FAFSA 2023-2024: Can't add schools because option is greyed out - urgent help needed!

same thing happened to me!! the whole fafsa website is glitchy af this year. i couldnt add schools either but then it randomly started working after a week? maybe just wait???

The greyed out add school option usually happens because your FAFSA is still being processed. Once your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation is complete, you should be able to add more schools. Check your FAFSA status - does it show as "Processed" or still "Processing"?

Are you SURE you're looking at the right place?? The add schools option isn't under "Add School Codes" anymore for 2023-2024. They moved it to "Make FAFSA Corrections" and then you have to select the school selection section specifically. The UI is completely different from last year and super confusing. I spent like 2 hours trying to figure it out last month!!!!

Did your parents already sign the FAFSA too? If they haven't completed their signature part, a lot of the edit options stay greyed out. My son couldn't add schools until I completed my part as a parent contributor last year.

This is a common issue this year due to the FAFSA system overhaul. There are three likely reasons your add schools option is greyed out: 1) Your application is still processing (as mentioned above) 2) You've reached the 20-school limit (though you didn't mention how many schools you already listed) 3) There's a verification hold on your application For the third option, check your Student Aid Report (SAR) for any verification flags. If you see a "V" code or any mention of verification, you'll need to complete that process before making changes. The fastest solution is calling Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-4FED-AID. Unfortunately, wait times are often 2+ hours this time of year, especially with all the new FAFSA issues.

I work in a financial aid office and we're seeing this issue constantly this year. If your FAFSA is still processing after 3 weeks, something is definitely holding it up. Most likely there's a data matching issue with your SSN, name, or birth date compared to Social Security records or IRS tax information. I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an FSA agent quickly. They help you skip the long hold times when calling Federal Student Aid. One of our students showed me a video of how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once you get through to FSA, specifically ask if there are any identity matching issues or processing holds on your application. They can often resolve these immediately during the call.

The whole FAFSA system is BROKEN this year!! They rushed out all these "improvements" and created a complete disaster. I work with low-income students applying to college and HALF of them have issues with the 2023-2024 FAFSA that weren't problems in previous years. We've seen the greyed out schools issue dozens of times. Sometimes it's processing delays, sometimes it's system glitches, sometimes it's verification issues. But the WORST part is you can't get anyone on the phone at FSA to help!!! 😡 I recommend you also contact the financial aid offices at the schools you're applying to and explain the situation. Many schools are being flexible with FAFSA deadlines this year because they know the system is a nightmare.

UPDATE: I used Claimyr to get through to FSA and only waited about 5 minutes! The agent was super helpful and found the issue right away. Turns out there was a mismatch between my name in the Social Security database (which includes my middle name) and how I entered it on the FAFSA (without my middle name). She fixed it during the call AND added all three schools for me! She said the application should finish processing within 3-5 business days and all 10 schools will receive my info. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help!!

So glad you got this resolved! I'm a freshman who went through the same nightmare last year with the new FAFSA system. The name mismatch issue is SO common but they never explain it clearly anywhere. For anyone else reading this - definitely check that your name on FAFSA matches EXACTLY what's in the Social Security database, including middle names, hyphens, apostrophes, etc. Even tiny differences can cause weeks of processing delays. And yes, Claimyr is a lifesaver for getting through to FSA quickly! Saved me from missing my aid deadlines too.

This thread is so helpful! I'm a junior just starting to research financial aid and had no clue about any of these potential FAFSA issues. Reading through everyone's experiences is eye-opening - especially the name matching problem that seems to trip up so many students. I'm definitely going to make sure I enter my name exactly as it appears on my Social Security card when I apply next year. And I'm saving the Claimyr recommendation too since it sounds like getting through to FSA support is nearly impossible otherwise. Thanks Isabella for sharing your solution and everyone else for the detailed advice!

Wow, this entire thread is exactly what I needed to see! I'm a senior dealing with a similar FAFSA nightmare right now - my application has been stuck in "processing" for over 2 weeks and I can't figure out why. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm pretty sure it might be a name matching issue too since I used a shortened version of my legal name. The fact that Isabella got it resolved so quickly with Claimyr gives me hope! I'm definitely calling FSA tomorrow using that service. It's honestly ridiculous that the FAFSA system is this broken, but at least this community is sharing actual solutions. Thank you all for being so detailed about the troubleshooting steps - this is way more helpful than any official FAFSA help page I've found!