How to Submit the Electronic Dependent Verification Form

  1. Go to the CSUN home page and log into the CSUN Portal
  2. Once you are logged in, navigate to My Finances and select Financial Aid & Scholarships. Financial Aid & Scholarships
  3. Scroll down to the Financial Aid Essentials section and select To-Do-List Financial Aid Essentials
  4. Select the Dependent Verification for the school year you are submitting for.  Dependent Verification
  5. Click to Submit your Dependent Student Electronic Verification (e-verification) Worksheet Student Electronic Verification (e-verification) Worksheet

The Dependent Verification electronic form (E-form) will open in a new window. 

Please complete all sections of the E-form, print, and then click the Submit button to transmit the form electronically. You will need to submit the Signature Page and any required tax documentation (e.g. IRS Tax Return Transcript if you and/or your parent did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IDRT) through the FAFSA). 

Step One: Student Information
Note: Your Last Name, First Name, CSUN ID and Award Year will already be populated. 

For Application Type, indicate whether you filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California DREAM application.

Application Type

Step Two: Household Information
Family Information – List yourself, your parent or parents reported on the FAFSA and your dependent siblings. Provide the person’s full name, relationship to you, age and college information (if attending college/university for the school year indicated). 

  • Click the Add New Family Member button to add each person to the chart, start with yourself. The form will assume you will be enrolled at least half time at CSUN and will only ask for enrollment status of other family members
Household Information
  • Do not include Foster Children. 
  • For siblings who will be attending college/university at least half-time in a degree or certificate program for the school year indicated, refer to the guidelines below: 
  • CSUN Sibling – Select CSUN from the college drop down menu, enter your sibling’s CSUN ID number and indicate whether he/she plans to attend at least half-time.
Add new family member
  • Sibling Attending Another College/University – Select Other from the College Name drop down menu, enter the name of the other college and indicate whether your sibling plans to attend at least half-time. 
  • Select None from the college drop down menu for your parent(s) and any other siblings who will not be attending college/university at least half-time toward a degree or certificate for the school year indicated.  

If you make an error, use the Delete button within the chart to remove a family member.

delete option
  • Special Instructions for Reporting an Unborn Sibling – If you have a sibling who will be born within the school year (refer to the date on the form), select Unborn Sibling from the Relationship drop down menu and provide the Due Date.

The Due Date must be in MM/DD/YYYY format

Step Three: Student Income
Once you are done with the Household Information section, select the Student Income tab or press the NEXT – Student Income button to go to next section.

Student income

Tax Filing Status – Indicate whether you filed or will file a federal income tax return; otherwise, indicate that you are not required to file a federal income tax return with the IRS. 

a. If you Filed or Will File Taxes and used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IDRT):

  • Select the Tax Return Filer button
  • Select “I, the student, have used or will use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IDRT) in FAFSA on the Web to transfer 2020 IRS income tax return information into my FAFSA.”
  • Note: The tax year is indicated on the E-form
  • You do NOT need to submit any tax documentation
  • Note: The IRS Data Retrieval option is not available to California Dream applicants
Student income

b. If you Filed Taxes and Will Submit IRS Tax Return Transcript

  • Select the Tax Return Filer button
  • Select “I, the student, am unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IDRT) in FAFSA on the Web, and instead will provide the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department my 2020 IRS Tax Return Transcript(s) with any applicable schedules or other acceptable income documentation.”
    • Note: The tax year is indicated on the E-form
    • Dream students select “I, the student will provide the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department my 2020 IRS Tax Return Transcript(s) with any applicable schedules or other acceptable income documentation.”
Student income

c. If you Did Not Work Or Earn Income

  • Select the Tax Return Non-Filer button
  • Select “I, the student, was not employed and had no income earned from work in 2020.”
    • Note: The tax year is indicated on the E-form
Student income

d. If you Earned Income Below the IRS Requirement to File

  • Select the Tax Return Non-Filer button
  • Select “I, the student, was employed in 2020 and earned money, but was NOT REQUIRED to file a 2020 income tax return with the IRS.”
  • Select “I, the student, will provide the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department with a copy of all my 2020 IRS W-2 forms issued by my employers.”
    • Note: The tax year is indicated on the E-form
Student income
  • Complete the Student Earnings section.
    • Report the name and year-end wages for each employer
    • Click the Add Student Wages button to add each employer to the chart.
add student wages
  • Total earnings will automatically be calculated for you. If you make an error, use the Delete button to remove a row.
delete option

Step Four: Parent Income
Select the Parent Income tab or press the NEXT – Parent Income button to go to the next section. 

Please refer to the section Step Three: Student Income of this document for instructions on how to complete the Parent Income section. The general instructions are the same, except, if your parents were not required to file. If your parents were not required to file taxes, they will have to submit a “Verification of Non-Filing Letter” from the IRS dated on or after October 1, 2021, or other acceptable documentation confirming non-filing status.

a. If your parents Earned Income Below the IRS Requirement to File,

  • Select the Tax Return Non-Filer button
  • Select “I/We, the parent(s), were employed in 2020 and earned money, but were NOT REQUIRED to file a 2020 income tax return with the IRS.”
  • Select ““I/We, the parent(s), will provide the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department with a copy of all 2020 IRS W-2 forms issued by our employers as well as a 2020 Verification of Non-Filing from the IRS or other acceptable documentation confirming non-filing status.”
parent income

b. If your parents Did Not Work Or Earn Income

  • Select the Tax Return Non-Filer button
  • Select “I/We, the parents, were not employed and had no income earned from work in 2020.”
  • Select “I/We, the parents, will provide the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department with a 2020 Verification of Non-Filing from the IRS or other acceptable documentation confirming non-filing status.”
parent income

Special Instructions for Parents who are Unmarried and Living Together: If both parents filed taxes or earned income, you must submit separate IRS Tax Return Transcripts and applicable schedules for each parent or other income documentation (i.e. W-2 forms). 

Step Five: Review, Print and Submit Form Electronically 

Review and Print E-form – It is important that you provide accurate responses to all questions, especially required fields which are denoted with an asterisk. 

a. Use the Print button to review and print the Electronic Dependent Verification Worksheet.

print option
  • The system will review the electronic form for completeness and/or errors.
  • You will not be able to print if your electronic form is missing information or if there are errors to resolve. 

b. At least one parent reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California DREAM application must sign and date the last page (Signature Page). 

c. Sign the Last Page of Your Printout – You and at least one parent reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California DREAM application must sign and date the last page (Signature Page). 

d. After you successfully print the E-form, the Submit button will become available.

e. Click the Submit button once located at the bottom of the form 

Submit the E-form ONCE – Click the Submit button one time to transmit your data to the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department.

submit

f. If you make an error, do not resubmit this form.  Please contact the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department at (818) 677-4085 or come into the Bayramian Hall lobby windows for further instructions.

g. You will receive the following message. Click OK to proceed and submit your E-form to the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department.

pop-up message

h. You will receive the following confirmation page.

con

Step Six: Upload or Mail Documents 

Sign the Last Page of Your Printout – You and at least one parent reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California DREAM application must sign and date the last page (Signature Page).

 

certification & signature

Submit the Signature Page and any other documents to the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department using ONE of the following options: CSUN Portal or mail. 

CSUN Portal – submit the documents by logging onto the CSUN Portal. Once you are logged in, the Financial Aid Document Upload page is located under – My Finances – Financial Aid & Scholarships – Financial Aid Essentials - Financial Aid Forms. You can view the tutorial on How To Submit Documents to learn how to navigate to the Financial Aid Document Upload page.

Mailing address: 

California State University, Northridge
Financial Aid & Scholarship Department 18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8307 

For detailed information about documents you may need to return to us, please review the Verification Guide at: https://live-csu-northridge.pantheonsite.io/financial-aid-scholarship-department/resources/verification-guide.