Can I complete parent section while my son's FAFSA identity validation is pending?

You definitely need to wait until his identity is validated. I tried doing my part before my daughter was validated and the system wouldn't let me access anything. Got an error message saying the student portion needs to be fully processed first. It's annoying but that's how the system works now.

Actually, this isn't entirely correct. You CAN create your FSA ID and get everything ready while waiting for your son's validation to complete. What you can't do is actually submit your contributor information until his validation is done. So use this time to: 1) Create your FSA ID if you haven't already, 2) Gather your tax documents and financial info, 3) Check that you can log in successfully. Then once his validation is complete, you'll be ready to immediately complete your section.

my kid got validated in like 4 hours not 2 days, they just say that to cover themselves. might be done already, check ur email

The whole FASFA system is TRASH this year!! My daughter's validation took FIVE DAYS not 2, and then when I finally got to do my part the system kept crashing! Wasted so much time on this stupid process. And why are they making kids get "validated" anyway when they already have to use ID.me??? Just another way to delay financial aid and make it harder for kids who need help! 😡

Hi there - I work in a college financial aid office, so I deal with this question a lot. Here's what's happening: The 2-day validation period is for the Department of Education to verify your son's identity through the Social Security Administration. During this time, the system is confirming his SSN, DOB, and name all match official records. You cannot submit your contributor information until this validation is complete, but you CAN: 1. Set up your FSA ID (if not done already) 2. Review the information your son has already submitted 3. Prepare your financial information Most validations are completed much faster than 2 days - usually within 3-8 hours. The system will automatically email your son when validation is complete, at which point you can immediately complete your section. If it's been more than 48 hours without validation, that's when you might need to contact Federal Student Aid directly for assistance.

I had the same issue last week when completing my daughter's FAFSA. The validation took about 8 hours, not the full 2 days. When trying to reach Federal Student Aid to confirm if I could proceed, I spent nearly 2 hours on hold before being disconnected. I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback instead of waiting on hold. They got me connected to a live agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed I needed to wait for validation but could prepare everything else. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent also told me that if validation takes more than 2 full business days, you should contact them directly as there might be an issue with the SSN or name matching.

Btw dont stress too much about completing it immediately. My daughter's school's priority deadline isn't until February 15, and even the regular deadline is March 31. Just make sure you know YOUR school's deadline. The validation should be done WAY before any deadlines.

is ur son a dependent student? make sure he filled that part right. my nephew checked independent by accident and his whole application got messed up and had to start over after validation

Just a quick update - the validation step is also when they check if your son has registered for Selective Service if he's male and 18+. If he hasn't, that could delay things. Almost all 18+ male students must be registered to receive federal student aid. This is something many parents and students miss!

One more thing to be aware of: once your son's identity is validated and you complete your contributor section, the system will calculate his Student Aid Index (SAI). This is the new replacement for the old EFC (Expected Family Contribution). It might take 3-5 days after you submit for the SAI to be calculated and for the information to be sent to the colleges he listed. Just so you're prepared for that additional waiting period.