when i had signature problems my financial aid advisor told me that the data sometimes gets sent to schools before the signature verification is complete... something about "preliminary data release" vs "official data release" idk the technical terms but thats why portland state got the info early. but u definitely need to fix the signature thing for sure or u might miss out on first-come-first-served aid

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My FAFSA has been stuck on "signatures needed" for over two weeks, even though my parent and I both signed with our FSA IDs when we first submitted. It's such a relief to see I'm not the only one experiencing this glitch. The whole new FAFSA rollout has been a nightmare - I've heard so many horror stories from friends about applications getting lost, signature issues, and processing delays. I'm definitely going to try re-signing tonight based on everyone's advice here. Has anyone noticed if this happens more when you save and return to the application multiple times? I'm wondering if that's what triggered the issue for me since I had to come back to it a few times to gather tax documents.

As someone new to navigating the FAFSA process, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in a similar situation with my daughter who's a sophomore, and I was panicking thinking I missed some deadline for spring semester. It's such a relief to know that one FAFSA covers the whole academic year. I love all the practical tips everyone shared about checking the student portal regularly and being aware of disbursement timing. The advice about academic progress requirements is especially valuable - I had no idea that grades could affect financial aid eligibility between semesters. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for first-time college parents like me!

I just wanted to chime in as another parent going through this process! My daughter is also a freshman this year and I had the exact same worry about winter semester. Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring - it's clear that the FAFSA covers the full academic year, which is a huge relief! I especially appreciate the tips about checking the student portal regularly and being aware of the academic progress requirements. I had no idea that grades could impact financial aid between semesters. One question I have for the group - has anyone dealt with a situation where their student's aid amount changed between fall and spring? I'm wondering if that's something we should be prepared for or if it typically stays consistent throughout the year (assuming grades and enrollment stay the same).

Congrats on getting it sorted out! Just wanted to add something that might help others reading this thread - if you run into issues with consortium agreements in the future, many schools also have "visiting student" or "transient student" options where you can officially enroll at your home school but take classes at another institution. It's basically another way to make sure all your credits count toward your enrollment status. The paperwork is sometimes easier than consortium agreements, though it depends on the schools involved. Worth asking about if you ever face this situation again!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation two summers ago! It's great that you got the consortium agreement started - that's definitely the right path. One thing I learned the hard way is to also confirm with Community College A that they understand their role in the consortium process. Sometimes the community college side gets confused about reporting enrollment to your home school. I had to call my CC three times to make sure they were properly communicating my enrollment status to my university. Also, since you mentioned textbook costs - check if either school has rental programs or if you can find used copies online early. Summer textbook buyback is usually terrible, so planning ahead can save you money. You're doing everything right by getting this sorted now rather than waiting until the last minute like I did!

I'm so sorry you're going through this! I just joined this community because I'm having similar issues with my FAFSA account being locked out. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful - I had no idea that so many people were experiencing the same problems with the new system. I'm definitely going to try calling right at 8 AM tomorrow using those specific phrases that Leila mentioned ("technical account access issue" and "FSA ID verification problem"). It's reassuring to know that there are actual FSA agents working on clearing the backlog and that schools are being understanding about extensions. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread is like a lifeline for those of us stuck in FAFSA limbo!

Just wanted to add my experience here since I went through this exact same nightmare last month! I was locked out of my FAFSA account for almost a month and tried everything - calling dozens of times, filing complaints, you name it. What finally worked for me was a combination of the strategies mentioned here: 1. I called at exactly 8:00 AM using the "technical account access issue" phrase 2. I also contacted my school's financial aid office who gave me a 2-week extension 3. Most importantly, I had my congressman's office contact FSA on my behalf - they responded within 48 hours after that! Don't underestimate the power of getting your elected representatives involved. Their offices deal with federal agency issues all the time and know exactly who to contact. I just called my congressman's local office, explained the situation and my approaching deadline, and they submitted an inquiry to the Department of Education that same day. Also, definitely work on your CSS Profile separately like others mentioned - you don't need FAFSA access for that and many schools require both anyway. Hang in there Amina! The system is broken but there are ways to work around it. Your persistence will pay off!

I'm dealing with this exact same frustration right now! My family runs a small consulting business and I was really looking forward to the "simplified" FAFSA process, but it turns out that only applies if you have straightforward W-2 income. The IRS data transfer did pull our basic information like AGI and filing status, but then the application started asking all these detailed questions about business income, expenses, and depreciation that weren't automatically filled in. I ended up having to dig through our Schedule C forms just like in previous years. What's particularly annoying is that some of the business-related questions on the FAFSA are worded differently than how the information appears on our tax forms, so I kept second-guessing whether I was entering the right numbers. I had to stop multiple times to double-check our tax documents and make sure I understood what they were actually asking for. The whole "automatic" data transfer is really only helpful for families with simple tax situations. For anyone with self-employment income, rental properties, or other business activities, you're still going to need all your tax documents ready and should plan to spend just as much time as you did with the old FAFSA format.

I'm going through the exact same thing with my family's small plumbing business! My dad was really excited when we heard about the "automatic" IRS data transfer because he has multiple Schedule C forms and usually spends hours gathering all the business documents. But when I started the 2025-26 FAFSA last week, it only pulled the basic income info and then asked for tons of detailed business information that we had to look up manually. What really caught me off guard was how the FAFSA questions about business expenses and income are phrased so differently from our actual tax forms. I kept having to cross-reference between the application and our Schedule C to make sure I was entering the right numbers in the right places. The session actually timed out on me twice because I was taking too long to find specific information! I ended up calling our tax preparer to help clarify some of the questions, and she told me this is pretty normal for self-employed families. She said the IRS data transfer is mainly designed for W-2 employees and that business owners should expect to still need all their tax documents ready. I really wish they had been more upfront about these limitations instead of making it sound like the whole process would be automatic for everyone. For anyone else dealing with self-employment income, definitely have all your Schedule C forms, 1099s, and business records organized before you start. And save your progress frequently - those timeout issues are real when you're constantly looking up information!