Planning financially for college can be overwhelming, but Southeast Missouri State University is working to provide the tools and support students and their families need to make their higher education dreams a reality.The office of Student Financial Services (SFS) at Southeast has new and simplified processes in place to better serve prospective and current students.We know financial aid can be a hurdle, but we strive to make it a hurdle students can easily step over instead of leaping, said Matthew Kearney, director of Southeasts Student Financial Services (SFS).One of those hurdles, he says, can be selection by the U.S. Department of Education for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) verification. This process requires students to provide additional documents to confirm the information submitted on the FAFSA is correct. Verification helps Southeast accurately determine the type and amount of aid a student should receive.Students are encouraged to complete verification and all financial aid processes as early as possible, Kearney said.For those students selected for verification, a new SFS process is tracking their status through every step and streamlining the awarding of student financial aid, Kearney said. SFS staff link required submitted documents to a students account, and SFS specialists review the documentation to ensure they are the correct documents and all pieces are complete and legible. If questions arise, SFS staff immediately reach out to students to resolve any issues. Finally, SFS Operations staff verify the documentation. Students can also track their progress in their student portal and receive weekly messages from SFS about their progression through the verification process. Kearney advises students to regularly check their email to avoid missing important information.