I went through something similar last year and what ultimately worked was contacting my state's Department of Education office. They have direct contacts at Federal Student Aid and can escalate cases that have been stuck for extended periods. Many states have a student aid ombudsman specifically for these situations. You can usually find your state's contact info by searching "[your state] student aid ombudsman" or calling your state's higher education department. They were able to get my FSA ID issue resolved within 48 hours after I'd been stuck for over a month. Worth trying if the other suggestions don't work!

I work as a financial aid counselor and see this exact issue constantly. Here's what I tell parents in your situation: First, try calling FSA at 8 AM Eastern and immediately say "technical support" when the automated system asks what you need help with - this often gets you to someone who can actually fix account issues rather than just general customer service. Second, ask your daughter's school about their "Parent PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note" alternative - some schools can process aid packages with just the student signature if the parent completes this separate form. Third, if you're still stuck, file a complaint with the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman at https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/disputes/prepare - they have more authority to resolve stuck accounts. Don't give up - I've seen cases like yours resolved even after months of being stuck!

one more thing - watch out for "front-loading" where they give u more aid freshman year then reduce it later! happened to my cousin and they had to transfer cuz they couldn't afford sophomore year

This thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same confusion with my daughter's applications. One thing I learned from our school counselor that might help others - when you're comparing offers, make sure to look at whether the aid includes work-study as part of the package. Some schools count work-study earnings as "aid" which makes their net price look lower, but you still have to actually work those hours and earn that money throughout the year. It's not guaranteed income like grants and scholarships. Just another layer of complexity to navigate in this already confusing process!

One more thing to consider - if you truly cannot get the other parent to cooperate, some schools will allow your daughter to only list information from your household on the FAFSA, but they'll then require the CSS Profile (a different financial aid form) which will collect more detailed information. Not all schools accept this approach though. The CSS Profile costs money to submit to each school, but they do offer fee waivers for eligible students. It's more detailed than the FAFSA but might be an option if you absolutely cannot get your ex to participate.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My ex hasn't been involved in our son's life for over 3 years but FAFSA still wants his information. What I learned from calling the financial aid office at my son's college is that you can submit a "special circumstances" form explaining the situation. They told me to gather any documentation I have showing lack of support - like child support records, court documents, even screenshots of unanswered messages trying to contact him. Each school handles these cases individually, so definitely reach out to the financial aid offices directly. It's frustrating but there are options if your ex won't cooperate!

I just went through this nightmare last week! Another thing that might help - if you're still getting locked out even after finding the backup code option, try waiting at least 30 minutes before attempting to log in again. I kept trying immediately after getting locked out and it seems like there's some kind of temporary lockout period that resets after waiting. Also, make sure you're typing the backup codes exactly as they appear (including any dashes or spaces) - I was removing the dashes thinking they were just formatting and that was causing them to be rejected. The whole system is definitely poorly designed but once you know these little quirks it becomes manageable. Good luck to anyone still dealing with this!

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact same issue a few months ago! I was completely panicking because I couldn't access my FAFSA right before my school's deadline. The backup code option is seriously hidden - I think the government websites are designed by people who have never actually used them lol. What ended up working for me was following the steps that @Giovanni Moretti shared (thank you SO much for that detailed breakdown!). But I also want to add that if you're still having trouble, try using an incognito/private browsing window. Sometimes stored cookies and cache can interfere with the login process. Also, for anyone else reading this - DEFINITELY save those backup codes in multiple places when you first set up your account. I learned this the hard way. I now have them saved in my phone's notes app, written down on paper, AND saved in my password manager. The stress of being locked out right before a financial aid deadline is something I never want to experience again! Glad you got it sorted out @Jamal Carter - that SAI score sounds promising! 🎉

Did you ever get this resolved? We're curious because we're about to add my wife as a contributor and want to avoid problems.

Oh my goodness, I'm so relieved to see this resolved! I'm actually in the exact same situation right now - my husband can't access the application after clicking the invitation link. After reading through all these responses, I'm going to have him check if he has multiple FSA IDs because that sounds like it could be our issue too. He's been so frustrated with the whole process. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with these technical glitches!