Can I recover my old FAFSA account using just my driver's license?

Unfortunately, your driver's license alone won't be enough to recover your FSA ID. The FSA ID recovery process requires either your email address, phone number, or answering your challenge questions. Your best options are: 1. Try all your old email addresses - you'd be surprised which one might work 2. If you provided a phone number, request the recovery code that way 3. If you remember your challenge questions, you can use those If none of those work, you'll need to create a new FSA ID, but it should link to your previous FAFSA applications through your SSN and other identifying information.

just make a new fsa id its easier. had same problem lst year. the new id connects to ur old stuff cuz of ur ssn

Creating a new FSA ID is actually the recommended solution from Federal Student Aid when you can't recover your old credentials. As others have mentioned, your history will remain intact because the system links everything via your SSN. However, there are a few important things to know: 1. Your new FSA ID won't be fully functional immediately - there's a 1-3 day waiting period while your info is verified with the Social Security Administration 2. If you're trying to meet a priority deadline, create your new FSA ID ASAP to account for this verification delay 3. Make sure all personal information exactly matches your Social Security card (name, DOB, SSN) 4. Save your new FSA ID information in a secure password manager This happens frequently, so don't worry about losing your previous aid history!

When I worked in financial aid we saw this ALL THE TIME. Driver's license won't help sadly. The FSA ID system is super strict because of all the financial/tax data attached to accounts. If the account was made before 2018, you might actually be dealing with an old PIN system account rather than an FSA ID. Those are even harder to recover!

I had the same issue last year and spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at FAFSA. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback instead of waiting on hold forever. They got me connected to an agent in like 20 minutes who helped me create a new FSA ID and verified it was linked to my old records. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me so much frustration!

when I was doing my FAFSA I forgot my password and my mom actually called her congressmans office and they got us through to someone at federal student aid in like a day lol might be worth a try if ur really stuck

Just to clarify some misinformation I'm seeing - when you create a new FSA ID, you will NOT lose your previous FAFSA history. The system will recognize your SSN and link everything together. You will need to enter all your current information for the new 2025-2026 application, but the system will likely offer to transfer some data from your previous application if it can locate it through your SSN. When creating your new FSA ID: 1. Use a current email you'll have access to long-term 2. Set up all recovery options (mobile number, security questions) 3. Write down your FSA ID username in a secure location 4. Use a password manager for your credentials Doing this now will save you from facing this same issue in the future!

I went through this exact same situation last year! The driver's license alone definitely won't work - the FSA ID system is really strict about security. I ended up creating a new FSA ID and it was honestly much easier than I expected. A few tips from my experience: - Make sure you use your legal name exactly as it appears on your Social Security card - The verification process took about 2 days for me, so don't panic if it's not instant - Your old FAFSA data will still be there once the new ID is verified - Consider setting up the mobile phone verification this time so you don't get stuck again The whole process took me maybe 10 minutes to set up the new ID, then just had to wait for verification. Way better than sitting on hold for hours with customer service!

I'm in a very similar boat - lost access to my FSA ID from 2020 and have been dreading dealing with this! Reading through all these responses is super helpful. It sounds like creating a new FSA ID is definitely the way to go rather than trying to recover the old one. One question I have - if I create a new FSA ID now, will I be able to see my previous year's tax information that was imported, or will I need to manually enter everything again? I used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool before and it made things so much easier. Also, has anyone had experience with dependent vs independent status changing between applications? I was a dependent in 2020 but I'm independent now - wondering if that complicates the linking process at all. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is way more helpful than the official FAFSA website!