After submitting the CA Dream Act Application, you may be asked to verify the information you provided about your income. Don’t worry, you did not do anything wrong if you are selected; a percentage of all applicants are required to verify income as general practice. If you happen to be selected, follow the steps below!

1. Know if you have you have to verify your income

Not all CA Dream Act applicants are required to verify their income. You will know if you must verify your income via email or schools’ online portals. If you do not receive any notification about verifying income, then you do not need to take additional steps at the moment.

2. Know if you are Dependent or Independent Student

You are Dependent if you are all of the following:

• under 24 years old or born before 1/1/01,
• not legally married (single),
• have no children or other dependents, 
• and are pursuing an undergraduate degree.

If you are Dependent then you MUST provide information on BOTH your income and your parents’ income. Even if you do not live with your parents or receive their financial support, you must provide their information. Some exceptions on this may apply depending on school. 

You are Independent if you are at least one of the following:

• over 24 years old or born after 1/1/01,
• legally married, 
• have children or other dependents for whom you provide 50% of their support, 
• a veteran or active duty, 
• an orphan or ward of the court, 
• at risk of homelessness,
• have a special circumstance, 
• or pursuing a graduate degree.

If you are Independent, then you will only provide income information about yourself.

3. Know if you and/or your parents are Tax Filers

If you and/or your parents file taxes, be prepared to obtain the 2022 tax return transcript (note: this is different from the tax account transcript). You may request the tax return transcript from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for free online or through the phone. The person requesting the transcript must be the one who signed the taxes; someone else is not allowed.

If you and/or your parents do not file taxes, prepare the following information/documents:

• all 2022 household income earned,
• financial assistance or benefits (if received),
• a copy of W-2 form(s). 

Be aware that if you or your parents earned over the IRS income filing limits, you may be required to file taxes in order to receive a financial aid award.

If you and/or your parents do not file taxes because of cash payment and do not have a W-2 form, you must explain the circumstances in the school verification worksheet. You may be required to include proof of non-filing from the IRS.

4. Fill our the Income Verification Worksheet

After you have determined where you stand with dependent/independent status and tax filing status, you will fill out the Income Verification Worksheet. A standard worksheet asks about/for the following:

• Household Size: The rules of the CA Dream Application define households as you (the student); the biological or adoptive parents; siblings under the age of 24 in most cases; and/or other dependents for whom the parents are financially responsible (such as an elderly or disabled person). Additional family members or individuals that live within the home, but do not meet these requirements should not be included in the household.
• Marital Status: Indicate whether the parent or you are single, married, separated or divorced, or widowed. Parents who are living together, but are not married should choose that option.
• Tax Filing Status: Indicate whether you and/or parent or spouse is a tax filer or a non-tax filer.
• Financial Aid Received: List the amount of grants or scholarships you received during 2022 and the school(s) attended.
• Child Support Paid: List the amount of any child support paid in 2022, including the child’s name, the name of the person who paid child support, and the name of the person to whom it was paid.
• SNAP Benefits Received: Indicate whether you and/or your parents received SNAP  benefits in 2022 or 2022. Documentation from the agency that issued SNAP benefits may be required upon request.
• Certification and Signature: By signing the verification worksheet, you and/or your parent certify that all the information is true. Signing also authorizes the Financial Aid Office to update the student’s California Dream Application per CSAC guidelines and the information provided.
• Additional Documentation: An individual college or university has the right to ask for additional documentation regarding household size or income earned if it is necessary to gain an adequate understanding of how household expenses were met for 2022.
• Multiple Schools: If you listed more than one school on the CA Dream Application, you will be required to complete income verification at each school individually.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by this process! Remember that this is standard procedure for a certain percentage of students who apply for the Dream Act. Do not be discouraged. We, and many others, are here to support you through the process!

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