Financial Assistance Forms

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If requested to do so by the Office of Financial Assistance, please print out the appropriate form(s) and mail to:

Buena Vista University
Office of Financial Assistance
610 West 4th Street
Storm Lake, IA 50588
Fax: 712.749.1451

To keep your financial information secure, please do not e-mail anything that would include a social security number or tax information belonging to yourself, a parent, or spouse.

Office of Financial Assistance Forms 2018-19

Verification is a way to ensure that the information on the FAFSA is accurate and financial aid is being distributed appropriately and fairly. If you are selected for verification, you may need to submit a copy of your 2016 Federal Tax Transcript(s).

Review of Ability to Contribute

If you have any unusual family situation that you feel was not reflected on the 2018-2019 FAFSA, please read below.

  • If you have unusual medical or dental expenses that were paid in 2017, please send a letter of explanation including the family member affected, the date the condition occurred and the total amount paid out-of-pocket for the condition. The amount must be substantial, as the federal needs analysis formula does provide an allowance for medical expenses.  DO NOT INCLUDE AMOUNTS THAT WILL BE PAID BY INSURANCE OR AMOUNTS NOT YET PAID BY YOU OR THROUGH INSURANCE PAYMENTS. You must include documentation that reflects the amount you paid out-of-pocket in 2017; we will not proceed without this documentation. .
  • Please send a letter of explanation if a parent’s/independent student's 2016 income was higher than 2017 due to such things as:
  1.  Unusual overtime or bonus pay which will/was not received in 2017,
  2.  More than one job in 2016 but not in 2017,
  3.  New employment at a lower pay rate
  4. You must include a copy of parents’/independent student's 2017 tax return and W-2s as documentation. We will not proceed without this documentation.
  • If you (independent student) or a parent (dependent student) is separated, divorced or widowed at the time you are completing the 2018-2019 FAFSA, but that condition was not represented in a 2016 tax return, you should complete the FAFSA using only relevant 2016 income for you, as an independent student, or the parent you live with, as a dependent student, unless that parent or the student has remarried.  You do not need to provide BVU with information about this situation.  Simply complete or correct the FAFSA using the correct 2016 income and use current asset information.  If you or a custodial parent is currently remarried, you will provide both 2016 incomes and current joint asset information on the FAFSA.

2018-2019

Verification Worksheets (2018-2019)

2017-2018

Beginning in October 2016 (for aid applications for the 2017-18 award year), the Department of Education is allowing students to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using prior-prior year (PPY) tax data. 

Prior-Prior Year (PPY) refers to a policy enabling students and families to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using tax information from two years ago.  For example, a student planning to enroll in college in Fall 2017 will file FAFSA using taxes from 2015.

Review of Ability to Contribute

If you have any unusual family situation that you feel was not reflected on the 2017-18 FAFSA, please read below.

  • If you have unusual medical or dental expenses that were paid in 2016, please send a letter of explanation including the family member affected, the date the condition occurred and the total amount paid out-of-pocket for the condition. The amount must be substantial, as the federal needs analysis formula does provide an allowance for medical expenses.  DO NOT INCLUDE AMOUNTS THAT WILL BE PAID BY INSURANCE OR AMOUNTS NOT YET PAID BY YOU OR THROUGH INSURANCE PAYMENTS. You must include documentation that reflects the amount you paid out-of-pocket in 2016; we will not proceed without this documentation. .
  • Please send a letter of explanation if a parent’s/independent student's 2015 income was higher than 2016 due to such things as:
  1.  Unusual overtime or bonus pay which will/was not received in 2016,
  2.  More than one job in 2015 but not in 2016,
  3.  New employment at a lower pay rate
  4. You must include a copy of parents’/independent student's 2016 tax return and W-2s as documentation. We will not proceed without this documentation.
  • If you (independent student) or a parent (dependent student) is separated, divorced or widowed at the time you are completing the 2017-18 FAFSA, but that condition was not represented in a 2015 tax return, you should complete the FAFSA using only relevant 2015 income for you, as an independent student, or the parent you live with, as a dependent student, unless that parent or the student has remarried.  You do not need to provide BVU with information about this situation.  Simply complete or correct the FAFSA using the correct 2015 income and use current asset information.  If you or a custodial parent is currently remarried, you will provide both 2015 incomes and current joint asset information on the FAFSA.
  • If a parent, or you as an independent student, has become divorced, separated or widowed after completing the 2017-18 FAFSA, please complete the relevant 2017-18 Special Condition Form below.

2017 - 2018

Verification Worksheets (2017-2018)