diff --git a/packages/auth/auth.go b/packages/auth/auth.go
index e832a61..6955f08 100644
--- a/packages/auth/auth.go
+++ b/packages/auth/auth.go
@@ -56,13 +56,15 @@ type SignUpCredentials struct {
 	Password string `json:"password", db:"password"`
 }
 
-type SignInCredentials struct {
+type UserCredentials struct {
 	Username string `json:"username", db:"username"`
 	Password string `json:"password", db:"password"`
 }
 
 type Claims struct {
-	Username string `json:"username"`
+	Username string `json:"username", db:"username"`
+	Admin    string `json:"admin", db:"admin"`
+	Verified string `json:"verified", db:"verified"`
 	jwt.StandardClaims
 }
 
@@ -165,29 +167,25 @@ func register(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 }
 
 func signin(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	creds := &SignInCredentials{}
+	creds := &UserCredentials{}
 	err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(creds)
 	if err != nil {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
 	}
-	result := DB.QueryRow("SELECT password FROM users WHERE username=$1", creds.Username)
-	storedCreds := &SignInCredentials{}
-	err = result.Scan(&storedCreds.Password)
-	if err != nil {
-		if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
-			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
-			return
-		}
-		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+	verified, ok := checkPassword(w, *creds)
+	if !ok {
+		render.JSON(w, r, verified)
 		return
 	}
-	if err = bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword([]byte(storedCreds.Password), []byte(creds.Password)); err != nil {
-		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
-	}
 	expirationTime := time.Now().Add(24 * time.Hour)
+	user_claims := &Claims{}
+	user_claims_query := DB.QueryRow("SELECT username, admin, verified FROM users WHERE username=$1", creds.Username)
+	err = user_claims_query.Scan(&user_claims.Username, &user_claims.Admin, &user_claims.Verified)
 	claims := &Claims{
-		Username: creds.Username,
+		Username: user_claims.Username,
+		Admin:    user_claims.Admin,
+		Verified: user_claims.Verified,
 		StandardClaims: jwt.StandardClaims{
 			ExpiresAt: expirationTime.Unix(),
 		},
@@ -199,11 +197,24 @@ func signin(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 }
 
 func refresh(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	returnMessage := ReturnMessage{}
 	_, claims, _ := jwtauth.FromContext(r.Context())
 	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
 	expirationTime := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Hour)
+	user_claims := &Claims{}
+	user_claims_query := DB.QueryRow("SELECT username, admin, verified FROM users WHERE username=$1", claims["username"].(string))
+	err := user_claims_query.Scan(&user_claims.Username, &user_claims.Admin, &user_claims.Verified)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(err)
+		returnMessage.Message = "unexpected error refreshing your token, please try again later"
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		render.JSON(w, r, returnMessage)
+		return
+	}
 	newClaims := &Claims{
-		Username: claims["username"].(string),
+		Username: user_claims.Username,
+		Admin:    user_claims.Admin,
+		Verified: user_claims.Verified,
 		StandardClaims: jwt.StandardClaims{
 			ExpiresAt: expirationTime.Unix(),
 		},
@@ -263,3 +274,27 @@ func sendEmailToken(w http.ResponseWriter, token string, name string, email stri
 	ok = true
 	return returnMessage, ok
 }
+
+func checkPassword(w http.ResponseWriter, creds UserCredentials) (string, bool) {
+	returnMessage := ""
+	result := DB.QueryRow("SELECT password FROM users WHERE username=$1", creds.Username)
+	storedCreds := &UserCredentials{}
+	err := result.Scan(&storedCreds.Password)
+	if err != nil {
+		if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			returnMessage = "username or password incorrect"
+			return returnMessage, false
+		}
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		returnMessage = "something is broken, please contact the administrator"
+		return returnMessage, false
+	}
+	if err = bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword([]byte(storedCreds.Password), []byte(creds.Password)); err != nil {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+		returnMessage = "username or password incorrect"
+		return returnMessage, false
+	}
+	returnMessage = "user logged in"
+	return returnMessage, true
+}