FAFSA 2-step verification codes not sending - can't add parent contributor

literally had this EXACT problem last week!! the codes never show up and when i called nobody picked up. so frustrated with this stupid system

There are a few things you can try to fix this: 1. Make sure the phone number on his FSA ID account is correct and up-to-date 2. Try changing the contact method to email instead of text (or vice versa) 3. Check if his phone is blocking texts from unknown numbers 4. Try logging in during non-peak hours (early morning or late evening) 5. Clear your browser cache and cookies before trying again The system has been really overloaded this year with all the changes to the FAFSA, so technical glitches are unfortunately common.

Def had same problm. My son's FAFSA took FOREVER bc of this. Turns out the invite was going to my old email from like 10 yrs ago that was still in the system somehow?? Check if dad has an old email in there

These verification issues are common but frustrating. Another approach you can try is requesting a temporary suspension of 2-factor authentication for his account. You'll need to call FSA directly and verify his identity, but they can temporarily disable it if you explain the situation. Also, make sure his FSA ID isn't locked - if he or someone else made too many login attempts, the system might have locked him out without sending a clear notification. The other thing to know is that the contributor invitation expires after 14 days, so if she can get it working, she'll need to send a fresh invite.

If you need to speak with a real person at Federal Student Aid, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was having the same verification issues and couldn't get through on the phone for days. Their service connected me to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of endless holds and disconnects. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to reset my husband's verification settings and fix the contributor invitation issue. Saved us days of frustration!

One important thing not mentioned yet - check if his phone number is formatted correctly in the FSA ID system. My husband's number was entered with dashes (555-555-5555) and the verification texts weren't going through. We removed the dashes and suddenly it worked! Such a simple fix but took us days to figure out.

THE ENTIRE FAFSA SYSTEM IS GARBAGE THIS YEAR!!! They had THREE EXTRA MONTHS to prepare and still rolled out a completely broken system. My daughter might lose scholarships because of these stupid technical problems. The Department of Education should be ASHAMED of this disaster. And now they keep extending deadlines because they know they screwed up so badly!!!!

UPDATE: We figured it out! The problem was that my ex-husband had changed his phone number last year but never updated it in his FSA ID account. When we updated his contact information, the verification texts started coming through immediately. We've now successfully added him as a contributor and my daughter can finish her application. Thanks everyone for your help!