I'm dealing with this exact same issue! Been stuck on the parent contributor section since yesterday with that "system unable to complete action" error. It's so frustrating because my dad's tax info is completely straightforward - just W-2 income, nothing complicated. I've tried Chrome, Firefox, clearing cache, even tried from my school's library computers thinking it was my home wifi. Nothing works! My priority deadline is next week so I'm definitely going to try the 3am approach that everyone's mentioning. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to wake up in the middle of the night just to submit financial aid forms, but if that's what gets it done... 😤 Also planning to call my financial aid office tomorrow morning to document these technical issues before my deadline. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread system problem and not something I'm doing wrong!

I'm experiencing this exact same issue! Been trying to submit my parent contributor section for the past two days and keep getting that "system unable to complete action" error. It's so reassuring to find this thread and know I'm not alone - I was starting to think I had entered my mom's tax information wrong somehow. I've tried Chrome, Firefox, clearing cache, even tried from different devices but nothing works! My school's priority deadline is next Thursday so I'm getting pretty anxious about this. Definitely going to try the 3am approach that seems to be working for everyone based on the comments here. Also planning to contact my financial aid office tomorrow morning to document these technical issues before my deadline. Thanks for posting this - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread system problem and not something we're doing wrong! 🤞

I'm a newcomer here but going through the exact same nightmare! My FAFSA was processed in early March and then mysteriously reprocessed two weeks ago. I have one child currently in college and another starting this fall, so reading about these multiple-student calculation issues has me really concerned. The lack of communication from the Department of Education is absolutely maddening - how are families supposed to make informed decisions about college when the numbers keep changing without explanation? I'm going to try the Claimyr service that Zane mentioned to actually get through to someone who can explain what happened to our application. This whole "simplified" FAFSA has been anything but simple! Thank you all for sharing your experiences - at least now I know we're not alone in this chaos.

I'm new to this community and unfortunately joining because I'm experiencing this exact same issue! My FAFSA was initially processed on March 22nd and then got reprocessed on April 30th without any notification. I have one child finishing her sophomore year and another starting as a freshman this fall. After reading through all these experiences, I'm both relieved to know this is widespread and terrified about what it means for our financial aid. My SAI increased by about $3,600, which could significantly impact the aid package for my incoming freshman. I'm going to follow the excellent advice here - downloading both SAI calculations immediately, contacting each school's financial aid office directly, and asking specifically about their policies for reprocessed FAFSAs. The insider perspective from Alejandro about the "most favorable SAI" policy gives me hope that schools might be more flexible than expected. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions. It's frustrating that families have to become FAFSA processing experts just to navigate what was supposed to be a "simplified" system, but at least we're figuring it out together!

I work as a financial aid advisor and want to echo what others have said - you absolutely made the right choice to correct the family size! For families in your income bracket, household size is one of the most impactful factors in the SAI calculation. The FAFSA uses a formula that considers both your income AND family size to determine need, so having that field blank essentially tells the system you have fewer people to support than you actually do. With 5 people in your household and your income level, you should see a meaningful improvement in your aid eligibility once the recalculation processes. Make sure to save all your confirmation emails from the correction process - sometimes schools ask for documentation when significant changes are made to aid packages. Also, if your son's school hasn't finalized his aid package for summer yet, this correction should be reflected in time for that term. Great job catching this error and taking action!

As a college student who went through this exact situation with my own family's FAFSA, I can't stress enough how important it is to fix this! My parents initially left our family size field incomplete (we're a family of 6) and when we corrected it, our Expected Family Contribution dropped significantly, which meant more aid. The correction process really isn't as scary as it seems - I was worried it would mess everything up too, but it just updates your Student Aid Index calculation. With your income level and family size of 5, you're likely missing out on substantial aid that could make a real difference for your son's education. The peace of mind alone is worth making the correction, and from what I've seen in this thread, most people who fix this kind of error see meaningful increases in their aid packages. Don't let a simple oversight cost your family thousands of dollars in potential assistance!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly thorough and enlightening discussion! I've been dealing with a very similar situation where my daughter's father claims her on taxes but has made it clear he won't contribute anything toward college expenses. I was genuinely panicked thinking I'd need his cooperation and financial information for FAFSA. This thread has been absolutely transformative for my understanding of the process. The distinction between tax dependency and FAFSA custodial parent determination that the financial aid counselor explained is crucial information that really should be highlighted more prominently in college planning resources. My daughter has been living with me full-time for over two years, so based on everything shared here, I'm clearly the parent who should be completing the FAFSA. What's particularly encouraging is learning that my lower income compared to her father's could actually work in our favor for financial aid eligibility - it's amazing how what initially seemed like a major barrier might actually become an advantage! I'm already starting to organize documentation like school enrollment records, medical records, and utility bills showing our shared address, just in case we get selected for verification. The peace of mind from knowing I don't need my ex's cooperation to move forward with my daughter's college plans is incredible. Thank you to everyone who shared their professional expertise and personal experiences. This community's supportiveness and knowledge-sharing is truly remarkable, and I'm so grateful to have found this resource during such a stressful time in the college application process!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my voice to thank everyone for this incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm currently facing the exact same situation - my son's father has claimed him on taxes throughout high school but now refuses to help with any college expenses. I was completely overwhelmed thinking I'd be stuck needing his financial information for FAFSA, but this thread has been absolutely life-changing for my understanding of the process. The clarification from the financial aid counselor about tax dependency being completely separate from FAFSA custodial parent determination is information that should honestly be plastered on every college planning website! My son has lived with me full-time for the past two and a half years, so based on all the expert advice shared here, I'm clearly the parent who should be completing the FAFSA. What gives me even more hope is learning that my significantly lower income compared to his father's could actually improve our financial aid eligibility - it's incredible how what felt like an insurmountable obstacle might actually work in our favor! I'm going to start gathering documentation immediately - school records, medical files, utility bills - just in case we get selected for verification. The relief of knowing I can move forward with my son's college planning without needing my uncooperative ex's involvement is immense. Thank you to everyone who shared their professional expertise and personal experiences. This community's dedication to helping families navigate these complex situations is truly remarkable, and I feel so much more confident about the process ahead!

I'm dealing with a similar SSA verification delay right now - it's been about 2.5 weeks for me. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful! I had no idea about checking the "Processing Results" section specifically, or that there could be technical glitches that require "kicking" the system with a correction. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else facing this: I called my school's financial aid office early in the process and they told me they keep a list of students with SSA verification delays, so when aid packages are being put together, they know to check back on those applications. Definitely worth letting your school know even if you haven't hit their deadline yet. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know this is a common issue and not just me doing something wrong!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My FAFSA has been stuck on SSA verification for about 2 weeks and I was starting to panic. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about checking the "Processing Results" section specifically, or that name mismatches (even tiny ones like hyphens or spaces) could cause such long delays. I'm going to double-check my information against my Social Security card right now and contact my school's financial aid office tomorrow to let them know about the delay. It's actually really reassuring to know this is such a common issue and that most schools have procedures to handle these situations. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!