Can parents have separate FAFSA accounts for different kids? Need help with parent portal login confusion

this happened to us last year! the system eventually connects them but it can take several days to sync up. make sure both parent accounts have IDENTICAL financial info or there might be flags.

The good news is that this won't cause major problems with your SAI calculation. The system will eventually recognize that both applications are from the same household based on the SSNs and tax information provided. However, there are a few important steps to ensure everything processes correctly: 1. Both parent accounts MUST use the exact same financial information (to the penny) 2. Both parents should verify their email addresses and phone numbers in the FSA ID system 3. Make sure the student portions have accurate family size information I would recommend logging into studentaid.gov with both parent accounts to check the status. The system should eventually link them together for the household contribution calculation, but it can sometimes take 7-10 business days for this linkage to appear in the system.

OMG I'm dealing with almost the EXACT same situation!! Twins in college, one put me as contact other put husband. It's been a NIGHTMARE trying to figure out which login to use for what. Called the help number and was on hold FOR TWO HOURS before getting disconnected!!! Anyone know a better way to reach someone??

This is a common issue and the Federal Student Aid system handles it correctly, but it's not always transparent to users. Here's what's happening technically: 1. The system uses parent SSNs, household size, and tax filing status to match family units 2. Once matched, the calculation server applies the appropriate formula based on family situation 3. Parent information is weighted equally regardless of who's listed as "primary" However, there IS a potential issue: if your children are claiming different household sizes or parent marital status, the system may flag this as conflicting information requiring verification. This could delay processing by 3-4 weeks. To prevent this, login to both student accounts and verify the household demographic information matches exactly.

why is fafsa so unnecessarily complicated?? my parents couldn't figure out how to do it at all when i was in school and i lost out on so much aid. the whole system needs an overhaul.

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I wanted to clarify something important about the parent accounts. While the system does eventually link them, it's a good practice to have just one parent complete BOTH students' parent portions going forward. For this year, since they're already submitted with different parent accounts, it will work itself out. But for future years or corrections, try to use the same parent account for consistency. This avoids synchronization delays in the system. Also, if you're worried about meeting the deadline, contact your daughter's school's financial aid office directly. They can often mark your application as "received pending processing" if you explain the situation, especially since this is a common issue with the new FAFSA system.

Btw did anyone else notice the FAFSA website is super glitchy on mobile? Can't even see half the fields when filling it out on my phone had to switch to laptop.

UPDATE: I called my daughter's college financial aid office this morning and they were super helpful! They said this happens all the time with siblings and multiple parent accounts. They noted in our file that we might have a processing delay because of the account issue. Also checked both applications and made sure the household size and financial info matched exactly. Feeling much better now! Thanks everyone for your help!