As someone who just went through this process with my oldest last year, I can confirm what others have said - both parents definitely need separate FSA IDs! What I wish someone had told me upfront is to create both FSA IDs at the SAME TIME when you first start. We made the mistake of me creating mine first, then my husband tried to create his a week later and ran into verification delays that held up our whole application. Also, keep your FSA ID info somewhere safe because you'll need it again for renewals each year your child is in college. The process gets much smoother after the first year once you know what to expect!

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA world, I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this thread! My daughter is a junior so we're a year out, but reading through all your experiences has been incredibly eye-opening. I had no idea both parents needed separate FSA IDs - I would have definitely made that mistake! I'm bookmarking this thread and plan to follow all the advice here when our time comes. Special thanks to those who shared the specific tips like using different email addresses and creating both FSA IDs at the same time. It's so helpful to learn from parents who've actually been through this process rather than trying to decipher the confusing official websites. You've probably saved me hours of frustration next year!

After helping dozens of students with this exact issue, my advice is to have everything ready before starting: 1. Parent's ITIN number 2. Parent's income documentation (even if they filed with ITIN) 3. Address history for past 2 years 4. Any state ID numbers the parent might have The system works now, but it's particular about the order of operations. Have the parent physically present when completing their section, use a reliable internet connection, and complete it all in one session. For your community center, I'd suggest creating a checklist document of required materials tailored to no-SSN situations to give students before their appointment. It makes the process much smoother.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! This is incredibly helpful. I'm planning to schedule dedicated sessions next week for the three students I mentioned. Based on what everyone has shared, I'll make sure to have them bring their parents, use Firefox or Edge browsers, complete everything in one session, and have all the documentation ready beforehand. It's reassuring to hear that while the system isn't perfect, it's significantly better than last year's disaster. I'll also reach out to our local college financial aid offices to let them know these students might need estimated packages while verification processes. Really appreciate this community - you've saved me and these students a lot of headaches!

I went through this exact confusion when I first started college! The key thing to remember is that the FAFSA is just your application to see what aid you're eligible for - it doesn't commit you to anything. The MPN is a separate step that only matters if you decide to take federal student loans. Think of it this way: - FAFSA + parent signature = "Here's our financial info, what aid can we get?" - MPN = "IF I decide to take loans, I agree to pay them back" You're smart to want to avoid loans if possible. Wait for your complete financial aid package first, see what grants and scholarships you get, then decide if you need loans to fill any gaps. The MPN can wait until you're sure you want loans - don't let those automated emails pressure you into rushing through it!

Just wanted to add that if you're still getting confusing emails from your school, you can also log into your studentaid.gov account to see exactly what documents you have and haven't completed yet. It gives you a clearer picture than those automated emails that schools send out. Also, don't worry about missing deadlines with the MPN - unlike the FAFSA which has strict deadlines, the MPN doesn't have a deadline because it's only needed IF you decide to accept loans. You can complete it anytime before you actually want to receive loan funds. So definitely take your time, wait for your aid package, and make informed decisions about what you actually need!

I'm going through this exact same process with my daughter right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! As a first-time FAFSA parent, I was completely confused when it skipped asking for our tax information. The new Direct Data Exchange system really should have better user communication - maybe a simple message saying "Your tax data is being automatically retrieved from the IRS" would save so much stress. I just checked our application using the steps provided here and confirmed we have the "IRS Data Retrieved" status. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

As someone who works at a financial aid office, I want to emphasize how common this confusion has been this year! The FAFSA Simplification Act was supposed to make things easier, but the lack of clear communication about the Direct Data Exchange is causing so much unnecessary stress for families. What you experienced - the system automatically pulling tax data without explicitly telling you - is exactly how it's designed to work now. I'm glad you were able to verify everything transferred correctly! For future reference, if anyone encounters issues where the IRS data retrieval fails, you can always go back and make corrections to manually enter the tax information. The new system is generally much faster once you understand how it works.

Just wanted to add - make sure to check if your school has an emergency aid application process. Many institutions have funds specifically for students at risk of dropping out due to financial hardship. This won't solve your FAFSA problem, but it might provide a temporary bridge while you get everything sorted out.

UPDATE: You all are amazing! I created a new FSA ID for my dad last night using his correct email (confirmed it 3 times). Then I used that Claimyr service someone suggested to get through to FSA quickly. The agent was able to help me complete the process and get my dad's portion signed! My FAFSA is now SUBMITTED!!! I'll deal with the duplicate FSA ID issue later as suggested. THANK YOU ALL for your help - you literally saved my education!