A recent hacker attack against the Internal Revenue Service has created a hurdle for some Pell Grant recipients this summer.
After hackers used the online Get Transcript system to access about 100,000 tax accounts in late May, the IRS shut down the system, which allowed students and parents who had been selected for income verification to access a PDF copy of their "tax transcripts" — their tax returns — within moments. Students are selected for verification randomly by the IRS, though colleges can choose to verify others. If selected, students must show proof that the tax information they submitted on their Fafsa forms is correct.
Now, students must use less time-efficient options to get the paperwork.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/IRS-Hack-Poses-Challenges-to/232641