FAFSA 2025-2026: Parent account showing wrong SSN zeros and won't accept new account setup

Ugh, the SSN zeros issue happened to me too! It's a known glitch in the new FAFSA system. What worked for me was having your husband try logging in through a private/incognito browser window AND on a completely different device than he's been using. For whatever reason, the system sometimes caches the incorrect info and keeps displaying it. Don't create a new account - that causes more problems than it solves. Instead, he should: 1. Try password recovery on his original FSA ID 2. Clear browser cache completely 3. Use a different device 4. Try logging in very early morning (like 5am) when server traffic is lower The reason the Continue button doesn't work is likely because there's already an account with that SSN, so the system blocks it silently instead of giving a proper error message.

this same thing happnd to me with my daughters fafsa!! what a nightmre. we tried for weeks and the website kept showing my husbands ssn as all 0s except last 4 digits. Turns out he had TWO accounts somehow and the system got confused. Support told us that when he made an account this year it didnt recognize his phone # from the old account so made a new one. but his ssn was already in system on old acct so it masked it with zeros on the new one. total mess

This is definitely a data mismatch issue in the FSA system. I've helped several families with this exact problem. The birth year being incorrect is particularly telling - it means there's a conflict between accounts. Here's what needs to happen: 1. Your husband should NOT create a new account. That will only complicate things further. 2. He needs to recover his original FSA ID account using the "Forgot Username" or "Forgot Password" function. 3. During recovery, he must use EXACTLY the same personal information that matches his Social Security record. 4. The student (your son) needs to log in and go to the "Contributors" section. There should be an option to "Add or Update Contributors" - it's not always obvious, but it's there in the updated interface. 5. If the above steps don't work, you'll need to contact FSA directly and ask specifically for a "Technical Account Issue Specialist" - regular agents often don't know how to fix these data conflicts.

After 3 HOURS on hold with FAFSA yesterday, I got disconnected AGAIN right when someone finally answered. This system is a complete joke. They tell us to call for help but then make it impossible to actually talk to anyone. I've been trying for weeks to resolve an account issue for my daughter's FAFSA and keep getting nowhere. The entire system is designed to fail.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to a FAFSA agent? It's the only way I was able to finally talk to someone without waiting for hours. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a system that waits on hold for you and calls you back when an agent is on the line. Saved me literally hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ When I finally got through, I explained the SSN zeros issue and they were able to merge my husband's accounts in their system. Took about 15 minutes once I actually reached someone who knew what they were doing.

This is a frustrating technical issue that many families are experiencing with the new FAFSA system. The zeros in the SSN field (except for the last four digits) is actually a security feature - the system is masking the full SSN for privacy. However, the birth year being incorrect is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed. Regarding the contributor invitation, there was a recent update to the FAFSA portal that changed where this function is located. Your son needs to: 1. Log into studentaid.gov with his FSA ID 2. Select the 2025-2026 FAFSA form 3. Navigate to the "Parent/Contributor Information" section 4. Look for "Manage Contributors" (it might be under a menu icon) 5. From there, he can send a new invitation to your husband's email If your husband's account is having technical issues, I strongly recommend calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly at 1-800-433-3243. Ask specifically for tier 2 technical support for an FSA ID issue with incorrect data. Be prepared with verification information (SSN, DOB, address) to prove identity.

Just wanted to follow up - did any of these suggestions work for you? I'm dealing with a similar issue for my nephew's FAFSA and curious if you found a solution.

So glad to hear you got it resolved! This is exactly the kind of outcome that gives me hope when dealing with FAFSA issues. The duplicate account problem seems to be way more common than FSA admits - I've now seen several families mention this exact scenario. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Use password recovery on the ORIGINAL FSA ID (don't create new accounts) 2. Try a completely different device 3. Get through to an actual support agent who can check for duplicate accounts in their system The Claimyr service mention is interesting - I hadn't heard of that before but might be worth trying for folks who can't get through the regular phone lines. Thanks for following up with the resolution, it really helps the community!