As a newcomer to the FAFSA world, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! My son is a high school senior and we're about to tackle this process. Reading everyone's experiences has made it crystal clear that he needs to create his FSA ID first, then I create mine as the parent contributor. One thing I'm still wondering about - if we make a mistake during the application process, how difficult is it to go back and make corrections? I'm terrified of messing something up that could delay his financial aid. Also, does anyone know if there are any red flags or common errors that automatically trigger the verification process? I want to be as prepared as possible before we start, and it sounds like having all our 2023 tax documents ready is crucial. Thanks to everyone who has shared their real-world experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official government websites!

As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA for years through my work at a college prep center, I want to reinforce what the experts here have said: the student absolutely MUST be the one to create their FSA ID and initiate the application. This isn't just a recommendation - it's how the system is designed to work. I've seen too many families create major headaches by having parents start the process. The Department of Education's systems are very particular about this workflow, and deviating from it often results in verification holds, processing delays, or worse - having to start completely over. Here's my foolproof checklist for success: 1. Student creates FSA ID using their own email/phone/SSN 2. Parent creates separate FSA ID using their own email/phone/SSN 3. Student logs in and starts application 4. Student completes all their personal sections 5. When prompted, student adds parent as contributor 6. Parent completes their sections using their own FSA ID The key is patience and following the system's prompts exactly. Don't try to shortcut or "help" by doing steps out of order. Trust the process - it really does work when done correctly!

Hi! I'm completely new to this community and the whole student loan process, but I wanted to share some encouragement since I'm seeing this conversation unfold in real-time. As someone who's been reading through everyone's experiences today, I'm amazed at how supportive and knowledgeable this community is! Your situation with your son graduating early sounds both exciting and a bit overwhelming - congratulations to him on finishing his degree ahead of schedule! From everything I've read in this thread, it really seems like contacting your loan servicer directly is the best first step. The fact that so many people have successfully handled this exact scenario without penalties is incredibly reassuring. I love how everyone has emphasized that you're actually making a smart financial decision by not borrowing money you don't need. That's such a positive way to look at what initially seemed like a stressful situation! The tips about getting reference numbers and email confirmations seem really practical too. Even though I don't have personal experience with this yet, I wanted to add my voice of encouragement as someone who's learning alongside you. This community has been so welcoming to newcomers, and I can already tell this is going to be a great resource. Wishing you the best of luck with your call to the loan servicer - it sounds like you're going to handle this perfectly!

Hi! I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in since I'm currently facing a very similar situation with my daughter who's graduating early from her psychology program this December. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! Like you, I was initially worried about penalties and complicated procedures, but it's clear from all these responses that this is actually a routine process that loan servicers handle regularly. The consistent advice about contacting the loan servicer directly (rather than waiting for the school's financial aid office) seems to be the key to getting this resolved quickly. What I found most encouraging is how many people emphasized that we're actually making a smart financial decision by not borrowing money we don't need. That really reframes the whole situation from something stressful to something responsible! Based on everyone's advice, I'm planning to call our loan servicer tomorrow and ask for: 1) immediate hold on spring disbursement, 2) cancellation reference number, 3) timeline for when I'll see updates in my account, and 4) email confirmation of everything. Congratulations on your son's early graduation - that's such an amazing achievement! Thank you for asking this question and creating such a helpful discussion for those of us navigating this situation. This community has been so welcoming to newcomers like me!

For anyone still experiencing this error, the Department of Education released a statement yesterday acknowledging the widespread login issues. They recommend: 1. Clearing your browser cache completely 2. Ensuring your FSA ID credentials are up-to-date 3. Trying during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) 4. Using the mobile app instead of the website if possible They've also extended many institutional deadlines because of these technical difficulties. I recommend contacting your school's financial aid office to see if they've adjusted their deadlines.

I'm dealing with this same exact issue! Been locked out since late January with that same "unknown error" message. What's really frustrating is that I can see my verification is complete, but then it just crashes when trying to access my actual FAFSA. I tried the mobile app suggestion from @Grace Patel and it actually got me one step further than the website, but still ultimately failed. Has anyone had success with the account recovery option? I'm worried about making it worse by trying too many different methods. Really hoping the Claimyr service @Isabella Russo mentioned works because I'm running out of options here!

I'm new to this community and your situation really resonates with me as someone who's been researching college funding options. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening about the risks that come with Parent Plus loans in marriage situations. What strikes me most is how many people have shared similar experiences where they ended up solely responsible despite making joint decisions. It seems like there's a real disconnect between how families approach college funding decisions together versus how the federal loan system assigns responsibility. I'm curious - and this might be helpful for others in similar situations - have you looked into whether there are any state-specific resources or legal aid organizations in Florida that specialize in education debt issues during divorce? Sometimes there are non-profit legal clinics that help people navigate these complex intersections between family law and federal student aid. Also, based on what others have shared about income-driven repayment options, it might be worth exploring those sooner rather than later, especially since your income situation may change significantly post-divorce. The earlier you understand all your federal repayment options, the better positioned you'll be to make informed decisions about your settlement negotiations. Thank you for sharing your story - it's clearly helping many people understand the potential consequences of these decisions before they find themselves in similar situations.

I'm new to this community but your situation really caught my attention because I'm currently helping my sister navigate something very similar. She's going through a divorce and has about $32k in Parent Plus loans that she signed for alone during her marriage. One thing that might be worth exploring - and I apologize if this has been covered already - is whether Florida has any specific provisions for educational expenses in divorce settlements. I know some states treat education costs for children (including loan repayments) as ongoing child support obligations that can be shared between parents even after divorce. Also, from what I've been learning about Parent Plus loans, there are some newer income-driven repayment options that weren't available a few years ago. The Income-Contingent Repayment plan can sometimes result in significantly lower monthly payments if your post-divorce income is substantially less than your combined marital income was. I've been impressed by how supportive this community is in sharing real experiences rather than just theoretical advice. It's clear that unfortunately many families face this exact situation where federal loan policies don't align with how education decisions are actually made in families. Hoping you're able to find a path forward that works for your situation.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My daughter is a senior and we just realized we need to add two more schools to her FAFSA list after getting acceptance letters we weren't expecting. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - especially knowing that we can make corrections this late in the process. I had no idea about the 3-5 day processing time for updates, so I'll definitely be calling the financial aid offices directly like everyone suggests. One question though - if we remove schools from our list that we're no longer interested in, does that free up slots immediately for new schools, or do we have to wait for the correction to process first before adding new ones? We're already at the 10-school limit and need to swap out about 4 schools. The FAFSA website wasn't super clear about this part of the process. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been a lifesaver during this stressful time!

As someone who just went through this process with my twins last month, I can confirm everything others have said is accurate! You absolutely CAN add/remove schools even this late - we made corrections three different times and each went through fine. A few additional tips from our experience: 1. When you log into studentaid.gov to make corrections, the interface can be a bit confusing - look for "Make FAFSA Corrections" not "Submit New FAFSA" 2. After submitting changes, you'll get a confirmation email with a new DRN (Data Release Number) - save this as proof 3. Some schools have automated systems that pick up FAFSA updates within 24-48 hours, but others still process manually and can take the full 3-5 days That email from the school sounds totally legitimate - we got similar notifications from 6 different colleges when our FAFSA data first went through. They're basically just letting you know they have your info and giving you the option to optimize your school list. The phone situation with FAFSA is still terrible, but like others mentioned, definitely try calling the individual schools' financial aid offices if you need immediate confirmation about deadlines. Most have been really understanding about the delays this year. Good luck!