Can't complete parent signature section on FAFSA - stuck in submission error loop

omg same!!! its been a nightmare. the whole parent contribtr thing is SO confusing. i kept getting stuck in this weird loop where it would say i needed to sign but then wouldn't let me. finally figured out i was using my daughters fsaid when i needed my own?? idk it was weird

This is a common issue with the redesigned FAFSA for 2025-2026. The parent signature section is causing problems for many families. Here's what you need to do: 1. Make sure you and your daughter have separate FSA IDs 2. Log out completely from all accounts 3. Clear your browser cache and cookies 4. Have your daughter log in first to her account 5. Navigate to the "Action Required" section 6. There should be a button that says "Request Parent Signature" 7. She needs to click that, which will generate an email link to you 8. Use that email link (don't try to access through your own FSA ID account initially) The system is designed so parent contributors complete their portion through a special link, not through their own dashboard initially. Once you complete it via the link, then it will show in your account history.

I had this EXACT problem last weekend and it was maddening. Turns out there's a weird browser compatibility issue. The parent signature page doesn't work properly in Chrome or Edge (which is what I was using). When I switched to Firefox it magically worked! Also make sure all pop-up blockers are disabled because the signature page opens in a new window sometimes.

There's actually a specific error in the system that's preventing many parents from completing the signature process. The key is in how you navigate back to it: 1. Your daughter needs to log in to her account 2. Click on "FAFSA Form" in the main menu 3. Select the 2025-2026 application that's in progress 4. Scroll to the bottom and look for "Edit FAFSA Form" 5. This will reopen the application 6. Navigate to the "Parent Information" section 7. At the bottom of that section, there should be a "Parent Signature" subsection 8. That's where you'll need to complete your electronic signature If you're still getting errors after trying this, it might be an actual system issue on the Federal Student Aid side. In that case, you'll need to contact them directly. Unfortunately, their phone lines are notoriously difficult to get through.

have u checkd ur email spam folder?? the parent link thing goes there alot. my sons fafsa had this problem & the email was in my spam for like a week b4 i found it!!! good luck

The entire FAFSA system is GARBAGE this year!!! The redesign is a total DISASTER and they keep pretending everything is fine. I spent 17 HOURS trying to complete my twins' applications because of these exact issues. The parent signature page would load, then crash, then when I tried again it would say I already signed but the application showed incomplete!!! They should extend all deadlines by 3 months minimum to account for their incompetence. I ended up having to submit a paper signature page which they claim will take 3-5 WEEKS to process. Absolutely ridiculous.

One more thing to try: sometimes the parent signature issue is related to the parent FSA ID not being fully verified yet. When you created your FSA ID, did you complete the email and mobile phone verification steps? Both need to be verified before you can digitally sign. You can check this by logging into your FSA ID account (not the FAFSA portal) at fsaid.ed.gov and looking at your profile status.

Update: I tried all the suggestions here and FINALLY got it to work! Here's what fixed it for me: 1. Had my daughter log into her account 2. Went to the FAFSA form and clicked "View Processing Status" 3. There was a small link that said "Make Correction" (easy to miss!) 4. This reopened the form in edit mode 5. Navigated to the parent section 6. At the very bottom was a new button that said "Provide Parent Signature" 7. This led to a page where I could enter my FSA ID info 8. After submitting, we got confirmation that the application was complete! Thank you all so much for your help - especially the Firefox suggestion because Chrome definitely wasn't showing that "Make Correction" link properly. For anyone else struggling with this, don't give up!

This is such a relief to read! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - been stuck for 2 days trying to complete my son's FAFSA parent signature. I'll definitely try the Firefox browser suggestion and look for that "Make Correction" link. It's so frustrating that the system is this buggy when families are under so much stress about financial aid deadlines. Thank you all for sharing your solutions - this community is a lifesaver!

I'm having this EXACT same problem! My daughter submitted her FAFSA weeks ago but somehow the parent signature section just disappeared from my dashboard. When I log into my FSA ID account, there's nothing there about needing to sign anything, but her application shows as incomplete. I've tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline but after waiting over an hour I just get disconnected. It's so stressful because her scholarship deadline is coming up and they need the completed FAFSA. Going to try the Firefox browser trick and look for that "Make Correction" link that Dylan mentioned. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not going crazy and this is a real system issue!

I'm going through this nightmare right now too! My daughter and I have been battling this parent signature issue for almost a week. What's really frustrating is that we completed the entire FAFSA application together, but then at the very end when it came time for the parent signature, the system just... broke. It keeps saying there's an error when we try to submit, and like you mentioned, when I log into my own FSA ID there's absolutely nothing showing up about needing to sign anything. I've tried Chrome, Safari, and Edge with no luck, but reading through everyone's responses here I'm definitely going to download Firefox tonight and try the "Make Correction" pathway that Dylan found. It's such a relief to know this isn't just happening to us - the whole redesigned FAFSA system seems like it was rushed out before they worked out all the bugs. Thank you to everyone sharing their solutions, especially the detailed step-by-step instructions from Fatima and NightOwl42. Fingers crossed one of these workarounds will finally get us through!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm also dealing with this parent signature nightmare - been trying for 5 days now with no success. My daughter submitted her FAFSA but it's stuck showing "incomplete" because of the missing parent signature, and just like everyone else, there's absolutely nothing in my FSA ID dashboard. I've tried multiple browsers but haven't tried Firefox yet - downloading it now! The "Make Correction" pathway that Dylan discovered sounds promising. It's honestly shameful that the Department of Education released such a buggy system when families are already stressed about college costs and deadlines. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and making me feel less alone in this mess. Will report back if the Firefox/Make Correction combo works for me too!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I've been dealing with this exact same parent signature nightmare for the past week with my son's FAFSA. Like everyone else here, when I log into my FSA ID there's absolutely nothing showing - it's like the system has no record that I need to sign anything, but his application is stuck showing incomplete. I've been losing sleep over this because his college's priority deadline is coming up fast. Reading through all these solutions has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was such a widespread issue with the redesigned FAFSA system. I'm definitely going to try the Firefox browser suggestion tonight and look for that "Make Correction" pathway that Dylan found. It's honestly ridiculous that families have to become IT troubleshooters just to apply for financial aid, but I'm so thankful for this community where parents share their workarounds. Will definitely report back if any of these solutions work for me!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My daughter and I completed her entire FAFSA application together last week, but when we got to the parent signature section at the end, everything just broke. The system keeps giving us error messages when we try to submit, and like everyone else has mentioned, when I log into my FSA ID account there's absolutely nothing there - no notifications, no pending signatures, nothing. It's like I don't exist in their system! I've been so stressed about this because her college's financial aid priority deadline is in just 10 days. Reading through all these solutions has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was such a widespread problem with the new FAFSA system. I'm definitely going to try downloading Firefox tonight and look for that "Make Correction" link that Dylan discovered. It's honestly outrageous that families have to become tech support specialists just to apply for financial aid, especially when we're already dealing with the stress of college costs and deadlines. Thank you all for sharing your workarounds - this community is a lifesaver! I'll report back if the Firefox/Make Correction combo works for us too.

I'm having this EXACT same issue with my daughter's FAFSA! Been stuck for 6 days now and I was starting to think I was going crazy. Like everyone else, my FSA ID dashboard shows absolutely nothing - no pending signatures, no notifications, nothing. But her application is stuck at "incomplete" status. I've tried Chrome, Edge, and Safari with no luck, but reading through all these solutions here I'm definitely downloading Firefox tonight! The "Make Correction" pathway that Dylan found sounds like exactly what I need to try. It's so frustrating that the new FAFSA system is this buggy when families are already stressed about deadlines and college costs. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community has been a lifesaver! I was about to give up but now I have hope. Will definitely report back if the Firefox/Make Correction combo works for me too. Fingers crossed!

I'm so relieved I found this thread! I've been struggling with this exact parent signature issue for the past 4 days with my son's FAFSA. Just like everyone else, my FSA ID dashboard is completely blank - it's like the system has no record that I need to sign anything, but his application shows incomplete. I've been panicking because his college's priority financial aid deadline is next week! Reading through all these solutions has given me so much hope. I'm definitely going to try Firefox tonight and look for that "Make Correction" link that Dylan discovered. It's absolutely mind-boggling that the Department of Education released such a broken system when families are already dealing with enough stress about college costs. But I'm so grateful for this community - you've all been lifesavers sharing these workarounds! Will definitely update if the Firefox solution works for me too. Thank you all!