Release Notes: Item 1301-01

2013-2014 Verification (with User Guide updates)

This item updates verification logic to support 2013-14 regulations.

2013-14 verification is based on the student's verification group (WFISR14D.WF-IS-C-VER-TRACK), a CPS-assigned value that corresponds to a set of fields that must be verified for the student (if independent) or parent and student (for a dependent student):

• V1 Standard Verification Group - same fields that were required in 2012-13
• V2 SNAP Verification Group - SNAP received only
• V3 Child Support Paid Verification Group - Child Support Paid only
• V4 Custom Verification Group - High School Completion Status, Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose; SNAP Received and Child Support Paid
• V5 Aggregate Verification Group - the V1 fields plus High School Completion Status, Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose

The verification group is displayed beside the Selection: Federal field, which indicates the student has been marked for verification by the CPS. A set of values has been defined for the Institutional Verification Selection flag (WF-VE-INS-REQD), to indicate that an institution has chosen to verify an individual based on one of the five verification groups; values are 1 through 5. Setting this flag has the effect of overriding a CPS-specified verification group assigned to the student.

The top-level Verification screen contains all potentially required fields. Those fields that do not pertain to a student's verification group are protected, so that only the relevant fields are updatable, and the Overlay addresses only fields pertinent to verification group. For example, if a student is in group V2, the SNAP fields are updatable (displayed in light blue) and other fields are protected (displayed in green). In 2013-14 the Number in Family entry no longer functions as a signal that all appropriate verification data has been supplied. Verification is calculated whenever the Calc (PF5) key is pressed. Also, because (per CPS) no student with unchanged IRS retrieval and adequate household size will be selected for group V1 or V5, the 2012-13 logic for automatic verification is NOT retained in the 2013-14 calculation, and the corresponding Reverification flag setting of P (indicating that the student was verified with only partial verification data required and preventing subsequent overlay on reverification) is eliminated.

Groups V4 and V5 contain two new verification requirements, neither of which is a correctable field on the FAFSA: student's High School Completion Status and Statement of Education Purpose. The 2013-14 Verification screen contains flags to be set when supporting documentation has been collected (WF-VE-S-HS-COMP and WF-VE-S-SEP).

The new AGI and FIT flags (WF-IS-C-IRS-AGI-STU and WF-IS-C-FIT-AGI-STU for student; F-IS-C-IRS-AGI-PAR and F-IS-C-IRS-FIT-PAR for parent), which indicate whether values are IRS-retrieved and corrected, are displayed on the 2013-14 Verification screen, but their values do not drive any verification logic.

Lower levels, except for the Untaxed Income components, are eliminated from the 2013-14 Verification screen. You should use the Federal screens to correct any financial data that is not required for the student's verification group.

Since the Number in Family can no longer function as a signal that a student is ready to verify, the batch Verification Calculation will verify ALL selected students. Batch verification is retained in 2013-14 primarily as a utility, to be run if the verification calculation logic must be changed mid-year. It is expected that day-to-day verification activity will take place online.

Implementation Notes

• This item is required at all client sites, but may already have been implemented at some institutions. Please verify your source code.
• Load the new and updated modules from the SYSOBJH input file in the attached zip file. Or, alternatively, you may apply changes manually to the updated modules:
  • WFVCN14N (mods)
  • WFVOL14N (mods)
  • WFVRF14M (mods)
  • WFVRF14P (mods)
  • WFVRF14Z (mods)
  • WFVRR14M (mods)
  • WFVRR14N (mods)
  • WFVRR14Z (mods)
• Manually update the Dictionary values for the Institutional Verification Selection flag, WFVER14D.WF-VE-INS-REQD:
  • delete values N and s
  • add values 1 through 5:

    
    	  1      Verif Group 1
    
              2      Verif Group 2
    
              3      Verif Group 3
    
              4      Verif Group 4
    
              5      Verif Group 5

• In the Dictionary, manually delete value P from the value set for WFVER14D.WF-VE-VER-REVER.
• Print the changed pages and User Guide update instructions in the zip file.
• No other modules are affected.