Also worth noting: make sure your son lists both you and your husband separately as contributors if you file taxes separately or if you're not married. If you file jointly, only one of you needs to complete the contributor section. Another tip: all of you should save your work frequently - the system can time out unexpectedly.

New to this whole process but wanted to share what I learned after going through it with my oldest daughter last week. The sequence everyone mentioned is correct, but here's something I wish someone had told me: make sure to have your FSA ID ready BEFORE your kid submits their portion. I didn't realize I needed to create my own studentaid.gov account ahead of time, so when I got the contributor email, I had to go through the whole FSA ID creation process which delayed things by a few days (they have to verify your identity). If you create your FSA ID now, you'll be ready to go as soon as you get that contributor invitation!

I finally got through! For anyone still trying, here's what worked for me: cleared all cookies/cache, used Microsoft Edge browser (not Chrome), and tried at 6:30am. The system was slow but functional. Now my application shows "Submitted" though no SAI calculation yet. I'm just relieved to have it in the system before my school's priority deadline. Thanks everyone for your tips and commiseration!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this exact nightmare last year! I know how stressful it is, but don't give up. A few additional tips that helped me: 1) Save your progress frequently - the system times out but sometimes saves partial data, 2) If you get kicked out, wait 15-20 minutes before trying again (I think there's some kind of rate limiting), and 3) Contact your school's financial aid office ASAP to let them know you're having technical difficulties - most are being very understanding about extensions this year. Also, make sure you have your parents' info ready if you're a dependent student, because the parent contributor section seems to be the glitchiest part. You've got this! The system will eventually work and you'll get your aid processed.

dont worry about the college selection!!!! my son changed his mind 3x after we submitted fafsa. u can log back in and update the school list anytime. just make sure u do it b4 she accepts admission somewhere

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest child last year, I want to add a few practical tips that helped us stay organized: 1. Create a dedicated email folder for all FAFSA communications - you'll get A LOT of emails from schools once you submit. 2. Keep a simple spreadsheet with your daughter's college choices, their FAFSA school codes, and deadlines. Some schools have earlier priority deadlines even though FAFSA opens Dec 1st. 3. Don't panic if the website is slow or crashes on December 1st - it happens every year with everyone trying to submit at once. Just keep trying or wait a day or two. 4. After you submit, you'll get a Student Aid Report (SAR) - review it carefully for errors because corrections can delay processing. The whole thing feels overwhelming at first but honestly once you do it the first time, it becomes much more manageable. You've got plenty of time to prepare since you're starting early!

UPDATE: After waiting 36 hours, the system fixed itself! When I logged into my FSA ID account today, there was a notification about a pending contribution. I was able to complete the parent section successfully. For anyone else experiencing this issue - patience seems to be key. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now! My son's FAFSA shows his student section as complete, but when I try to access the parent contribution section, it just shows a spinning wheel and then times out. I've tried different browsers, cleared my cache, and even tried accessing it from my phone - nothing works. It's been 4 days now and I'm getting really worried about missing his school's priority deadline. Has anyone found a reliable way to contact FSA that actually gets through? The phone lines seem to be constantly busy.

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll make sure we're prepared to cover summer costs if needed. Thankfully community college is much more affordable than the CSUs he was considering.

Just want to add my perspective as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago with my twin sons! The "greyed out" status can be nerve-wracking, but it's completely normal during processing. Here are a few additional tips that helped us: 1. Create a checklist of action items from all the great advice here - check school codes, verify deadlines, look for verification requests 2. Screenshot your FAFSA confirmation page if you haven't already - you'll need that reference number for phone calls 3. Community colleges are usually very helpful with financial aid questions, so don't hesitate to call their office directly 4. Keep checking your email AND your spam folder - sometimes FAFSA notifications end up there Your son is making a smart financial decision starting at community college. Even if there are delays with aid processing, the lower tuition costs give you more flexibility. Hang in there - this process is stressful for every parent the first time around!