Can We Use Drop Box Or Similar File Sharing Services To Collect Verification and Other Documents From Students?

2022-23 Verification Waiver: Beginning May 18, 2022 and for the remainder of the 2022-23 FAFSA processing and verification cycle, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) waives verification of all FAFSA/ISIR information, except for identity/Statement of Educational Purpose in Verification Tracking Groups V4 and V5. See Dear Colleague Letter GEN-22-06 and AskRegs Q&A, How Do We Implement the Verification Waiver For the Remainder Of 2022-23?, for guidance. The following guidance is still relevant depending on context and/or application of the waiver.

There is nothing in the Title IV regulations that would prevent a school from using a "drop box" or other similar document sharing services to collect verification and other student eligibility documents from students or parents.

According to guidance NASFAA has received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the use of any drop box method of collecting documents must comply with the standards of security necessary to protect the personally identifiable information (PII) that is being exchanged. You should confer with your school's information technology (IT) staff and visit ED's Cybersecurity webpage for assistance as you implement policies and procedures to ensure your drop box system is adequate to protect the privacy of your students' data.

P&P Builder: NASFAA’s Policies & Procedures (P&P) Builder guides you step-by-step through the creation of a centralized, accessible policies and procedures manual. This is included in the cost of NASFAA Value Plus membership. There is an additional cost for other membership levels.