Employment & Income Verifications

Information for Verifiers

Princeton University utilizes The Work Number by Equifax to automate verifications of employment and accelerate qualifying decisions for faculty and staff. The online system is available to verifiers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Work Number has the most up-to-date income and employment information for Princeton employees.

Verifiers who need to obtain proof of employment or income of current or former employees for commercial or social services verifications will need:

  • Credentialed access to use The Work Number
  • The Princeton University employer code, which is 14343
  • The employee’s Social Security number
  • A permissible purpose for accessing the information, as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act
  • Direct employee consent, if income or salary information is needed

Verifiers who are able to complete the verification of employment through The Work Number can visit their website or call 1-800-367-5690.

  • Commercial Verifications include mortgage lenders, pre-employment, property leasing, credit cards, etc.
  • Social Services Verifications* include Medicaid, SSI/SSDI, SNAP, TANF, Child Support, Public Housing, etc. *Available to qualifying assistance agencies only
  • For wage garnishments or graduate student verifications, verifiers should contact the University's Payroll Department at (609) 258-3082 or [email protected]
  • For undergraduate student verifications, verifiers should contact the Student Employment Office at (609) 258-3334 or [email protected].

Information for Faculty & Staff

Accessing HR Self Service to Obtain Your Own Verification Letter

Faculty and staff can obtain an employment verification letter through HR Self Service. The letters are valid for use for lending organizations, mortgage applications, apartment rentals, immigration purposes, and any other organization that needs to verify employment and/or salary.

To access the verification letter, log in to HR Self Service and click on the Verification of Employment tile. From this tile, the verification letter can be downloaded and printed.

Accessing The Work Number to Obtain Your Own Verification

Faculty and staff can access personal information, Employment Data Reports, and Salary Keys on The Work Number website or by calling 1-800-367-5690.

When employees access The Work Number for the first time, they are guided through some simple account setup steps. An employer code will be required to enter — the Princeton University employer code is 14343. The site protects data privacy using a secure, risk-based authentication system similar to many banking and financial services sites.

Employment Data Report

An Employment Data Report (EDR), in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, provides complete historical employment and income information, as well as a listing of all verifiers who have attempted to access employee records through The Work Number over the past two years. Faculty and staff are entitled to access one free EDR each year.

Salary Keys

A Salary Key is a single-use, six-digit code that can be provided to a verifier as consent to access income information. In most cases, consent will have been provided at the point of application for a service — signing a loan application or similar agreement — and a Salary Key is not required.

Employment & Income Verifications Request

For verification of employment or income that cannot be processed through The Work Number, requests must be made in writing and include a signed authorization form with the employee’s signature. Princeton’s authorization form may be used if the requestor is unable to provide their own authorization form. A signature authorizing the release of information is required. If the signature is not on the form, it will delay processing. HR makes every attempt to complete verification in a timely fashion.

Please include the employee’s name in the subject line, indicate if the request was not able to be processed through the Work Number, and send the request to:

Princeton University
Office of Human Resources
100 Overlook Center, Suite 400
Princeton, NJ 08540
[email protected]

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

For individuals requesting employment verification for a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) application, email the application to the Office of Human Resources and an authorized representative will complete and certify Sections 4 and 5A of the form. Please make sure to sign page 2 as the government will not accept an electronic signature. Completion of the PSLF form takes 5 business days.

The Work Number, Fair Credit Reporting Act, & Your Privacy

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates how credit reporting agencies and others handle information. Under FCRA, Equifax is a Consumer Reporting Agency and subject to its requirements. It is committed to safeguarding privacy and fully complying with FCRA requirements. For more information about The Work Number by Equifax, review About The Work Number.

If there are any discrepancies between the information in this publication, verbal representations, and the plan documents, the plan documents always govern. Although Princeton intends to continue these benefits, the University reserves the right to amend or terminate these plans at any time.