Another tip: GET THE MOBILE APP!! Both of you! It makes connecting accounts so much easier. I tried doing everything through the website last year and it was a disaster. The app walks you through everything step by step. Trust me on this.

As someone just starting this process with my daughter, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the separate account requirement and was about to make the same mistake of trying to use my old account for everything. Quick question - when you mention the mobile app, is that the "Federal Student Aid" app or something else? I want to make sure I download the right one. Also, @Liam Fitzgerald, thanks for explaining the SAI changes - I hadn't heard about those updates and it sounds like they could actually benefit some families compared to the old EFC system.

This is such a relief to read! I've been panicking for the last two days thinking I was doing something wrong. The sign-in button has been completely unresponsive for me too, and I tried all the usual troubleshooting steps. It's so frustrating that they don't put clear notices on the website when they're doing maintenance - would save everyone so much stress! I'm going to try again now that others are saying it's working, and I'll definitely contact my school's financial aid office first thing tomorrow to let them know about the delays. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread has been a lifesaver!

Just went through this exact same frustration last week! The greyed-out sign-in button issue seems to happen pretty regularly during their system updates. I'm glad to see from the recent comments that it's working again now. For anyone who might face this in the future, I found that having multiple backup plans really helps - like having the financial aid office contact info saved, taking screenshots for documentation, and even trying different devices/networks. The FAFSA system can be so unreliable during peak times, but at least this community is great at sharing solutions and supporting each other through these stressful situations!

This thread is so helpful! As someone who's about to start this process with my youngest, I'm bookmarking all these solutions. Quick question - for those who had to call FSA, about how long did the actual fix take once you got through to an agent? My daughter's application deadline is coming up fast and I want to know if this is something that can be resolved in one call or if it requires multiple follow-ups.

Thanks for this detailed thread! I'm going through the exact same issue with my son right now. The "account already established" error is driving me crazy. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like the PSAT connection might be our problem too - he definitely created some kind of College Board account for testing. I'm going to try the Claimyr service to get through to FSA and see if they can merge accounts like they did for Andre's daughter. Really appreciate everyone sharing their solutions - this community is a lifesaver!

This whole situation is so stressful! I'm dealing with something similar - my family's income changed significantly after we filed our taxes, and I've been waiting weeks for my school to process my appeal. Reading through all these responses is really helpful though. I had no idea about the distinction between SAI adjustments and the official Professional Judgment workflow in the new system. I'm going to try calling my financial aid office tomorrow and specifically ask for a "preliminary professional judgment decision letter" like Diego suggested. It's such a relief to know that other people are going through this too and that there are actually people getting their appeals processed now. Fingers crossed we can all get this sorted out before the May 1st deadline!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last month, I can confirm that the professional judgment functionality is finally working! My school processed my appeal two weeks ago after months of delays. Here's what helped me get it resolved: I scheduled an in-person appointment with my financial aid counselor (instead of just calling) and brought printed copies of all my documentation. Being able to sit down face-to-face made a huge difference - they were able to walk me through exactly what they needed and give me a realistic timeline. I also made sure to emphasize my enrollment deadline multiple times during the meeting. The whole new FAFSA system has been a nightmare, but don't lose hope! If your school still says they can't process it, ask them specifically what functionality they're waiting for, because the system capabilities have been rolling out in phases and they might not realize everything is available now.

This exact same thing happened to us! My son and I were both logged in at the same time working on different sections, and when I submitted the parent portion, it somehow triggered the whole application to submit without his signature. We were so confused when we got that rejection email. Thankfully we were able to fix it by having him log back in with his FSA ID and complete the signature process. The new FAFSA system definitely has some coordination issues when multiple people are working on it simultaneously. For anyone else dealing with this - make sure to coordinate who submits when, or better yet, complete it together on one device to avoid this glitch!

Wow, this thread has been super helpful! I'm a high school senior getting ready to fill out my FAFSA with my parents next month, and reading about all these submission glitches is making me nervous but also better prepared. It sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't work on it simultaneously from different devices, 2) Make sure both parent and student complete ALL sections before anyone hits submit, 3) Keep FSA IDs separate and don't mix them up, and 4) Double-check every question including that drug conviction one someone mentioned. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - hopefully by the time I apply they'll have fixed some of these bugs, but at least now I know what to watch out for!