Can't delete incomplete FAFSA application - system error when adding parent info
I'm trying to figure out how to delete our FAFSA application and start over from scratch! Somehow the system submitted our application with ONLY my daughter's portion completed, and now we're stuck in this weird limbo. When I log into my FSA ID and try to access our application, it forces me to provide a signature but then throws a system error every time I try to enter my parent information. I've tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline at least 8 times but can't get through to an actual person. My daughter's college priority deadline is in 3 weeks and I'm seriously panicking! Has anyone successfully deleted a partially completed FAFSA and started over? Or found a way to fix this parent information system error? Any help would be appreciated because this process is just MADDENING!!!
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Avery Flores
I had the same exact problem last month! The FAFSA system is seriously broken this year. What worked for me was logging out completely, clearing my browser cache and cookies, then logging back in using a different browser (I switched from Chrome to Firefox). For some reason that let me access the parent contribution section without the system error. Don't try to delete anything - you might lose all your daughter's info and have to start completely over.
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Caden Nguyen
•Thanks for the quick response! I'll try the browser switch thing tonight. Did you have to wait a certain amount of time between logout and logging back in? And did you use the "forgot password" option or just regular login?
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Zoe Gonzalez
You actually CAN'T delete a submitted FAFSA application yourself - even a partially completed one. Only a financial aid administrator at your daughter's school or a FAFSA customer service rep can do that. Source: my son had the same issue and we had to get help from his university financial aid office.
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Caden Nguyen
•Oh no! That's even worse news. So I HAVE to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid? That feels impossible right now!
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Ashley Adams
Financial aid counselor here. There's a lot of misinformation about this issue. Here's what you need to know: 1. You CAN'T delete a submitted FAFSA yourself, that's correct 2. The error you're seeing is common with the new FAFSA system when parent contribution info gets corrupted 3. You have three options: - Contact your daughter's school financial aid office (fastest solution) - Reach Federal Student Aid directly (can take time) - Use the correction function instead of trying to delete For option 3: Log in, select "Make FAFSA Corrections," then skip to the parent contribution section. Sometimes this bypasses the error you're seeing with the signature process.
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Caden Nguyen
•Thank you for this detailed information! I'll try the correction option tonight. If that doesn't work, I'll reach out to her school's financial aid office tomorrow morning. Really appreciate the expert advice!
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Alexis Robinson
Try using Claimyr to get through to a Federal Student Aid agent without the wait. I was in the same situation last month and spent DAYS trying to reach someone. My cousin recommended claimyr.com and I got through to an agent in about 10 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with was able to unlock my application so I could fix the parent contribution section without starting over. Saved me so much stress with our deadline approaching!
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Aaron Lee
•Does this actually work? Seems kinda sketchy to pay a third party just to talk to the government lol
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Alexis Robinson
•It's not sketchy - they just hold your place in line so you don't have to stay on hold forever. The FAFSA agent fixed my problem in about 5 minutes once I got through. Way better than the 3+ hours I spent trying to call on my own.
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Chloe Mitchell
hav u tried using a different device?? my sister couldn't get her fafsa parent stuff to work on her laptop but when she used her phone it worked fine for some reason. the whole system is glitchy AF this year
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Caden Nguyen
•I hadn't thought of trying my phone! Great idea, I'll give that a shot too. Thanks!
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Michael Adams
This is why I HATE the FAFSA system with a passion. Every year it's something new. Last year they couldn't verify my identity for THREE MONTHS. The year before that, they randomly selected us for verification after we'd already been approved. And now this year they completely redesigned everything and it's full of bugs. The government should be ashamed of how badly they've implemented this system that millions of students depend on. DISGUSTING!!!!!
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Zoe Gonzalez
•Honestly same. My daughter missed out on $5k in grants last year because their system marked our application as "incomplete" even though we'd submitted everything. Never got any notification until it was too late.
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Avery Flores
Did you ever figure this out? I'm dealing with the same issue now with my son's application. We can see that it's been submitted but his SAI score isn't calculating because my income information isn't there. So frustrating!
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Caden Nguyen
•Yes! Finally got it resolved yesterday. The financial aid counselor at my daughter's top choice school was able to unlock our application on their end so I could complete the parent portion. Turns out a lot of schools can do this now because of all the FAFSA issues this year. Definitely worth contacting your son's school directly!
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