Just to follow up on what others have said - this happens more often than you'd think. The FAFSA system recently underwent significant changes with the FAFSA Simplification Act, and many parents accidentally create applications for themselves while trying to navigate the new contributor process. Don't worry about it affecting your son's SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) calculation or his overall financial aid package. The system treats each FSA ID as a completely separate entity. As for deleting, if you absolutely can't find the option through the steps I provided earlier, you can also send an email to FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov requesting deletion of your application. Include your name and FSA ID username (not password), and they can handle it that way too.

I work at a financial aid office and see this ALL the time! Don't stress about it - you're definitely not the first parent to accidentally create their own FAFSA while helping their kid. The good news is that incomplete applications automatically expire after the deadline passes, so even if you do nothing, the emails will eventually stop. But if you want to delete it now (which I'd recommend), follow the steps others have mentioned about going to the bottom of your application summary page. And yes, your son's processed FAFSA is completely safe - there's zero connection between your accidental application and his completed one.

If your confirmation page shows the last 4 digits of both SSNs and indicates completion, you should be all set. Just make sure you both signed the FAFSA with your FSA IDs at the end. One last tip - save a PDF copy of your confirmation page for your records. You'll need your SAI score once it's calculated, which should happen within 3-5 business days if there are no verification issues.

I just went through this same process with my son last month and had the exact same panic! The new FAFSA system definitely takes some getting used to. One thing that helped ease my mind was logging back into both our FSA ID accounts and checking that our profiles showed our SSNs were verified - you can see a green checkmark next to "Identity Verified" in your account dashboard. Also, if you're still worried, you can always check your Student Aid Report (SAR) once it's processed in a few days - it will show your SSNs are properly linked. The system really is more secure this way, even though it feels weird not manually entering that critical info like we used to!

So glad to see your update that you're getting positive responses from the schools! This gives me hope for my own situation. I just wanted to share what I learned from my experience - when I called using Claimyr, the FSA agent mentioned that they're also working on sending out official notifications to colleges about this issue, which should make the appeal process even smoother for families still dealing with this. For anyone still struggling, don't give up! The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and it sounds like most schools are being reasonable once they understand what happened. Keep pushing and document everything like everyone has said!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! As someone who's been lurking here trying to figure out this exact same issue, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences and solutions. Our SAI jumped by $25k in March and I've been losing sleep over it. Reading through all the advice about getting a case number from FSA, documenting everything, and contacting schools directly has given me a clear action plan. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service since so many people have had success with it. It's frustrating that we have to become advocates and detectives just to get accurate financial aid information, but at least now I know it's possible to get this resolved. Will update once I make some progress!

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I decided to cancel the application and start fresh. We cleared browser cache, used Chrome instead of Safari, and made sure to double-check every section before continuing. It worked perfectly this time! Her info is correctly showing as student only, and my information is properly listed under Parent 1. The SAI preview number looks much more reasonable now too. What a relief! For anyone else having this problem, definitely just cancel and start over rather than waiting for verification to fail.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a college freshman and just went through this nightmare with my mom last fall. We had the exact same issue where my info was showing up in both student and parent sections. After reading all these responses, I want to add that you should also make sure to print or screenshot your final FAFSA summary page once everything is correct. The system sometimes has display glitches even after submission, and having that documentation saved us when our school's financial aid office had questions about our SAI calculation. Also, don't panic if you get selected for verification even with correct info - it's totally random this year and doesn't mean you did anything wrong!

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! I feel much better now understanding that the SAI isn't necessarily our exact out-of-pocket cost. We're going to: 1. Contact State University's financial aid office directly 2. Look into more scholarship opportunities 3. Consider calling FSA to understand our SAI calculation better 4. Wait for the official aid package before panicking This community has been incredibly helpful - way more informative than the confusing official websites!

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter, I wanted to add that it's also worth looking into whether State University offers any payment plan options. Even if your final out-of-pocket cost ends up being close to your SAI, many schools let you spread payments over 10-12 months instead of paying each semester upfront. This can make a big difference for cash flow! Also, don't forget about work-study opportunities - these aren't always reflected in the initial aid package but can help reduce your actual costs by $2,000-3,000 per year.