UPDATE: We solved it! Thank you all for your help. It turned out to be exactly what @financial_aid_advisor suggested - we were both using the same email address for our FSA IDs. My husband updated his FSA ID with his work email, we waited 24 hours, then my daughter removed us both and added us again with our separate emails. His contributor link worked perfectly after that! Such a simple fix but nowhere in the FAFSA help documents. Now we're finally able to complete her application before the priority deadline!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. The same email address issue seems so obvious in hindsight but I never would have thought of it. It's frustrating that the FAFSA system doesn't give clearer error messages when this happens - a blank page tells you nothing! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions, especially @Naila Gordon for the insider knowledge. Stories like this really show how valuable this community is for navigating these confusing processes.

As someone new to this whole process, I'm finding this thread incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with multiple 529s but hadn't even thought about the verification documentation aspect. Quick question - when you say to report the value "as of the date you submit the application," does that mean I need to check all my accounts on that exact day? My 529 provider only updates balances once per week, so should I use the most recent available balance or wait until I can get the exact same-day value? Also, if anyone has experience with how colleges handle small discrepancies (like if the market moves between when you check and when you actually hit submit), I'd love to know if that's something to worry about or if they're reasonable about minor differences.

This thread has been so informative! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a twist - I have two kids applying for college in the same year (twins) and separate 529 accounts for each. Based on what I'm reading here, I'll report the combined total of both accounts as my parental asset on BOTH of their FAFSAs, correct? It seems counterintuitive to report the same money twice, but I want to make sure I'm understanding this right. Also, has anyone dealt with having multiple kids in college simultaneously and how that affects the Expected Family Contribution calculations? I've heard it can actually help with aid eligibility when you have multiple kids enrolled at once.

I'm so glad to see this thread and that people are finally getting their FAFSA issues resolved! As someone who just went through this nightmare myself, I wanted to share what ultimately worked for me. After days of the same error message, I discovered that my FSA ID had my married name but I was accidentally entering my maiden name on the parent form (old habit from years of filling out forms). For anyone still stuck, here's my complete checklist that finally worked: 1. Log into your FSA ID account and write down EXACTLY how your name appears there 2. Use Firefox browser in incognito/private mode 3. Clear all cookies and cache first 4. Try during off-peak hours (I had success around 6am EST) 5. Enter information exactly as it appears in your FSA ID - no variations at all The whole experience was incredibly stressful, but I'm relieved to see the Department of Education is acknowledging these issues and extending deadlines. Don't give up - there IS a solution, it just takes some detective work to figure out the exact formatting issue!

I'm new to this community but dealing with the exact same frustrating issue! My daughter's FAFSA has been stuck on the parent section for over a week now. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea so many families were experiencing this problem. I wanted to add one more potential solution that worked for a friend of mine: she discovered that her FSA ID email address had a period in it (like jane.doe@email.com) but she was entering it without the period on the FAFSA form. The system apparently requires EXACT matches down to punctuation marks. Also, for anyone considering the paper FAFSA route - while I understand the temptation when you're desperate, I called three different colleges and they all strongly advised against it due to processing delays. They said they're being very understanding about these technical issues and working with families on deadlines. Going to try the Firefox incognito method tonight during off-peak hours. Fingers crossed! Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in this mess.

So glad you got it sorted out! This is exactly why I always recommend students check their loan status periodically on studentaid.gov - these reporting errors happen more often than they should. It's crazy that you were listed as graduated when you're clearly still enrolled. For future reference, if this happens again, you can also request an in-school deferment form directly from your servicer and have your school's registrar fill it out as backup documentation. The administrative forbearance was definitely the smart move while they fix their mistake!

This is such a helpful thread! As someone new to navigating student loans, I had no idea these reporting errors were so common. It's really reassuring to see how the community rallied to help Diego figure this out. I'm definitely bookmarking this conversation and going to check my loan status on studentaid.gov right now - better to catch any issues early than get surprised by a payment notice! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience as someone who works with guardianship cases. One additional resource that might be helpful is connecting with your local CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program - even though your nephew may not need a CASA volunteer at this point, they often have excellent connections with college access programs specifically designed for youth in guardianship situations. Also, don't overlook community college as a potential starting point if the four-year college finances become too complex initially. Many community colleges have partnerships with four-year universities, and starting there could give you more time to navigate the FAFSA complexities while he earns credits at a lower cost. Plus, some states have guaranteed transfer programs that could work really well for his situation. It sounds like you're building a solid foundation for his success - the fact that he's already working and you're planning this far ahead puts him in such a better position than many students in similar circumstances. Keep advocating for him!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who went through college with independent status due to guardianship - the advice here is spot on! One thing I'd add is to make sure your nephew understands that being independent for FAFSA purposes is actually a huge advantage financially, even though the circumstances that led to it are difficult. With his low income from the grocery store job and independent status, he'll likely qualify for the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for 2024-25), plus potentially state grants and institutional aid. That's money that doesn't have to be repaid. Combined with the higher loan limits mentioned earlier, he could have his education costs largely covered. Also, encourage him to keep working if possible - work experience is valuable for college applications and future opportunities, plus having some income shows financial responsibility to aid offices. Just make sure he knows to keep detailed records of all his earnings. The fact that you're planning this early and asking the right questions means he's going to be in such a better position than students who figure this out last minute. You're giving him an incredible gift by navigating all this complexity now!