my brother had this problem last month and we found out it was because he had a credit freeze on his account with the credit bureaus! as soon as he temporarily lifted the freeze, his SSN got verified within 2 days. might be worth checking if you have any credit freezes active?

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! My son submitted his FAFSA 25 days ago and we're still stuck on SSN verification. I've been checking daily and it just says "pending" with no updates. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like we just have to wait it out unfortunately. I'm going to try calling FSA tomorrow using the specific language that Ava suggested about "SSN verification stuck in pending status preventing contributor invitations" - hopefully that helps get through to someone who can actually do something. This whole process is so stressful when college deadlines are looming!

Thank you all so much for your help! We were able to find the SAR in the My Documents section and download it. Everything looks correct and her SAI score matches what we saw on the dashboard. Such a relief to know this wasn't something we did wrong. For anyone else with this issue - check your documents section on studentaid.gov and don't panic if you didn't get an email!

As someone who went through this exact same situation last month, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - the missing email notification is NOT a problem! My son's FAFSA showed processed but we never got the email either. I was panicking for days until I realized I could just download the SAR directly from studentaid.gov. All his colleges received the information automatically and he got his financial aid packages on schedule. The system is definitely working behind the scenes even when the notifications aren't. Don't stress about it!

Glad to hear you got through to FSA and they're working on fixing it! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this thread - if you're having trouble getting through to FSA by phone, try calling right when they open (8am ET) or during lunch hours when call volume might be lower. I've noticed the wait times are usually shorter then. Also, make sure you have your FSA ID and all relevant documents ready before calling so you don't waste time once you get connected. Good luck with getting everything resolved before your deadline!

Just wanted to share my experience for anyone else dealing with this issue - I had the exact same problem last year with my daughter's FAFSA when I accidentally entered my SSN with a typo. The key thing I learned is to be persistent but patient with FSA. When you call, make sure to explain that it's a contributor SSN error specifically, not the student's SSN, because they handle those differently. Also, if the first agent you talk to seems unsure about the process, don't be afraid to politely ask to speak with a supervisor who deals with FAFSA corrections regularly. Some agents are newer and might not know all the steps for unlocking those locked fields. Document everything with dates and reference numbers - this saved me when I had to call back for a follow-up. The whole process took about 2 weeks from start to finish, but my daughter's aid wasn't delayed because we caught it early and kept the school informed throughout the process.

Congratulations on getting it sorted out! 🎉 Your persistence really paid off. The 5:30 AM timing tip is brilliant - I never would have thought to try during off-peak hours. I'm bookmarking this whole thread because the combination of troubleshooting steps here is like a masterclass in FAFSA problem-solving. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and solutions. This kind of community support is exactly what students need when dealing with these frustrating technical issues!

As someone who just went through this exact nightmare last month, I feel your pain! What ended up working for me was actually calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center early in the morning (around 7 AM EST) when call volume is lower. I got through in about 20 minutes instead of hours. The rep told me that there's been a known issue with certain browser cache conflicts that aren't fully resolved by normal clearing methods. She had me go into Chrome's developer tools (F12) and manually clear the application storage and service workers. Sounds technical but she walked me through it step by step. After that, the signature page worked perfectly. Worth trying before you resort to the mail option! Also, make sure you're not using any password managers or auto-fill extensions when you get to that page - they can interfere with the signature verification process.

Just wanted to echo what everyone else has said - no prepayment penalties on federal Parent PLUS loans! I'm actually a college financial aid counselor and this is one of the most common questions parents ask. The key things to remember: 1) Always specify "apply to principal" when making extra payments, 2) Log into your servicer's website rather than just mailing checks to ensure proper application, and 3) Keep screenshots of your payment confirmations. One additional tip - if you're getting an inheritance next year, you might want to calculate whether making smaller extra payments throughout the year (as you get portions of the inheritance) could save you more interest than waiting to make one lump sum payment. Either way though, paying off a 7.54% loan early is almost always a smart financial move. Best of luck with your daughter's college journey!

As someone who just went through the Parent PLUS loan process last fall, I can confirm there are absolutely no prepayment penalties! We actually paid off about $15,000 early when my husband got a bonus, and the process was pretty straightforward. Just want to add one thing I learned the hard way - when you log into your servicer's website to make the extra payment, look for language like "do not advance due date" in addition to "apply to principal." Some servicers use slightly different wording, but the key is making sure they don't just push your next payment due date further out. Also, after you make a large payment, check your account a few days later to verify it was applied correctly. If there's any confusion, call right away because it's much easier to fix immediately than months later. Your inheritance plan sounds like a great way to knock out that debt early and save on all that 7.54% interest!