Do parents need new FAFSA invitation each year or can they use last year's login?

You don't need a new invitation each year! Once you have your FSA ID set up from last year, you can just log in with those same credentials to complete your portion of your daughter's FAFSA. The system remembers your connection to your student. Just make sure your daughter starts the FAFSA renewal process on her account first, then you can go in with your FSA ID to complete the parent information section.

I thought the same thing last year but nope! Just use ur same login. The only time u need new invitation is if u never made FSA ID before or if u forgot login. For 2nd year its way easier trust me

Actually I had to get a new invitation this year because my son didn't list me as a contributor when he started his renewal application! So make sure your daughter adds you as a contributor when she begins the renewal process or you won't see her FAFSA in your account. I spent WEEKS trying to figure out why I couldn't access his application!!

To clarify what everyone is saying: 1. Your FSA ID remains valid year after year - no need to create a new one 2. For renewals, the student must initiate the process by starting a new FAFSA for 2025-2026 3. During this renewal process, the student must list you as a contributing parent 4. Once they've done that, you'll see their application when you log in to studentaid.gov with your existing FSA ID 5. No new invitation is needed IF the student properly lists you as a contributor If you don't see your student's application in your account after they've started their renewal, it likely means they didn't select you as a contributor, and you would need a new invitation in that specific case.

When my kid did his 2nd year FAFSA I didn't need an invite but for some reason his SAI came back WAY higher than last year even though our income was almost identical?? Anyone else have this happen with the 2025-2026 FAFSA? Now I'm wondering if we messed something up in the renewal process...

I've been trying to help families with the FAFSA renewal process for years, and you're definitely not alone in this confusion! While you don't need a new FSA ID each year, there are a few things to watch out for: - Make sure both you and your student remember your FSA ID credentials (username/password) - Your student needs to list you as a contributor when they start their renewal - You'll use your existing FSA ID to log in once they've started their application - Double check all imported tax information - the IRS Data Retrieval Tool sometimes pulls incorrect information - Verify the number of people in your household and number in college If you're having trouble connecting to your student's application, the FAFSA call center can help, but they have extremely long wait times. I've had multiple families use Claimyr (claimyr.com) to bypass the wait. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Good luck with the renewal process!

EVERYONE SAYING YOU DON'T NEED A NEW INVITATION IS WRONG!!! I tried logging in with my old FSA ID and couldn't see my daughter's application anywhere!!! Had to get her to send me a new invitation! This new FAFSA system is TERRIBLE and NOBODY at the help center can give consistent answers!!!!

my mom just used her old login for my fafsa this year and it worked fine but she said all her tax info was already there which was nice

To summarize for anyone finding this thread later: 1. Parents keep the same FSA ID year after year 2. Students must add parents as contributors when starting their renewal 3. If the student doesn't add you as a contributor, you'll need a new invitation 4. Once properly set up, parents can log in with their existing FSA ID 5. The system will likely pre-fill some information from last year 6. Always verify all imported tax info for accuracy Hope this helps future parents navigate the renewal process more smoothly!

As someone who just went through this process for the first time this year, I can confirm that you don't need a new FSA ID! I was panicking because I couldn't remember if I needed to wait for my son to send me another invitation. Turns out I just logged in with my existing credentials from last year and everything was there. The key thing (that I learned the hard way) is making sure your daughter adds you as a contributor when she starts her renewal - otherwise you won't see her application in your account. The whole process was actually much smoother than I expected once I figured that part out. Good luck with the scholarship - I know how stressful it can be when so much depends on getting the FAFSA right!

Just wanted to add my experience as another data point - I'm a parent going through this for my third child's FAFSA renewal this year. You definitely keep the same FSA ID! The confusion often comes from the fact that each year's FAFSA is treated as a separate application, so even though your FSA ID credentials stay the same, you need to be connected to that specific year's form. One tip that might help: after your daughter starts her renewal and adds you as a contributor, it can sometimes take a few hours for her application to show up in your account when you log in. Don't panic if you don't see it immediately! Also, make sure you're looking under the correct academic year (2025-2026) when you log in, as the system will show applications for different years. The good news is that once you're in, a lot of your information from last year will be pre-populated, which makes the process much faster than the initial application. Just double-check everything, especially if your tax situation changed at all from last year. Good luck with the scholarship renewal!