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Verification

Verification Process

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Verification is the process used to confirm that the data reported on your financial aid application is accurate. The main reasons for being selected for verification include that you were chosen randomly, the information you submitted was incomplete, or the data you reported is inconsistent. Financial aid will not pay until after all required documents have been submitted to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) and your file has been fully verified.

Notifications

You may be selected for verification either by the Department of Education (FAFSA filers), California Student Aid Commission (CADAA filers) or by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. If you are selected for verification and filed the FAFSA, you will be notified on your Student Aid Report (SAR). If you are selected for verification and filed the CADAA, you will be notified on your CA Student Aid Report which can be accessed by logging onto your CA Dream Act app  and selecting CAL SAR option.

You will also be notified on the first page of your UC Merced award letter if you are a new student, or an email will be sent to your UC Merced email account if you are a continuing student. You will be instructed to go to connect.ucmerced.edu and view your checklist for a listing of your specific requirements and deadline. Click on each requirement for complete instructions on how to proceed.

If you are a newly admitted student and have not registered for classes yet, OFAS emails will be sent to the email address reported on your financial aid application. After you have registered for classes and throughout the rest of your time at UC Merced, emails will be sent to your official UC Merced email address.

You can be selected for verification at any time during the academic year so it is critical that you check your email on a regular basis for important updates, requirements and deadlines from our office.

Submitting Verification Documents

The quickest way to securely submit your documents is through the "Upload Document" feature found on your checklist at connect.ucmerced.edu. You can also mail financial aid documents to:

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Administration Building
5200 North Lake Road
Merced, CA 95343

Please print your first and last name, and student ID number are on each page submitted. We do not accept documents through email because is not a secure method for submitting confidential documents. You can check their status of your documents 2-3 business days after submitting them by going to your checklist at connect.ucmerced.edu.

Once the OFAS has received all of your verification requirements and they are completed on your checklist at connect.ucmerced.edu, your file will be ready for the verification process. This can take up to 6-8 weeks during the months of May through August. You will receive an email from our office after your file has been verified. 

Opting Out

The verification process is required by federal and state regulations and must be completed in order for you to receive any federal, state and institutional aid. If you decide not to complete the verification process and not receive any financial aid, please contact us