Can't complete FAFSA because spouse can't access his FSA ID account - help!

same thing happened to me last year! the system is so annoying. your husband needs to call the FSA ID help desk directly @ 1-800-433-3243. they can verify his identity over the phone and reset everything. took my bf like 40 min on hold but they fixed it

This is a common issue with the new FAFSA system. Your spouse needs to recover his FSA ID through the official account recovery process. Make sure he's using the correct email address that was originally associated with his account. Here are the steps he should follow: 1. Go to studentaid.gov and click on "Forgot Username or Password" 2. He'll need his SSN, DOB, and name exactly as it appears on his Social Security card 3. If he can't remember which email he used, he should try all possible emails 4. Check spam/junk folders for the recovery email If that doesn't work, you'll need to contact FSA directly. Unfortunately, there's no way to bypass the spouse contribution requirement if you're married.

Had the EXACT same problem with my wife's account! The issue might be that your husband created his FSA ID with a different email than what he's trying to use now. When we finally got through to someone, they told us my wife had used her old work email that she no longer had access to. Try having him call the support line - took us forever to get through but they can verify his identity and update his contact info.

I help students with FAFSA issues at our college's financial aid office. Your husband needs to call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. They can help him recover his account or create a new one if necessary. One thing to know - if you're both getting frustrated with the automated phone system, I've had students have success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual FSA agent without the long hold times. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Regarding your application: You cannot submit the FAFSA without your spouse's information if you're married. It's a federal requirement for the SAI calculation. But don't worry about the school's priority deadline - if you explain to your financial aid office that you're having technical issues with FSA ID recovery, they'll usually work with you.

THE ENTIRE FAFSA SYSTEM IS GARBAGE!!! I went through THREE MONTHS of this nonsense trying to help my daughter. Husband couldn't access his account, then when we finally got that fixed, MY account got locked, then the school couldn't see her FAFSA even after we submitted it!!! They make it IMPOSSIBLE to get financial aid on purpose I swear! Good luck because you're gonna need it!!!!

For the contributor section, there's an important distinction to understand. Your spouse needs his own FSA ID to contribute to your FAFSA application, but as the student, you're the one who enters his basic information into your application first. Then he uses his FSA ID to sign and confirm tax information. One workaround while you're waiting for his FSA ID issues to be resolved: You can actually fill out the entire application and get to 95% completion. Save your progress, and then when his account access is fixed, he can simply sign in to complete his portion. This way you don't lose time on your part of the application.

protip: call them RIGHT when they open at 8am eastern time. i got through in like 15 mins when i called early but my roommate called at noon and waited 2+ hours lol

one other thing - when he does call make sure he has his social security card and ID ready. they ask a bunch of verification questions and if he gets any wrong they'll make him start over. ask me how i know 🙄

Just wanted to update you - I actually just used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above to help my brother with his FAFSA issue yesterday. It actually worked pretty well! Got connected to a real person at FSA in about 15 minutes instead of the 2+ hours my brother had been waiting on multiple attempts. They were able to reset his account access on the spot. Might be worth it if you're running up against that deadline.

The verification was all directly with the FSA agent, not with the service itself. My brother just had to answer the usual security questions (SSN, DOB, address, etc.) once he was talking to the agent. The service just helped bypass the hold time.

UPDATE: Success! My husband called FSA this morning (at 8am exactly as suggested) and after about 30 minutes on hold, got through to someone who helped reset his account. Turned out he had created his FSA ID with his old work email that he no longer has access to. They verified his identity and updated everything. We were able to complete and submit the FAFSA this afternoon! Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions!

Congrats on getting it resolved! This is such a helpful thread - I'm bookmarking it because I'm sure I'll need to reference it next year when we have to do this all over again. The tip about calling right at 8am seems to be the real game changer. It's frustrating that the system has these issues, but at least there are workarounds when you know what to do. Thanks for sharing your experience!

This thread is such a lifesaver! I'm bookmarking it because I know I'll be dealing with FAFSA again next year. The FSA ID system really needs some serious improvements - it's wild that so many people run into the same email access issues. Joy, thanks for posting the update about your success! It gives the rest of us hope that these problems can actually be solved. The tip about calling right at 8am seems to be the key - I'll definitely remember that if I run into trouble with my renewal next year.

As someone who just went through the FAFSA process for the first time this year, this thread is incredibly valuable! I had no idea that FSA ID issues were so common, especially the old email problem that seems to trip up so many people. Joy, congratulations on getting it resolved - your persistence really paid off! I'm definitely saving this entire discussion because I'm sure I'll need these tips when I have to renew next year. The advice about calling right at 8am and having all documents ready seems like it could save hours of frustration. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm going through the exact same issue right now - my spouse's FSA ID is locked and we can't get the recovery emails. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that we can get this sorted out. I'm definitely going to try calling FSA first thing at 8am tomorrow with all his documents ready. It's so frustrating that this is such a common problem, but at least there are proven solutions. Joy, thanks for sharing your success story - it really helps to know there's light at the end of the tunnel!

Wow, what a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar FSA ID nightmare right now - my husband's account got locked after too many failed login attempts and we're getting nowhere with the automated recovery system. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and informative. The tip about calling right at 8am seems to be the golden rule that multiple people have confirmed works. I'm also making note of the old work email issue since my husband did change jobs recently. Joy, congratulations on getting your FAFSA submitted! Your persistence and this community's advice really paid off. I'm going to try the early morning call strategy tomorrow with all documents ready. Thanks everyone for sharing such practical solutions to these frustrating technical issues!