. For more detail on the VASA application please review W&M website regarding VASA.

Verification of U.S. Citizenship

The Social Security Administration did not confirm that you are a US citizen. If you are a US citizen,
provide a copy of your U.S. Birth Certificate, Passport, or other documentation that definitively proves citizenship. Voter registration cards are not adequate proof of citizenship since many localities do not require proof of citizenship.

To submit, bring the original documentation to the Office of Financial Aid for verification. Alternatively, if you cannot come to campus, take the original citizenship documentation and W&M’s Original Citizenship Document Affidavit to a Notary Public for completion. You may then submit the original notarized Affidavit form and a copy of the citizenship documentation via US Mail or the surface carrier.

Please note: We do not accept documents via e-mail attachments to protect your data.

Verification Worksheet

Required of students selected for the verification process. Please complete, sign, and return.

Veteran Discharge

The Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) did not confirm that you are or will be a qualifying veteran for receiving federal student aid as an independent student. If this is not correct, provide a copy of your “DD214” to document your status as a veteran of the US Armed Forces. Be sure to submit the “long’ form that provides information about your discharge status. 

If you are not a veteran, make the appropriate corrections to your FAFSA.

If you believe you are or will be a qualifying veteran, contact a VA office to resolve this problem.

W-2

You should receive a Form W-2, “Wage and Tax Statement,” from each employer you worked for to use in preparing your federal tax return. You must furnish a W-2 from an employer; a W-2 generated by tax software is not usable for our purposes. If you no longer have a copy of your W-2, you can ask your employer to provide you with a reprinted one, or you can request a Wage and income transcript from the IRS Get A Transcript Website.