I'm new to this community but had to join after reading your post because I went through this EXACT same nightmare last year! The "Confirm Your Information" error plagued me for over 2 months and I was pulling my hair out. What finally worked for me was a combination of several things people mentioned here, but with one crucial addition: I had to get my daughter's school to submit what's called a "manual override request" to the Department of Education while simultaneously working the technical angle. Here's my step-by-step solution that worked: **Technical Side:** - Used my daughter's student account to initiate the Parent PLUS request (as others mentioned) - Accessed it through a VPN set to a different geographic region - Used Edge browser in IE compatibility mode during off-peak hours (2-4 AM) **Administrative Side:** - Had the school's financial aid office submit a manual override request citing "persistent technical errors preventing parent access" - Got documentation from FAFSA support acknowledging the known system bug (took 3 escalated calls but they finally admitted it in writing) The key was attacking it from both angles simultaneously. The school's override request created pressure on the system while the technical workarounds gave me alternative pathways to try. Also, demand to speak to a "Tier 2" technical support agent when you call FAFSA - regular reps can't do much, but Tier 2 can actually submit internal tickets to bypass these errors. You have to specifically ask for escalation to Tier 2. Don't give up - this is 100% their system failure, not anything you did wrong!

I'm new here but created an account specifically to help after reading your story - this is absolutely maddening and you shouldn't have to deal with a broken system for this long! I had a very similar issue earlier this year, though not quite as prolonged as yours. What finally got me through was a two-pronged approach that I haven't seen fully explained yet: **First - Create a "Clean Slate" Environment:** - Use a device/network you've NEVER tried the FAFSA site on before (borrow a friend's laptop, go to a different library, etc.) - Create a completely fresh browser profile (not just incognito - an entirely new user profile) - Turn off ALL browser extensions and plugins - Make sure your system clock/timezone is correct (sounds weird but it can cause authentication issues) **Second - Use the "Back Door" Method:** Instead of going directly to the Parent PLUS application, try this path: 1. Log into your FSA ID 2. Go to "My Aid" first 3. Look for "Request Additional Aid" or "Apply for Parent Loan" 4. This sometimes bypasses the corrupted confirmation page entirely **Third - Timing is EVERYTHING:** The error seems to be server-load related. Try between 12 AM - 6 AM EST when traffic is lowest. I know it's crazy to wake up at 3 AM for this, but desperate times... Also, when you call support, immediately ask: "Can you check if my SSN/account has been flagged in your security system?" Sometimes accounts get falsely flagged and regular reps don't think to check this. You're not crazy, this system IS broken, and you're doing everything right. Keep fighting!

Hey! I went through this exact same confusion a few weeks ago and it definitely threw me for a loop too. The terminology is super weird when you have married parents - I kept thinking I was missing something obvious! But everyone here is right - just pick either parent as "Parent 1" and the other as "Parent's spouse." I ended up choosing my mom as the main parent just because she had all the tax documents organized, but honestly it could have been either one. The whole form design makes more sense when you realize they're trying to accommodate every possible family situation with one set of questions. You're definitely not overthinking it - the wording really is confusing at first glance!

I went through this exact same confusion when I filled out my FAFSA a couple months ago! The parent/spouse terminology is so confusing when your parents are married to each other. I actually called the financial aid office at my school and they confirmed what everyone else is saying here - it literally doesn't matter which parent you list first. I chose my mom as "Parent 1" simply because she was sitting next to me when I was filling it out, and my dad as the "parent's spouse." Both of their financial information gets combined in the calculation anyway. The form is just designed to work for all kinds of family situations (divorced parents, remarried parents, etc.) which is why they use that weird wording. Don't stress about it - you've got this!

Thank you all for the detailed responses! This has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more prepared now knowing that we have to go through the invitation process again, but at least I have a better understanding of what to expect. I'll make sure to update our browsers, have our tax documents ready, double-check email addresses, and save PDFs of everything. It's frustrating that the system is still so problematic, but I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips. Fingers crossed the second time goes more smoothly than the first!

As someone who just completed my second FAFSA renewal last month, I can confirm it's still a pain but definitely more manageable once you know what to expect! Yes, you absolutely have to re-invite parents each year - it's one of the most frustrating "features" of the new system. Here's what helped me streamline the process this time around: 1) I created a shared Google doc with my mom listing all our login info, important dates, and a checklist of steps 2) We scheduled a specific time to do it together over video call so I could walk her through any confusing parts 3) I set up a separate email folder just for FAFSA notifications so nothing gets lost. The good news is that some of your basic info does carry over, and if you're eligible for the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, that part is actually much faster than manually entering tax info like in the old system. Just be patient with the site - it's still slow and glitchy, but not quite as crash-prone as last year. You've got this!

Great to hear you got it sorted out! For anyone else dealing with similar FAFSA glitches, it's really helpful to know that FSA confirmed this is a known issue and that missing middle names won't impact aid calculations. The Claimyr service sounds like a game-changer for actually reaching someone at FSA - I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing the resolution!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar issue where my son's middle initial is showing up as "NMN" (no middle name) even though he does have a middle name. Based on what everyone shared here, it sounds like I should try the mobile app first, then maybe use that Claimyr service to get through to FSA if needed. It's reassuring to know this won't actually impact his aid eligibility. Thanks for documenting your solution - it's going to help so many families!

my daughters SAI finally got fixed this morning! went back down to the original amount. check ur accounts everyone!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! My SAI went from around $47k to $94k overnight and I've been stressed out of my mind. After reading through all these responses, I'm feeling a bit more hopeful that it's a widespread bug rather than something wrong with my specific application. I've already reached out to my financial aid office with screenshots like someone suggested, and I'm going to mention that Dear Colleague Letter GEN-25-03 that Miguel referenced. It's so frustrating that this is happening right when we need to make crucial financial decisions about college, but at least we're not alone in this mess. Fingers crossed it gets resolved soon for all of us!