Just to follow up on what others have said - this happens more often than you'd think. The FAFSA system recently underwent significant changes with the FAFSA Simplification Act, and many parents accidentally create applications for themselves while trying to navigate the new contributor process. Don't worry about it affecting your son's SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) calculation or his overall financial aid package. The system treats each FSA ID as a completely separate entity. As for deleting, if you absolutely can't find the option through the steps I provided earlier, you can also send an email to FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov requesting deletion of your application. Include your name and FSA ID username (not password), and they can handle it that way too.

I work at a financial aid office and see this ALL the time! Don't stress about it - you're definitely not the first parent to accidentally create their own FAFSA while helping their kid. The good news is that incomplete applications automatically expire after the deadline passes, so even if you do nothing, the emails will eventually stop. But if you want to delete it now (which I'd recommend), follow the steps others have mentioned about going to the bottom of your application summary page. And yes, your son's processed FAFSA is completely safe - there's zero connection between your accidental application and his completed one.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my daughter! Her MPN went through fine but the loan counseling has been stuck for over a week. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about checking the "My Aid" section on studentaid.gov to see transmission status or that you could manually re-send completed counseling to schools. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: our high school guidance counselor mentioned that during peak periods (like right now), some schools batch process loan documents only on certain days of the week rather than daily. So even if the transmission goes through, the school might not update their records until their next processing day. Might be worth asking about their processing schedule when you call. Also totally relate to the Parent PLUS confusion - it's showing as "required" on my daughter's portal even though we never applied for it. Definitely going to look for that decline option everyone mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation with my daughter right now! Her loan counseling has been stuck in transmission for about a week, and like you, we're getting anxious with the semester approaching. One thing I discovered that might help - I called the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly (1-800-433-3243) instead of just the school, and they were able to see on their end that the counseling was completed but confirm whether it had actually transmitted. The agent told me that sometimes there are system glitches during peak season that cause counseling files to get "stuck" even though they show as submitted on the student's end. They were also able to manually trigger a re-transmission while I was on the phone, which saved me from having to wait another 5-7 days. Might be worth trying if you continue having issues with the school's financial aid office. As for the Parent PLUS showing as missing - I had the exact same confusion! Turns out most schools automatically generate that requirement until you actively decline it in their system. It's not very intuitive, but it's standard practice apparently. Hope you get it sorted out soon!

This is such a common question for community college families! I went through this exact same process with my daughter two years ago and made the mistake of listing her "dream schools" on the initial FAFSA even though she was definitely starting at community college. It just created confusion and we ended up getting financial aid award letters from schools she wasn't even attending. Save yourself the headache and just list the community college for now. When she's ready to transfer, you'll do a fresh FAFSA for that year and can focus on getting the best aid package from her actual transfer options at that time.

This is really helpful to see so many people confirming the same approach! I'm a first-time FAFSA filler and was definitely overthinking this. My son is also planning the community college to 4-year university route, and I kept second-guessing myself about whether we needed to list his potential transfer schools now. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me confidence to just focus on the community college for this year's FAFSA. Thanks for asking this question - it's clearly something a lot of us community college parents stress about!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare! As someone who just went through FAFSA hell myself, I feel your pain. The SSN conflict issue seems to be happening to more families this year - I wonder if it's related to all the FAFSA system changes they made. One thing that helped me when I couldn't get through to FSA was reaching out to my kids' high school guidance counselor. She had direct contacts at some of the colleges and was able to advocate for deadline extensions while we sorted out our technical issues. High school counselors deal with these problems all the time and often have insider knowledge about workarounds. Also, if you're on social media, try reaching out to @FAFSA on Twitter with your situation. Sometimes public pressure gets faster responses than going through normal channels. Document everything and don't give up - your kids deserve that financial aid!

I'm so glad to see this thread and that you got it resolved! I'm actually a newcomer here dealing with a very similar issue - the FAFSA system is telling me I already have an account when I'm trying to help my daughter with her application, but I've never created one. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially the specific advice about calling right at 8am and asking directly for the FSA ID Resolution Center. It's frustrating that this seems to be such a common problem this year. I'm wondering if the new FAFSA changes have somehow made the system more sensitive to SSN conflicts, or if there's just been an increase in data entry errors. Either way, it's reassuring to know there's a specific department that can actually fix these issues. I'm planning to follow the strategy outlined here - call first thing tomorrow morning, contact my daughter's school financial aid office to explain the situation, and document everything just in case. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. This community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with these bureaucratic nightmares!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this discussion! I'm facing a similar situation with property sales and FAFSA concerns, and this thread has been absolutely enlightening. The explanation about the prior-prior year rule was a complete game-changer for me - I had no idea that financial changes happening now won't impact aid applications until two years later. That's such a relief! I'm also really appreciative of the detailed breakdown about how different types of assets are treated on the FAFSA (retirement accounts vs. regular investments vs. cash holdings) - this is exactly the kind of practical information that's so difficult to find clearly explained elsewhere. The clarification about legal vs. biological relationships for adopted children was also eye-opening. What strikes me most is how supportive and knowledgeable everyone is in this community, sharing real experiences and practical advice rather than just theoretical information. The encouragement about the new FAFSA calculations potentially being more generous than expected has convinced me to apply regardless of income level. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource for families navigating these complex financial aid questions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful to have found this discussion! I'm dealing with a very similar situation where we're planning to sell rental property and I've been worried sick about FAFSA implications for my son's college applications. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the prior-prior year rule! I had absolutely no idea that property sales happening now wouldn't affect financial aid until two years down the road. That changes everything for our timing! The detailed explanations about how retirement account contributions are treated differently from regular investments on the FAFSA have also been eye-opening. I'm taking notes on all the practical advice here, from the asset treatment breakdown to the importance of having adoption documentation ready if applicable. What really impresses me about this community is how everyone shares real experiences and actionable advice rather than just pointing to confusing government resources. The stories about the new FAFSA calculations being more generous than expected have given me hope that it's worth applying regardless of income level. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for families trying to navigate these complex financial aid waters!