Has anyone heard if this will affect current college students too? My son is already enrolled and relies on his financial aid package for sophomore year. Will this delay his fall aid disbursement??

UPDATE: Just got off the phone with my daughter's first-choice school. They're extending their decision deadline to June 1st and are creating estimated aid packages based on our CSS Profile and tax info we submitted directly. They hope to have those out next week, with final packages once the FAFSA data issue is resolved. They also said they're establishing an emergency grant fund for students who commit without full aid info and then discover a gap once official packages come through. I'm still frustrated with the whole situation, but at least schools seem to be trying to adapt.

UPDATE: The Department of Education just announced they've identified the issues causing the website crashes and are implementing fixes tonight. They expect the system to be more stable by tomorrow morning, though they're still recommending accessing the site during off-peak hours if possible. They've also extended the processing time for schools to account for these technical difficulties, so most financial aid packages shouldn't be significantly delayed.

UPDATE: It worked! I finally got through the entire application this morning. For anyone still struggling, here's what ultimately worked for me: 1. Logged in early (6am) before traffic increased 2. Used Edge browser in InPrivate mode as someone suggested 3. Entered all information without using decimal points 4. Saved after EACH section rather than trying to complete multiple sections at once My SAI came out lower than I expected too, so maybe this new formula really is better? Now just waiting on confirmation email. Thanks everyone for your help and commiseration!

ur lucky shes even getting the fafsa processed. ive been stuck with the stupid contributor section error for WEEKS and cant get anyone on the phone!!! my daughters apps are all due soon and we still cant submit!!!

To address your specific concern about appeals: The financial aid appeals process doesn't typically deplete funding for initial aid offers. Schools budget separately for initial aid offers and for successful appeals. Also, for an in-state student who qualifies for a full Pell Grant, most public universities have specialized programs with guaranteed funding. These programs usually consider all eligible students regardless of when they applied, as long as it's before certain priority deadlines (which are typically much later than now). Your best approach is to have your daughter contact both the Federal Student Aid office to expedite adding the school, and the university's financial aid office to alert them of the incoming application and inquire about any state-specific programs she might qualify for.

I work in a college financial aid office, and I can tell you this happens frequently. The good news is that once the signature issue is resolved, these applications are usually processed within 3-5 days. Most colleges understand these FAFSA processing delays and will work with you if you document your attempts to resolve the issue. I recommend: 1. Call FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243 2. Ask for the "signature resolution department" 3. Take notes during your call (get the rep's ID number) 4. Request they send you an email confirmation once the issue is resolved 5. Forward that confirmation to your son's college financial aid office Many schools have contingency plans for these FAFSA delays and may still consider him for priority aid if you document the signature issue was beyond your control.

Yes, I would definitely recommend contacting the financial aid office at each school your son applied to. Send them a brief email explaining the signature issue, that you're actively working with FSA to resolve it, and ask if this will affect his priority deadline consideration. Many schools will make a note in his file and may extend the deadline for his specific situation. Just be sure to follow up once the signature issue is actually resolved with proof from FSA.

my daughter had something similar, not with ssn but they said her date of birth was wrong 🙄 so ridiculous. anyway we got it fixed by going in person with her birth certificate. also make sure to keep checking both studentaid.gov AND your daughter's student portal at her university. sometimes the school processes things temporarily while waiting for the official correction

Quick follow-up question - did the email about the SSN error come directly from Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov) or from the university? If it came from the university, they may already have procedures in place to help with this situation. Many schools have contingency processes specifically for FAFSA issues that arise right before classes start. Also, when you visit the financial aid office tomorrow, ask about a "conditional financial aid clearance" - this is a temporary approval some schools provide while FAFSA corrections are being processed.