Just wanted to add another potential solution that worked for my family! We had the same SSN/birthdate mismatch error and after trying everything else, we discovered that my husband had accidentally created TWO FSA IDs over the years - one when our oldest applied to college and another one a few years later that he forgot about. The system was pulling conflicting information from both accounts. We had to contact Federal Student Aid to merge/delete the duplicate account, but once that was resolved, everything worked perfectly. So if you're still having issues after checking your FSA ID profile, it might be worth asking the support team if you have duplicate accounts in the system. Hope this helps someone else avoid the stress we went through!

Wow, reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually going through something similar with my daughter's FAFSA right now - we keep getting the "information doesn't match" error even though I'm 100% sure everything is correct. It's so reassuring to see that this is actually a really common problem and not just us messing something up. I had no idea that old FSA IDs from years ago could cause these issues, or that there could be duplicate accounts in the system. I think I might have created an FSA ID when my oldest went to college 4 years ago, so I'm definitely going to check that first. The tip about waiting 24-48 hours after updating information is also really valuable - I probably would have kept trying immediately and gotten frustrated. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions!

As a complete newcomer to financial aid and someone whose daughter just started looking at 4+1 programs, this thread has been absolutely incredible! I honestly thought the FAFSA classification would be a simple checkbox based on what courses she's taking, but reading everyone's experiences has shown me how much more complex this really is. What's really opened my eyes is realizing that the answer isn't just about undergraduate vs graduate status - there are so many interconnected pieces like scholarship eligibility, tax implications, potential mid-year status changes, and even how this might affect future graduate school applications. It's like a domino effect where one decision impacts multiple areas. I'm definitely going to follow the excellent advice here and schedule meetings with both academic advisors and financial aid offices at the schools we're considering. The point about getting everything documented in writing really resonates with me - I can see how these situations could get complicated quickly without proper documentation. One thing I'm wondering about that I didn't see mentioned - do these accelerated programs ever affect a student's eligibility for work-study programs? Since work-study eligibility can depend on enrollment status, I'm curious if that's another factor families need to consider when weighing the financial implications. Thank you all for creating such a comprehensive resource! This is exactly the kind of practical, real-world guidance that you can't find anywhere in the official FAFSA materials.

That's an excellent question about work-study eligibility! As someone who's been working in financial aid for several years, I can confirm that work-study eligibility can indeed be affected by enrollment status changes in these dual-degree programs. Generally, work-study is available to both undergraduate and graduate students, but the funding allocation and hourly limits can differ between the two categories. Some schools also prioritize undergraduate students for certain work-study positions, particularly those that are more entry-level. The bigger consideration is usually the timing - if your daughter's status changes mid-year from undergraduate to graduate, her work-study award might need to be recalculated based on her new aid package. This is another reason why it's so important to understand exactly when any status change would occur and plan accordingly. When you meet with the financial aid offices, definitely add work-study to your list of questions. Ask specifically: - How does work-study eligibility/allocation differ between undergrad and grad students at their school? - If status changes mid-year, how is work-study affected? - Are there any work-study positions specifically reserved for students in dual-degree programs? Some schools even have research assistantships or teaching assistant positions that become available once students transition to graduate status, which could actually provide better compensation than traditional work-study. It's definitely worth exploring all the options!

Just wanted to add another potential solution for anyone still struggling with this - I work at my college's financial aid office and we've been seeing this signature page issue a LOT this year. One thing that often helps is making sure you're not using any VPN services when trying to sign. The FSA system flags VPN traffic as potentially suspicious and can block the signature process. Also, if you're using a work or school computer, sometimes the institutional firewalls interfere with the secure connection needed for signing. Try using your personal device on your home network if possible. The good news is that your application data IS being saved even when the signature fails, so you won't lose your progress!

As someone who just went through this nightmare last month, I want to add that sometimes the issue is related to having multiple FSA ID sessions active. If you've logged in on different devices or browsers recently, the system can get confused about which session is "real." Try logging out completely, then go to fsaid.ed.gov and do a fresh login there first before going back to your FAFSA. Also, disable any password managers or autofill extensions - they can interfere with the secure signature process. The FSA system is super picky about how the authentication flows work. Hope this helps someone avoid the hours of frustration I went through!

That's a huge relief! Thank you so much for checking on this. I'll try to be patient for another couple weeks.

I'm dealing with this exact situation too! My son's FAFSA was processed in early March but my daughter's has been sitting "In Progress" since mid-February. Reading through these comments has been so helpful - I had no idea about the batching system or that renewals might take longer. The lack of communication from FSA is definitely frustrating, but it's reassuring to know this seems to be a widespread issue rather than something specific to our applications. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

This thread has been so educational! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my daughter and I both lost our jobs due to company layoffs in January, and I'm about to file SAI appeals for my twin sons who are seniors. Reading about the different ways schools can calculate income adjustments (30% reduction vs. complete removal) is incredibly helpful. I had no idea there could be such variation in how schools handle identical circumstances. I'm definitely going to ask each school specifically how they plan to calculate the adjustment and push back if one seems unreasonably conservative compared to our actual financial reality. Thank you Miles for sharing your experience and everyone else for the practical advice - this gives me hope that persistence will pay off!

This entire conversation has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a parent of a high school junior, so I'm just starting to learn about the financial aid process. The fact that two schools can look at identical documentation and come to completely different conclusions about aid eligibility is honestly shocking to me. Miles, your experience really highlights how important it is to advocate for yourself and not just accept the first answer you get. The difference between a 30% income reduction versus complete removal for a job loss is huge - and it makes perfect sense that would lead to different Pell Grant amounts. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and come back to it when we start our FAFSA journey next year. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and advice - especially the tip about asking schools to explain their specific calculation methodology. It's clear that persistence and asking the right questions can make thousands of dollars difference in aid packages!