Can't add more schools to FAFSA after submission - parent access issues
I submitted my daughter's FAFSA last week but now we need to add 3 more colleges she's applying to. I tried to log back in through the parent portal to add these schools, but it's saying I can't make changes? My daughter created her own studentaid.gov account yesterday but now there's this message about waiting 1-5 business days for account verification before she can access anything. We're approaching application deadlines and I'm freaking out that these schools won't get her FAFSA info in time. Can a parent add schools after submission or does it HAVE to be done through the student's account? Has anyone dealt with this school-adding nightmare?
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Amelia Dietrich
Unfortunately, only the student can add schools to the FAFSA after it's been submitted. The parent portal doesn't allow you to make these changes, even though you were able to help complete the original application. Your daughter will need to wait until her account is verified before she can log in and add the additional schools.
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KhalilStar
•That's what I was afraid of! Do you know if there's ANY way to speed up the verification process? Her application deadline for one school is literally next week.
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Kaiya Rivera
we had this exact same problem last yr!!! so annoying. the student HAS to be the one to add schools. wat we did was call the schools directly and tell them we submitted fafsa but couldn't add them yet. most were pretty understanding
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KhalilStar
•That's a good idea! I'll have my daughter call the admissions offices tomorrow. Did you have to provide any specific information to prove you'd submitted the FAFSA already?
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Katherine Ziminski
Just to clarify some information: After submitting the FAFSA, only the student can add additional schools using their FSA ID. The verification process for new accounts typically takes 1-3 business days, though they say up to 5 to be safe. In the meantime, I'd recommend contacting each school's financial aid office directly to inform them of the situation. Provide them with your daughter's name, DOB, and confirmation number from the FAFSA submission. Many schools will make note of this and may grant a short extension for receiving the official FAFSA data. Also, once your daughter's account is verified, adding schools is a very quick process - the schools will receive the information within 1-2 business days after she adds them.
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KhalilStar
•Thank you for this detailed explanation! We do have the confirmation number saved, so I'll make sure she mentions that when calling. Is there any way to check the status of her account verification, or do we just have to wait for an email?
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Noah Irving
This is why the FAFSA system is SO FRUSTRATING!!! I had the exact same problem with my son's application. We waited 4 whole days for his account to be verified and missed a priority deadline because of their stupid bureaucracy. And when I called the FSA number, I was on hold for TWO HOURS before getting disconnected. The whole system is designed to make it impossible for parents to help their kids.
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Vanessa Chang
•i had a similar experience! the verification took forever! btw you should try using claimyr.com to get through to fafsa faster. it holds your place in line and calls u back when an agent is available. saved me so much time when dealing with my twins' applications. they have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works
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Madison King
Just to add - your daughter can also call the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly at 1-800-433-3243 to request they add schools to her FAFSA. She'll need her FSA ID, SSN, and DOB to verify her identity. Sometimes they can help expedite things if there are approaching deadlines.
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KhalilStar
•Oh I didn't realize that was an option! That might be faster than waiting for the account verification. I'll have her try calling them tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!
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Julian Paolo
when my niece did her fafsa last year the school verification took just 2 days even tho they said 5 so maybe ur daughters will be faster too,, good luck
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Noah Irving
•Consider yourself lucky! My son's took the FULL 5 days and we missed a priority deadline. It's ridiculous they don't have a faster process for this.
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Amelia Dietrich
One additional thing to note - make sure your daughter knows she can add up to 10 schools total on the FAFSA. If she already has 7+ schools on there, she may need to remove some before adding the new ones. Just something to keep in mind when she gets access to her account.
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KhalilStar
•That's important to know! She currently has 8 schools listed, so she'd only be able to add 2 more of the 3 we need to add. I'll have her prioritize which are most important.
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Kaiya Rivera
i just remembered that my kids account last year got verified faster after we called and mentioned the deadline. might be worth trying that?
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Vanessa Chang
•this actually works sometimes! my daughter called and specifically mentioned her deadline was coming up and they expedited her account verification to 24 hours instead of the usual wait time.
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KhalilStar
UPDATE: Just wanted to update everyone who helped. My daughter called the Federal Student Aid Info Center this morning (had to try several times to get through) and explained the situation. They verified her identity and were able to add the schools directly! No need to wait for the account verification. The representative said the schools should receive her FAFSA information within 3-5 business days. Such a relief! Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
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Madison King
•Great news! I'm glad they were able to help. This is definitely the fastest solution when you're facing deadlines. For future reference, it's always good to have all potential schools added early if possible, but it's nice to know there are workarounds when plans change.
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