Financial Aid Rollout Communications Package Home

1. How does Clarity make it easier for me to apply for financial aid?

   Clarity offers a streamlined, mobile friendly application that can be completed in as short as 30 minutes. Additionally, Clarity removes the need to upload your personal tax return(s) and W2(s)by transferring them directly from the IRS. When you authorize the IRS to share the documents via your IRS.gov account, the school will receive your tax returns within an hour.   This saves you time so that you aren’t pulling out all of your tax returns and transposing numbers from the returns into the application. It is also more secure because you are not uploading copies of original documents, needing to redact the SSNs, and those copies or PDFs are not sitting on your desktop or in a folder on your computer, or in an email server, etc.

2. Why do I need an ****IRS.gov account?

   Only US taxpayers will need an IRS.gov account. The IRS.gov site offers a secure, standard method designed to protect your identity and ensure that no one else can access your sensitive information. Clarity’s Enhanced Tax Verification process will allow you to provide authorization for the IRS to share your transcripts with Clarity. Transcripts are the most secure way of sharing your financial data, and they do not include SSNs. In fact, if you plan to use the FAFSA to apply for college financial aid, you will follow a similar process to obtain your tax transcripts just like Clarity does.

3. How do I set up an IRS.gov account?

   • Go to IRS.gov. Click on “Sign in” in the top right corner.
   • Find the box labeled “Individual” and click on “New to individual account? Get started.” Individual is anyone who files their personal taxes single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, or qualifying widow/widower.
   • Click “Sign in or create an account” to get started. The account creation process will require users to verify their identity by using a form of official identification and taking a selfie. This is a one-time step that is a security measure required by the IRS to protect against identity theft and the compromise of personal information. Once their account is set up, this step will not be required for subsequent logins.

4. Is my information secure with Clarity?

   {School name} takes the privacy and security of your personal information very seriously. Clarity is certified for both GDPR and SOC2 and uses enterprise-level security standards including end-to-end encryption of all personally identifiable information. For more information, please refer to **Clarity’s Privacy Policy.**

5. How will this impact my award?

   Just as in prior years, if your financial circumstances have not changed, you will not see significant changes to your award. If you have any questions about your individual circumstance, please reach out to us.

6. Will I still need to apply every year?

   Yes, you will need to submit a Clarity application each year as part of a school’s standard financial aid process. Clarity retains your demographic information from previous applications, so it will be even easier to reapply.

7. Can I complete my Clarity application on my phone or tablet?

   Yes! Clarity’s application is fully mobile-friendly so you have access wherever you are.

8. When do I need to apply?

   You must submit your full completed application by {school FA application date}.

9. I live outside the United States. Can I still apply for financial aid through Clarity?

   Yes, along with the student's application, all families must fill out the Clarity application to the best of their ability including the Non-US Tax Filer Verification upload.

   If you live in Canada, you will be prompted to upload your T4, T1 and Notice of Assessment.