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 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!

Hi there! As someone new to this community, I wanted to jump in and say thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences here. I'm in a somewhat similar situation with my stepson who receives SSDI benefits from his biological father's disability, and these responses have been incredibly enlightening. One thing I'd add that might be helpful - when you contact the financial aid offices after submitting your FAFSA, ask specifically about their "special circumstances" or "professional judgment" process. Some schools have standardized forms for exactly this type of situation (income that changes during the academic year), while others handle it more informally through letters and documentation. Also, @Mila Walker, you mentioned your ex thinks he should be the contributing parent because "his disability is paying for her anyway" - I dealt with something similar with my stepson's bio dad. It might be worth getting clarification in writing from the school's financial aid office about who should be listed as the parent, just so you have official documentation if your ex continues to push back on this. The FAFSA rules are very clear that it's based on custody and support, not the source of any benefits the student receives. Best of luck with the process - it sounds like you're being really thorough and proactive, which will definitely help!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share something that might be helpful for your situation. I just went through the 2024-2025 FAFSA process with my son who has a similar disability benefit situation, and one thing I learned is to keep detailed records of every phone call and email exchange with financial aid offices. What really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking which schools we contacted, when we contacted them, who we spoke with, and what they told us about their special circumstances process. Some schools responded within days, while others took weeks, and having that tracking system helped me follow up appropriately without being pushy. Also, I noticed you mentioned feeling stressed about the whole process - totally understandable! One thing that helped reduce my anxiety was tackling it in phases: first complete and submit the FAFSA with the required information (including reporting the full disability payments), then immediately start gathering all your documentation for the special circumstances appeals, and finally contact schools systematically as your daughter gets accepted. The community members here have given you excellent technical advice - I just wanted to add the organizational perspective that helped me stay sane during the process! You're asking all the right questions and being proactive, which puts you way ahead of where I was at this stage last year.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied for Parent PLUS loan last week and still showing "processing" - it's so nerve-wracking not knowing what's happening. My son's SAI also came back much higher than we expected ($11,800) and we're scrambling to figure out the gap funding. From what I've been reading here, it sounds like 5-7 business days is pretty normal for approval, so hopefully we'll both hear something soon. The credit requirements seem less scary than I initially thought based on what others have shared. Fingers crossed for both of us! This whole financial aid process is way more stressful than anyone warned me about.

Just wanted to share my recent experience to hopefully ease some anxiety! I submitted my Parent PLUS application for my daughter's junior year about 2 weeks ago and got approved in 6 business days. Like you, I had some concerns about credit issues - I had a couple 30-day late payments on a credit card from early 2023 when I was going through a job transition. The "processing" status really doesn't give you any useful information, which is so frustrating! Mine showed processing right up until the day it switched to approved. I found that logging into the FSA website early in the morning (around 6-7 AM) seemed to show updates faster than checking during peak hours. Your SAI being higher than expected is unfortunately becoming the norm with the new FAFSA formula. We're dealing with similar sticker shock. The good news is that based on what others have shared here about the credit requirements, your 2023 late payments probably won't be an issue if they weren't 90+ days delinquent. Hang in there - the waiting is definitely the hardest part of this whole process!