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my daughter and i had the same thing happen last week!! what ended up fixing it was both of us using the SAME device (we used her laptop). For some reason when we used different devices the system couldn't sync properly. might be worth a try if nothing else is working!
UPDATE: We finally got it to work! For anyone who finds this thread later, here's what solved it for us: 1. We both logged out completely 2. Cleared browser cache and cookies 3. I logged in as the contributor first and went through each section again (even though everything showed complete) 4. Found that in the household section, even though all fields were filled and had green checkmarks, there was a hidden validation error that only appeared when I clicked the "Continue" button again 5. After fixing that and seeing the balloon page AGAIN, my daughter waited about 30 minutes before logging in 6. This time the system recognized my submission and she was able to complete the application Our SAI calculation came through about 4 hours later. Thanks to everyone for your help! The new FAFSA system definitely has some serious technical issues.
Glad you got it working! Your experience highlights why it's so important to start the FAFSA process early. With all these technical glitches in the new system, what used to take an hour can now take days or even weeks to complete. Thanks for sharing your solution - it will definitely help others facing the same issue.
Thank you for updating the thread with what worked! This is exactly the kind of hidden validation error we've been seeing at our financial aid office. I'm going to save your steps to share with other families who encounter this issue.
lol welcome to fafsa 2025-26... where everything's made up and your data doesn't matter! 🤣 but srsly tho the new "simplified" system is 10x worse than before
RIGHT?! they literally made it wayyyy more complicated and buggy. my counselor said they've had more fafsa problems this year than the last 5 years combined
Update on this issue: The Department of Education released a patch yesterday for this specific problem. If your parent logs in today, they should see an option that says "Recover previous contribution data" on their dashboard. This should restore the information they previously entered. If that option doesn't appear, there's a workaround: 1. Have your parent create a new contribution from scratch 2. On the first page where they enter their name/info, there's now a small link at the bottom that says "Load saved information" 3. Clicking that will usually recover their previously entered data Hope this helps with your May 1st deadline!
UPDATE: IT WORKED!! My mom logged in this morning and saw the "Recover previous contribution data" option! She clicked it and everything she had entered was there. She was able to complete the signature process and now my FAFSA shows as submitted! Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know about the patch!!!
do u think theyll fix the contributor stuff this time? my stepdad couldnt add himself as contributor cuz the system kept crashing and we had to submit without his info which messed up our SAI calculation
OMG the contributor section was IMPOSSIBLE! We had the same problem with my husband (student's stepdad) and had to call like 10 times to get it fixed. Hopefully they actually tested the system this time 🙄
I know we're all a bit traumatized from last year's FAFSA launch, but I've heard from colleagues at the Department of Education that they've completely overhauled the technical infrastructure after last year's issues. They're doing extensive testing before the launch this time, so hopefully it'll be much smoother. The new SAI calculation is actually more generous for many families than the old EFC was, especially for those with multiple students in college.
That's reassuring to hear! I've been reading that the new calculation doesn't give as much of a break for multiple students in college though? Is that accurate?
Yes, that's correct - I should have been clearer. The new SAI calculation is generally more favorable for lower-income families, but you're right that they removed the significant discount for multiple students in college that existed under the old system. Families with multiple college students may see higher SAI numbers than they would have under the old EFC calculation. Each student gets their own SAI now.
I think the hole system is rigged anyway. My nephews SAI came back at 9700 even though his parents make less than 55k a year combined. How is that fair??? The formula makes no sense and now they cant even display the numbers right.
The SAI calculation factors in a lot more than just income - assets, family size, number in college, etc. But you're right that the new formula has been producing some unexpected results for many families. Your nephew's parents should definitely appeal that SAI with his schools if it seems unreasonably high based on their circumstances.
Update 4 anyone following: Just got our SAI this morning on the website (3 weeks after submission). Weirdly got no email notification or anything. Just randomly checked and there it was. So maybe just keep waiting???
Thanks for the update! I can see mine in the app now but still not showing on website. This whole system feels so disorganized. Glad yours finally appeared though!
Olivia Van-Cleve
The FAFSA system is BROKEN!!! My triplets all had different SAIs last year and no one could explain why!! We had to file appeals with every single college and it was a NIGHTMARE. The whole system is designed to confuse parents and students. Keep pushing until you get answers!!!
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Sophia Russo
•triplets omg i can't even imagine doing 3 applications 😱
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Jordan Walker
UPDATE: Mystery solved! After going through both applications with a fine-tooth comb (and finally getting through to FSA), we found TWO differences that were causing the SAI discrepancy: 1. One twin did indicate planning to work during college while the other didn't 2. One application had a small typo in how many months our family size would remain the same (I put 9 months for one and 12 months for the other) The FSA agent explained that these two factors combined created the $1,200 difference. She helped me correct both applications so they're consistent now. The SAIs are still processing but should be the same when they're recalculated. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Elijah O'Reilly
•Glad you got it figured out! Those little details really do matter.
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Amara Torres
•This is a great example of why it's important to be extremely consistent when completing multiple FAFSA applications for students in the same household. I recommend that parents create a document where they record all their answers for the first application, then refer to it while completing subsequent applications. This helps avoid these types of discrepancies.
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