Can I skip signing FAFSA for my son's final semester? Any consequences?

Speaking from experience with my daughter's financial aid, skipping the FAFSA for the final semester could have several consequences that you should consider before making that decision: 1. Your son would lose eligibility for all federal aid including Pell Grants (if he qualified previously) 2. Any federal loans would be unavailable 3. Many schools require a completed FAFSA for institutional scholarships and grants 4. If your son has been receiving any merit-based aid from the school, they might require FAFSA completion as a condition The frustration with multiple signature requests is unfortunately common with the new FAFSA system. Sometimes it's because different parts process at different times, even when it says "processed." I'd recommend checking your son's school's financial aid portal - sometimes it shows exactly what's missing.

same thing happened to me! had to sign like 6 times and it kept saying "processed" but then asking for more signatures. so annoying. i think its because the new system is still buggy

I've been dealing with FAFSA for my three kids, and I STRONGLY advise against skipping it for the final semester. Here's why: 1. If your son has been receiving Pell Grants, that's essentially free money you'd be leaving on the table 2. Federal student loans have better terms and repayment options than private alternatives 3. Many schools won't release ANY financial aid, including merit scholarships, without a FAFSA on file 4. The SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation might qualify him for more aid than you expect for his final term I know it's frustrating (believe me, I've been there with the endless signature requests), but the few hours of headache are worth potentially thousands in aid. For what it's worth, the signature issue happened to us when there was an update to the FAFSA system - we had to log in and sign again after an update was applied.

I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to a FAFSA agent when I was dealing with similar signature issues. They basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with explained that the multiple signature requests happen when different parts of your application get processed at different times. For me, it was because my tax information verification was processed separately from the main application.

MY SON HAD THIS EXACT ISSUE!!!! The whole system is BROKEN and nobody at the Dept of Education seems to care!!! We had to sign SIX TIMES and then they still flagged us for verification even though we used the IRS data retrieval tool!!! It's ridiculous that they make this so hard for families who are just trying to help their kids!!!

Financial aid counselor here. I strongly recommend completing the FAFSA despite the frustrations. For a final semester, here are some technical details to consider: 1. Pell Grant eligibility continues as long as you haven't exhausted your Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) percentage, which is 600% (equivalent to 6 years of full-time enrollment) 2. For a final semester with fewer credits (you mentioned 3 classes), the Pell amount would be prorated based on enrollment status, but that's still significant funding 3. Many institutional scholarships and state grants require an active FAFSA, even for returning students in their final term 4. The multiple signature issue is related to the new FAFSA processing system where components (student section, parent section, IRS data) are validated separately I suggest trying a different browser or the mobile app for the signature process - sometimes that resolves the technical issues. Also, check if your son's school has a FAFSA support office that can help facilitate the process. They often have direct channels to FSA that can resolve these issues more quickly.

Just a quick update on the multiple signatures issue - I attended a financial aid webinar last week where they explained this is happening because of how the new FAFSA handles parent contributions. Apparently, when you initially sign, you're signing for submission, but the additional signatures are required after each processing stage (initial review, IRS data match, SAI calculation, etc.). It's definitely a design flaw in the system, but it's happening to almost everyone this year.

Update: I finally got through to someone at FSA! The agent explained that the multiple signature requests happen when different verification processes complete at different times. For anyone dealing with this - they told me to clear my browser cache completely, use a private/incognito window, and try again. That actually worked! The signature finally went through properly. For anyone wondering about skipping FAFSA for a final semester - I've decided to push through and complete it. Between the Pell Grant and subsidized loans, it's about $6,500 for his final semester that we would have lost. Thanks everyone for talking me down from my frustration!