False Documents Can Result in a Loss of Financial Aid

By Ryan Laspina
Senior Specialist, Red Flags and External Reviews, APUS

Before and during your time in school, you may need to provide your university with documentation for any number of reasons. For example, to gain admission, you will be required to submit your ID as well as proof of a high school diploma or a similar high school equivalency completion document. You might also need documentation to verify data that you provided on your FASFA application.

Similarly, if you fall behind in your school’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, you might need to submit an appeal to continue attending school and receiving your FSA. This appeal requires documentation to explain the extenuating circumstances that caused your performance to slip.

Whenever you are asked for documents, you will be expected to do so in good faith. The documents you provide must be authentic and unaltered.

Falsifying or doctoring documentation is a white-collar crime that has major adverse effects. It can result in the loss of your Federal Student Aid (FSA) eligibility, especially if the falsified documents were intended for that purpose.

Submitting False Documents Will Get You Kicked Out of School or Worse

False documents can result in your dismissal from school. If the offense is egregious enough, such as falsifying federal tax documents, legal action can be taken against you.

There are many reasons why students might falsify documents. For example, some students might want to avoid the hassle of trying to procure a certain document and believe that falsifying one will be quicker and easier.

Others might submit false documents because they do not possess the proper ones. For instance, that might include documents needed to prove extenuating circumstances for SAP failures.

If you are ever caught falsifying documents, expect swift legal action, such as the loss of federal grant money or expulsion from school. Therefore, it pays to always be honest and forthright when submitting any documentation to your university. If you have any questions about your documents, contact the Financial Aid department for more information.