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my cousins kid got more money when they had 2 in college then when it was just 1. something about the family contribution being split between them. but idk if thats still how it works with all the fafsa changes lately
Thank you all SO MUCH for the helpful advice! I'm definitely going to include both children on the FAFSA now. I had no idea that having multiple students could actually HELP with financial aid rather than hurt it. I feel much better about the whole situation. I'll make sure to update everything if my youngest decides not to attend college after all, but at least now I know I'm not risking my oldest's aid by including both. This community is amazing!
THE WHOLE FAFSA SYSTEM IS BROKEN THIS YEAR!!! Sorry for yelling but I'm so frustrated with all the problems. My daughter's application has been "processing" for 2 months, my son can't get verification completed, and now I'm hearing about this contributor invitation issue from multiple people. The Department of Education should be ashamed of themselves for rolling out such a buggy system when students' futures depend on this. Good luck getting through to anyone there - I've literally called 20+ times and given up.
I feel your frustration! This really shouldn't be so difficult. It's stressful enough getting twins ready for college without having to deal with technical glitches in such an important system. I hope they fix these issues soon, especially since so many schools have early priority deadlines for financial aid.
Any update? Did you figure out which of the suggestions worked? I'm curious because my sister is having the same problem with her husband's account and twin boys too!
Yes! After trying everything, what finally worked was actually two things: 1) We discovered his email wasn't fully verified in his FSA ID account even though he could log in, and 2) We used that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through to FSA, who confirmed there was a bug with multiple student invites coming close together. They manually added him as a contributor to both applications. Both twins' FAFSAs are finally complete! Tell your sister to check the email verification status first - that seems to be a common issue.
One more tip about the parent FSA ID process: choose a memorable username that you'll remember year after year. Many parents forget their FSA ID details between annual applications, which causes massive headaches. I recommend storing your FSA ID username (not password) in a secure note on your phone or computer so you can easily access it next year.
That's excellent advice. I'll definitely make note of my username once I create it. Is there a password recovery option if I do forget in the future?
Yes, there is a password recovery option, but it works best if you still have access to the same email and phone number you used when creating the account. If those have changed, recovery becomes much more complicated and may require contacting FSA directly. That's why it's so important to keep track of your username and keep your contact information updated on your FSA account.
to the person who asked about divorced parents - yes both parents need seperate FSA IDs if both are contributing. my ex and i both had to make accounts for our daughters application and we each got separate emails from her. its actually better this way because neither of us can see the others financial info
UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! I used that Claimyr service to get through to an actual person at FSA yesterday. The agent was able to verify my identity using my SSN and date of birth, then manually changed my email address in their system. I had to wait about 24 hours, but I now have access to my FSA ID again! My son and I finished his FAFSA application last night. Just wanted to update in case anyone else runs into this problem. The key is getting to an actual human who can help with account recovery.
That's great news! For anyone else dealing with similar issues, here's a quick summary of options for FSA ID email recovery: 1. Try the standard recovery options on studentaid.gov first 2. Call the dedicated FSA ID technical support line (not the general FAFSA helpline) 3. Use a call connection service if you keep getting disconnected 4. Ask your student's school counselor for assistance 5. As a last resort, create a new FSA ID (but be prepared for potential verification issues) And remember that with the 2025-2026 FAFSA, parents can now create separate contributor accounts rather than using their original FSA ID. This new system is specifically designed to address situations like this, though it's still having some growing pains.
Lauren Wood
happened 2 my nephew also. no email from fafsa but $$$ showed up at the school. weird system but it works i guess lol. congrats on the pell grant btw!!!
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Marcus Williams
•Thanks! Yes, it does seem like a strange system. I'm just relieved to know we're not the only ones who were confused by this process.
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Justin Chang
To answer your follow-up question - no, if the aid is already showing in her college portal, not having the SAR email shouldn't cause problems with receiving the aid. The school has clearly received all the necessary FAFSA information. However, it's still good practice to locate your SAR and check your SAI score. This helps you understand exactly why you qualified for the aid package you received. It's also useful documentation to have if you need to appeal for additional aid or if there are any questions later in the academic year.
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Marcus Williams
•That's a relief! We'll still try to locate the SAR for our records. Thank you again for all your help explaining this complicated process!
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