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 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!

Just saw your comment about trouble reaching financial aid offices. Yes, they're absolutely swamped right now. This is where being strategic helps. Try calling right when they open in the morning, or in the last hour before they close when call volume sometimes decreases. Also, check if they have virtual appointment scheduling - many schools now offer 15-minute Zoom appointments you can book online, which can be easier than getting through by phone. Don't give up - this is too important for your daughter's future. The financial aid offices want to help; they're just dealing with unprecedented volume this year.

I'm in a very similar situation! My son's FAFSA was processed March 20th and we've only heard from 2 out of 6 schools so far. What's really stressing me out is that the two packages we did receive were SO different - one school offered $18K in grants, the other only $7K with basically the same SAI. It's making me realize how much the aid can vary between schools even when your financial situation is identical. Has anyone else seen huge differences between their aid packages this year? I'm wondering if some schools are being more conservative with their offers because of all the FAFSA chaos, or if this level of variation is normal. Really hoping the remaining schools come through with something reasonable!

wait i thought signatures weren't required anymore with the new FAFSA?? my college advisor told us the new form just uses the FSA ID login as the signature?? now im confused...

One thing that helped me avoid signature issues this year - I set up email notifications on my phone specifically for anything from "noreply@studentaid.gov" so I wouldn't miss or accidentally delete confirmation emails. Also, after I submitted, I bookmarked the FAFSA status page and checked it every few days until it showed "Processed Successfully" - took about a week. The new system really is much clearer about who needs to sign what. There's even a progress bar that shows when all required signatures are collected. Just don't rush through that final signature page like I almost did!

Just wanted to update everyone - I called the financial aid office this morning and you were all right! They have a specific form called "Scholarship Distribution Request" that lets us specify exactly how we want the aid applied. They said as long as we submit it before the term payment deadline (Aug 10), they'll apply all aid to tuition first. The woman I spoke with said this is a very common request for tax purposes and they're happy to accommodate it. Thank you all so much for the helpful advice!

This is such a relief to hear that you got it sorted out! I'm dealing with a similar situation for my son's upcoming freshman year and was stressing about the tax implications. It's reassuring to know that schools are generally willing to work with families on this. I'm going to call his financial aid office tomorrow to ask about their process. Did they mention if there's a specific deadline each semester to submit the form, or is it just before the payment deadline? Also wondering if this is something we'll need to do every semester or if it's a one-time preference they'll keep on file.