For anyone else having this issue, here's a step-by-step fix that worked for me and seems to have helped the original poster: 1. Start at the very beginning of your renewal application 2. Complete EVERY field on EVERY page (even if unchanged from last year) 3. Click 'Save' on each page before proceeding 4. When you reach the financial section, try the IRS Data Retrieval Tool first 5. If the tool doesn't work for your situation, you should then get the option to enter manually 6. Complete the application in a single session if possible Also, clear your browser cache or try a different browser if you're still having troubles. The 2025-2026 FAFSA has a lot of technical updates, so these glitches are unfortunately common.

As someone new to this whole FAFSA process, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a first-time applicant and was getting really worried when I hit similar issues with my financial sections not updating properly. It's reassuring to know this is a common problem with solutions. I'm definitely going to follow the step-by-step guide that Vanessa shared - it sounds like the key is being super methodical and not skipping any steps, even if they seem redundant. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

so how long did it take everyone to get their SAI after submitting? im on week 3 of waiting and getting nervous...

Pro tip: If you're having trouble finding that confirmation email, try searching your entire inbox for "FAFSA" or "Federal Student Aid" - the subject line is usually something like "Your FAFSA form has been successfully submitted." Also, if you submitted late at night or on weekends, sometimes the confirmation email can take a few hours to arrive. I've seen students panic thinking they didn't submit when the email was just delayed. The confirmation number format is usually something like "FAFSA-" followed by numbers and letters, so you can search for that pattern too if needed!

Thank you for this information! I'll check the NACAC list and reach out to both schools about possible extensions. This whole process has been so much more stressful than when my older son applied 4 years ago.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! My son was accepted to 4 schools and 2 of them are being completely vague about 2024-25 costs. What's really frustrating is that one school told me over the phone that they "expect" tuition to increase but couldn't give me even a ballpark figure. Meanwhile, I'm trying to compare actual financial aid packages and make an informed decision. The FAFSA delays have definitely made everything more complicated, but I agree with others here that some schools seem to be using it as an excuse to delay announcing what are probably significant tuition hikes. I've started keeping a spreadsheet of which schools are being transparent vs. which ones are being evasive - it's actually becoming a factor in our decision-making process. Transparency matters, especially when we're talking about potentially taking on debt for the next 4 years. Has anyone had luck getting actual numbers by going through admissions counselors instead of financial aid offices? Sometimes they have more flexibility to share preliminary info.

Glad it worked out! For anyone else encountering this problem, remember these key points about the 2025-2026 FAFSA: 1. Contributors must use "Submit" not "Sign and Exit" 2. Parent/contributor signatures must be completed before the student signs 3. Each person needs their own FSA ID to sign their section 4. If using IRS Data Retrieval, verify the imported data before signing 5. Check for the confirmation email with your SAI number The Department of Education has acknowledged these signature issues and is working on clearer instructions, but these workarounds should help in the meantime.

As someone who just went through this exact same nightmare with my twin daughters' FAFSAs, I can't stress enough how important it is to screenshot EVERYTHING as you go through the process. Save screenshots of each signature confirmation page, the final submission page, and definitely that confirmation email with the SAI numbers. Also, pro tip for anyone still struggling: if you're getting signature errors even after following the Submit vs Sign and Exit advice, try logging out completely and clearing your browser data between each person's signature. The FAFSA system seems to get confused when multiple FSA IDs are used on the same device/browser session. We had to do this dance three times before it finally worked, but having those screenshots saved us from having to re-enter financial data when we had to restart. Congrats Charlotte on getting it sorted! The stress of these deadlines is no joke.

Just want to clarify something important for the 2025-2026 FAFSA: Make sure both you and your son have separate email addresses for your FSA IDs. In previous years, parents and students could use the same email, but with the new FAFSA simplification changes, everyone needs their own unique email address. This has been causing a lot of confusion for families.

That's great news that you got your verification and the contributor invitation! Just a heads up - when you're filling out your parent section, make sure you have your tax information handy (either your 2023 tax return or W-2s). The new FAFSA tries to pull some info directly from the IRS, but it doesn't always work smoothly. Also, save your progress frequently as you go - the system can time out if you're idle too long. Good luck finishing it up before that deadline!