This thread has been a lifesaver! I've been struggling with this exact same looping issue for the past 4 days and was starting to panic about missing my school's priority deadline. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel so much less alone in this mess. Based on all the great advice here, I'm pretty sure my problem is also a name formatting mismatch. My dad's FSA ID uses "William" but I think I entered "Bill" in my FAFSA application. It's ridiculous that such a small detail can cause the entire system to fail without giving any helpful error messages! I'm going to try fixing the name formatting tonight to match exactly what's on his FSA ID, double-check for any commas in income fields, and if that doesn't work, I'll try submitting around 2-3am when server traffic is lower. Thanks so much to everyone who shared their solutions - this community is amazing when the actual FAFSA system is completely broken! Fingers crossed one of these fixes will work before my deadline.

Ugh, I'm having this EXACT same problem right now! It's so validating to see I'm not the only one going through this nightmare. I've been stuck in the submission loop for 3 days straight and my school's deadline is next week - I'm literally having stress dreams about missing financial aid! Reading through everyone's solutions, I think my issue might be a combination of things. My stepdad's FSA ID probably has his full name "Christopher" but I've been entering "Chris" in the contributor section. Plus I definitely used commas in the income fields because that seemed more natural (who writes $50000 without commas?!). Going to try fixing both of those tonight and submit around 2am like others suggested. If that doesn't work, I'm definitely calling FSA tomorrow - even if it means sitting on hold for 4 hours. At this point I'd rather waste a whole day on the phone than miss my deadline! Thank you SO much to everyone sharing their experiences and solutions. This community is literally saving my sanity right now! The new FAFSA system is an absolute disaster but at least we're all figuring it out together.

UPDATE: We figured it out! The problem was that my ex-husband had changed his phone number last year but never updated it in his FSA ID account. When we updated his contact information, the verification texts started coming through immediately. We've now successfully added him as a contributor and my daughter can finish her application. Thanks everyone for your help!

Congratulations on getting it resolved! That's such a relief when you're dealing with tight deadlines. For anyone else having similar issues, it's also worth checking if there are any browser compatibility problems - I've seen cases where Safari or older versions of Chrome don't play well with the FSA website's 2FA system. Sometimes switching to a different browser or using incognito mode can help with the verification codes too.

As a parent who just successfully completed the FAFSA process with my daughter a few weeks ago, I can confirm everything everyone has said about the student going first! The process really is much smoother when you follow the correct order. One additional tip I wanted to share - when your daughter is creating her FSA ID, make sure she uses an email address she checks regularly and a phone number where she can receive text messages. The system sends verification codes and important updates to both, and we had a moment of panic when my daughter realized she had used an old email address that she rarely checks. Also, when you do receive your invitation email as a parent, don't wait too long to respond - I think there might be some kind of time limit, though I'm not 100% sure about that. We completed our parent portion within a few days of receiving the invitation and everything went smoothly. The whole process took us about 2 hours total spread across a couple of sessions, which was much less time than I had anticipated! Good luck with your application!

As someone completely new to the FAFSA process with my daughter who's a high school senior, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I've been putting off tackling the FAFSA because it seemed so overwhelming and confusing, but reading through everyone's real experiences has given me the roadmap I desperately needed. The consistent advice about having my daughter create her FSA ID first and start the application, then waiting for her invitation email before I create my parent FSA ID, is crystal clear now. I was definitely going to make the mistake of trying to be "proactive" and set up my account early - thank goodness I found this thread first! I'm taking notes on all the practical tips: using different devices/browsers, having our 2023 tax documents ready, making sure she lists ALL schools regardless of admission status, and using current email addresses and phone numbers for verification. It's also reassuring to know that the process typically takes around 2 hours total and that technical glitches during peak times are normal. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - you've transformed what felt like an insurmountable task into something that actually feels manageable. My daughter and I are going to gather all our documents this weekend and dive in next week. Wish us luck!

As a newcomer to this whole process, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful but also a bit overwhelming! My daughter is just starting her junior year and I'm trying to get ahead of understanding all this. From what I'm reading, it sounds like the key is to ask each school directly about their specific policies rather than making assumptions. Can anyone recommend the best timing for these conversations? Should we wait until she actually receives merit offers, or is it worth asking about displacement policies during campus visits now? Also, are there any resources or websites that track which schools typically stack vs. displace? It seems like this information isn't always easy to find on school websites. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's helping me feel more prepared for what's coming!

As a parent who just went through this process last year, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - TIMING matters when calling financial aid offices! I found the best time to reach someone knowledgeable was mid-morning on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Mondays they're swamped with weekend calls, and Fridays many staff leave early. Also, don't just accept the first answer you get if it's not detailed enough. I had to call my daughter's school three times before I got someone who could walk through their displacement policy step-by-step with actual numbers. The first two reps just gave me generic responses about "evaluating each case individually." One more tip: if the school uses work-study as part of their need-based package, ask specifically if merit scholarships will reduce the work-study portion first. Some schools will replace work-study with merit money, which is actually beneficial since your daughter won't have to work those hours and can focus more on academics. That $18,500 merit award is fantastic - don't let the displacement concern overshadow celebrating your daughter's achievement!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm that marking "married" is absolutely the right call! My parents had a similar situation - dad relocated for work but they maintained their marriage and filed jointly. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given: when you do submit your special circumstances appeals, make sure to be consistent across all your schools with the documentation and explanation. I created a standard packet with all the supporting documents (lease agreements, utility bills, employment verification letter) and a clear cover letter explaining the situation. This made it much easier to submit to multiple schools. Also, don't get discouraged if some schools can't help - it really varies by institution and their available funds. I had two schools that were able to make adjustments and two that couldn't, but it was still worth trying at all of them. The process isn't as scary as it sounds, and financial aid officers are generally very understanding about these kinds of legitimate circumstances.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone currently working in college financial aid - you're absolutely making the right choice by marking "married"! I see students run into verification issues all the time when their FAFSA doesn't match their parents' tax filing status. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet: if your parents are claiming different state residencies for tax purposes (which sometimes happens with work relocations), make sure you understand how that affects YOUR residency status for tuition purposes at your target schools. Some states have specific rules about dependent students' residency when parents live in different states. Also, when you do submit those special circumstances appeals, include a brief timeline of when the work relocation happened and whether it's temporary or permanent. Schools sometimes view temporary work separations differently than permanent relocations, and it can affect how they calculate adjustments. The dual household documentation approach everyone's mentioned really does work - I've personally processed several of these cases and schools can be quite accommodating when you provide clear evidence of the additional expenses!