eCFR :: 34 CFR 668.57 -- Acceptable documentation.
Site Feedback
You are using an unsupported browser
You are using an unsupported browser. This web site is designed for the current versions of
Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari.
Site Feedback
The Office of the Federal Register publishes documents on behalf of Federal agencies but does not have any authority over their programs. We recommend you directly contact the agency associated with the content in question.
If you have comments or suggestions on how to improve the www.ecfr.gov website or have questions about using www.ecfr.gov, please choose the 'Website Feedback' button below.
Website Feedback
If you would like to comment on the current content, please use the 'Content Feedback' button below for instructions on contacting the issuing agency
Content Feedback
If you have questions for the Agency that issued the current document please contact the agency directly.
Website Feedback
You are viewing the drafting display of the eCFR.
or
switch to the enhanced display
Browse
Titles
Agencies
Incorporation by Reference
Recent Updates
Recent Changes
Corrections
Reader Aids
Reader Aids Home
Using the eCFR Point-in-Time System
Understanding the eCFR
Government Policy and OFR Procedures
Developer Resources
Recent Site Updates
My eCFR
My Subscriptions
Sign In / Sign Up
eCFR
The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
Enhanced Content :: FR Reference
Enhanced content is provided to the user to provide additional context.
Enhanced Content :: FR Reference
Title 34
This content is from the eCFR and is authoritative but unofficial.
Displaying title 34, up to date as of 4/22/2026. Title 34 was last amended 3/13/2026.
view historical versions
drafting site is available
for use when drafting amendatory language
switch to drafting site
Navigate by entering citations or phrases
(eg:
1 CFR 1.1
49 CFR 172.101
Organization and Purpose
1/1.1
Regulation Y
FAR
).
Choosing an item from
citations and headings
will bring you directly to the content. Choosing an item from
full text search results
will bring you to those results. Pressing enter in the search box
will also bring you to search results.
Background and more details are available in the
Search & Navigation
guide.
Title 34
—Education
Subtitle B
—Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education
Chapter VI
—Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education
Part 668
—Student Assistance General Provisions
Subpart E
—Verification and Updating of Student Aid Application Information
§ 668.57
Previous
Next
Top
Table of Contents
Enhanced Content - Table of Contents
The in-page Table of Contents is available only when multiple sections are being viewed.
Use the navigation links in the gray bar above to view the table of contents that this content belongs to.
Enhanced Content - Table of Contents
Details
Enhanced Content - Details
URL
Citation
34 CFR 668.57
Agency
Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education
Part 668
Authority:
20 U.S.C. 1001-1003
1070g
1085
1088
1091
1092
1094
1099c
1099c-1
1221e-3
, and
1231a
, unless otherwise noted.
Subpart E of Part 668
Source:
75 FR 66954
, Oct. 29, 2010, unless otherwise noted.
Enhanced Content - Details
Print/PDF
Enhanced Content - Print
Generate PDF
This content is from the eCFR and may include recent changes applied to the CFR.
The official, published CFR, is updated annually and available below under
"Published Edition". You can learn more about the process
here
Enhanced Content - Print
Display Options
Enhanced Content - Display Options
Enhanced Content - Display Options
Enhanced Content - Subscribe
Subscribe to:
34 CFR 668.57
Enhanced Content - Subscribe
Timeline
Enhanced Content - Timeline
Enhanced Content - Timeline
Go to Date
Enhanced Content - Go to Date
Enhanced Content - Go to Date
Compare Dates
Enhanced Content - Compare Dates
Enhanced Content - Compare Dates
Published Edition
Enhanced Content - Published Edition
View the most recent official publication:
View Title 34 on govinfo.gov
View the PDF for 34 CFR 668.57
These links go to the official, published CFR, which is updated annually. As a
result, it may not include the most recent changes applied to the CFR.
Enhanced Content - Published Edition
Developer Tools
Enhanced Content - Developer Tools
Information and documentation can be found in our
developer resources
Enhanced Content - Developer Tools
eCFR Content
The
Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) is the official legal print publication containing the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the
Federal Register
by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is a continuously updated online version of the CFR. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR.
about the eCFR, its status, and the editorial process.
§ 668.57 Acceptable documentation.
If an applicant is selected to verify any of the following information, an institution must obtain the specified documentation.
(a)
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), income earned from work, or U.S. income tax paid.
(1)
Except as provided in
paragraphs (a)(2)
(a)(3)
, and
(a)(4)
of this section, an institution must require an applicant selected for verification of AGI, income earned from work or U.S. income tax paid to submit to it—
(i)
A copy of the income tax return or an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form that lists tax account information of the applicant, his or her spouse, or his or her parents, as applicable for the specified year. The copy of the return must include the signature (which need not be an original) of the filer of the return or of one of the filers of a joint return;
(ii)
For a dependent student, a copy of each IRS Form W-2 for the specified year received by the parent whose income is being taken into account if—
(A)
The parents filed a joint return; and
(B)
The parents are divorced or separated or one of the parents has died; and
(iii)
For an independent student, a copy of each IRS Form W-2 for the specified year he or she received if the independent student—
(A)
Filed a joint return; and
(B)
Is a widow or widower, or is divorced or separated.
(2)
An institution may accept, in lieu of an income tax return or an IRS form that lists tax account information, the information reported for an item on the applicant's FAFSA for the specified year if the Secretary has identified that item as having been obtained from the IRS and not having been changed.
(3)
An institution must accept, in lieu of an income tax return or an IRS form that lists tax account information, the documentation set forth in
paragraph (a)(4)
of this section if the individual for the specified year—
(i)
Has not filed and, under IRS rules, or other applicable government agency rules, is not required to file an income tax return;
(ii)
Is required to file a U.S. tax return and has been granted a filing extension by the IRS; or
(iii)
Has requested a copy of the tax return or an IRS form that lists tax account information, and the IRS or a government of a U.S. territory or commonwealth or a foreign central government cannot locate the return or provide an IRS form that lists tax account information.
(4)
An institution must accept—
(i)
For an individual described in
paragraph (a)(3)(i)
of this section, a statement signed by that individual certifying that he or she has not filed and is not required to file an income tax return for the specified year and certifying for that year that individual's—
(A)
Sources of income earned from work as stated on the FAFSA; and
(B)
Amounts of income from each source. In lieu of a certification of these amounts of income, the applicant may provide a copy of his or her IRS Form W-2 for each source listed under
paragraph (a)(4)(i)(A)
of this section;
(ii)
For an individual described in
paragraph (a)(3)(ii)
of this section—
(A)
A copy of the IRS Form 4868, “Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,” that the individual filed with the IRS for the specified year, or a copy of the IRS's approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension if the individual requested an additional extension of the filing time; and
(B)
A copy of each IRS Form W-2 that the individual received for the specified year, or for a self-employed individual, a statement signed by the individual certifying the amount of the AGI for the specified year; and
(iii)
For an individual described in
paragraph (a)(3)(iii)
of this section—
(A)
A copy of each IRS Form W-2 that the individual received for the specified year; or
(B)
For an individual who is self-employed or has filed an income tax return with a government of a U. S. territory or commonwealth, or a foreign central government, a statement signed by the individual certifying the amount of AGI and taxes paid for the specified year.
(5)
An institution may require an individual described in
paragraph (a)(3)(ii)
of this section to provide to it a copy of his or her completed and signed income tax return when filed. If an institution receives the copy of the return, it must reverify the AGI and taxes paid by the applicant and his or her spouse or parents.
(6)
If an individual who is required to submit an IRS Form W-2, under
paragraph (a)
of this section, is unable to obtain one in a timely manner, the institution may permit that individual to set forth, in a statement signed by the individual, the amount of income earned from work, the source of that income, and the reason that the IRS Form W-2 is not available in a timely manner.
(7)
For the purpose of this section, an institution may accept in lieu of a copy of an income tax return signed by the filer of the return or one of the filers of a joint return, a copy of the filer's return that includes the preparer's Social Security Number, Employer Identification Number or the Preparer Tax Identification Number and has been signed, stamped, typed, or printed with the name and address of the preparer of the return.
(b)
Number of family members in household.
An institution must require an applicant selected for verification of the number of family members in the household to submit to it a statement signed by both the applicant and one of the applicant's parents if the applicant is a dependent student, or only the applicant if the applicant is an independent student, listing the name and age of each family member in the household and the relationship of that household member to the applicant.
(c)
Number of family household members enrolled in eligible postsecondary institutions.
(1)
An institution must require an applicant selected for verification of the number of household members in the applicant's family enrolled on at least a half-time basis in eligible postsecondary institutions to submit a statement signed by both the applicant and one of the applicant's parents, if the applicant is a dependent student, or by only the applicant if the applicant is an independent student, listing—
(i)
The name of each family member who is or will be attending an eligible postsecondary educational institution as at least a half-time student in the award year;
(ii)
The age of each student; and
(iii)
The name of the institution that each student is or will be attending.
(2)
If the institution has reason to believe that an applicant's FAFSA information or the statement provided under
paragraph (c)(1)
of this section regarding the number of family household members enrolled in eligible postsecondary institutions is inaccurate, the institution must obtain a statement from each institution named by the applicant in response to the requirement of
paragraph (c)(1)(iii)
of this section that the household member in question is or will be attending the institution on at least a half-time basis, unless—
(i)
The institution the student is attending determines that such a statement is not available because the household member in question has not yet registered at the institution he or she plans to attend; or
(ii)
The institution has information indicating that the student will be attending the same institution as the applicant.
(d)
Other information.
If an applicant is selected to verify other information specified in the annual
Federal Register
notice, the applicant must provide the documentation specified for that information in the
Federal Register
notice.
Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0041)
(Authority:
20 U.S.C. 1094
eCFR Content
Pages
Titles
Recent Changes
Corrections
Reader Aids
Using the eCFR Point-in-Time System
Understanding the eCFR
Government Policy and OFR Procedures
Developer Resources
Recent Site Updates
Information
About This Site
Legal Status
FOIA
No Fear Act
Continuity Information
My eCFR
My Subscriptions
Sign In / Sign Up