Do married couples filing jointly need separate FAFSA parent accounts? Getting mixed info!

Both parents need their own FSA IDs even if you file jointly. My husband and I went through this last month. The contributor who provides their information on the FAFSA needs an account AND the other parent still needs their own FSA ID to digitally sign the application. It's super annoying but that's how the new system works with the FAFSA Simplification.

Your coworker is WRONG!! Both parents need FSA IDs now! This is one of the big changes with the new FAFSA system. Learned this the hard way when my son's application was delayed for 3 weeks because I didn't have my own ID set up separately from my wife's.

Im pretty sure only the parent who actually fills it out needs an FSA ID. thats what I did last year. just make sure whoever makes the account is the one who has all the tax info

Financial aid counselor here. The correct answer is YES - both parents who are married (whether filing jointly or separately) each need their own FSA ID. This is part of the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. Here's the specific process: 1. Both parents must create their own FSA ID at studentaid.gov 2. One parent will be designated as the contributor who completes the FAFSA 3. The contributor parent will use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to import tax info 4. BOTH parents must electronically sign the FAFSA using their unique FSA IDs Failing to have both parents sign will delay processing and potentially affect your daughter's SAI calculation and aid package. This is a common point of confusion with the new system.

If you're still having trouble reaching someone at Federal Student Aid, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in the same situation last month trying to sort out parent account requirements, and after days of failing to get through on the regular line, Claimyr got me connected to a live agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent confirmed both parents need separate FSA IDs even when filing jointly, and walked me through setting up the second account while on the call.

omg this new fafsa is the WORST!! they made everything 10x more complicated! i spent 3 hours trying to link my husband's account to my daughters app and the stupid system kept crashing. why do they make it so hard for families to get financial aid??!!

I had this exact question when helping my son apply last month. The answer is that BOTH parents need separate FSA IDs if they're married, regardless of tax filing status. This is different from previous years. Here's what worked for us: 1. My husband created his FSA ID first (he handles our finances) 2. I created mine the next day (they recommend waiting 24hrs between creating accounts) 3. He completed the FAFSA as the contributor parent 4. The system sent me an email notification when it was my turn to sign 5. I logged in with my FSA ID and could review all info before signing This new system actually ended up giving us a better SAI score than we expected, so it's worth getting it right!

so does this mean my husband needs to make a seperate account or we can use the same one? we already did our taxes together

Just to clarify my earlier response - this is one of the most common issues we're seeing with the new FAFSA system. Each parent having their own FSA ID is required for security reasons since both parents' information is used in the SAI calculation, even when filing taxes jointly. Many families are experiencing delays because one parent completes everything correctly, but then the application sits waiting for the second parent's signature. The system doesn't always send clear notifications about this status.

After both parents sign, processing is taking about 2-3 days for the initial SAI calculation to appear. Then colleges typically need 1-2 weeks to integrate the information into their systems and prepare aid packages. Make sure your daughter has also added all her potential colleges to her FAFSA before you both sign - adding schools later requires both parents to re-sign!

As a parent who just went through this process successfully, I can confirm what others have said - both married parents absolutely need separate FSA IDs! I made the mistake of thinking we could share one account since we file jointly, and it delayed our son's application by almost two weeks. Here's what I learned: even though you file taxes together, the FAFSA system treats each parent as an individual contributor for security and verification purposes. The good news is that once you both have your FSA IDs set up, the actual process is pretty straightforward. Just make sure to create the accounts on different days (24-48 hours apart) to avoid any system glitches, and designate one person as the primary contributor to avoid confusion. Don't stress too much about the complexity - thousands of families are figuring this out right now, and the colleges understand there's a learning curve with the new system!

I just went through this exact same confusion two weeks ago! Yes, both parents absolutely need separate FSA IDs even when filing jointly. I initially created just one account thinking we could share it since we file taxes together, but the FAFSA system literally won't let you proceed without both parents having their own unique FSA IDs for electronic signatures. Here's what worked for us: I created my FSA ID first, then my husband created his 48 hours later (some people recommend waiting to avoid system conflicts). I was the "contributor parent" who filled out most of the application and imported our tax info via the IRS tool. Once I submitted everything, the system automatically sent my husband an email notification to log in with his FSA ID and sign the application. The whole process took about a week from start to finish once we both had our accounts set up. Don't let the complexity intimidate you - once you get both FSA IDs created, the rest flows pretty smoothly! Your daughter's aid won't be delayed as long as you get this sorted out soon.