FAFSA 2025-2026 application not showing up in parent FSA ID for signing - can't complete contribution section

This happened to me last week! The issue is likely that her account hasn't fully processed your connection as a contributor yet. Try these steps that worked for me: 1. Have your daughter log into her account 2. Go to the "Contributor Access" section under her application 3. Check if your email is listed correctly 4. If it is, have her click "resend invitation" After my son did this, I got a NEW email with a direct link to access the application. For some reason the system doesn't automatically connect everything even though you got the first notification. Hope this helps!

u might need 2 clear ur browser cache or try different browser. fafsa site been glitchy for me this year.

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!! The stupid system doesn't link parent and student accounts properly anymore. I spent THREE DAYS trying to figure this out and wasted HOURS on hold with their useless help line that disconnected me twice!!! The only way I finally fixed it was by having my son log in, go to his application, manually add me again as a contributor (even though I was already listed), and then have him SAVE THE APPLICATION AGAIN. Somehow this triggered the system to actually send me the proper link. The whole new FAFSA system is a complete disaster this year.

I'm a financial aid counselor, and we're seeing this issue frequently with the 2025-26 FAFSA. A few technical points that might help: 1. The contributor invitation system works separately from the notification system - even though you received a notification, the actual contributor invitation might not have processed correctly. 2. Make sure the student correctly entered your email address when listing contributors. Even a small typo will cause this issue. 3. Check both your primary and spam folders - the contributor invitations often get filtered. 4. If resending the invitation doesn't work, try having your daughter remove you as a contributor entirely, save the application, then add you again with a different email address if possible. 5. Verify that your FSA ID is properly linked to your Social Security Number in the FSA system, as this can sometimes cause contributor linking problems.

This happened to my sister and they had to call Federal Student Aid to get it fixed because none of the resending invitation stuff worked. She said it took forever to get through to someone though.

had same problem. turned out my daughter put wrong email for me. check that first before trying complicated stuff

Just following up - did any of these solutions work for you? I'm curious because we're about to start my younger daughter's application and want to avoid the same issues.

As someone who just went through this exact process with my son's FAFSA, I wanted to add that timing can also be a factor. I noticed that if the student completes their portion late in the evening or on weekends, the contributor invitations sometimes take longer to process through the system. We had better luck when my son submitted his updates during regular business hours on weekdays. Also, make sure to check that your FSA ID hasn't expired - mine was set to expire and I had to renew it before I could access the application, even though I was still getting emails about it. The new FAFSA system definitely has some quirks, but once you figure out the workarounds it's manageable.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now with my twin daughters' applications! Reading through all these responses is so helpful - it sounds like there are multiple potential causes. I'm going to start with checking that they entered my email correctly (seems like such a simple thing but apparently happens a lot), then try the resend invitation approach. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to the remove/re-add contributor method. It's frustrating that what should be a straightforward process has become so complicated, but at least it's reassuring to know we're not alone in this struggle. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I'm currently going through this nightmare with my daughter's FAFSA too! It's so frustrating that what should be a simple process has become this complicated. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like there are several different causes for this issue. I'm planning to work through the solutions systematically: first verify the email address is correct, then try the resend invitation option, and if that doesn't work, move to the remove/re-add contributor approach. It's really reassuring to know that so many people have eventually gotten it working, even if it required multiple attempts. Thank you all for sharing your troubleshooting steps and being so detailed about what worked - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with these technical issues!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now with my daughter's 2025-26 FAFSA. She completed her portion last week, I got the notification email, but when I log into my FSA ID account, there's absolutely nothing there for the new application year. It's really stressful because we're trying to meet early submission deadlines for her college applications. Reading through all these responses gives me hope though - it sounds like this is a widespread technical issue with the new system rather than something we did wrong. I'm going to start with verifying she entered my email correctly (seems like such an obvious thing to check but apparently it's a common problem!), then try the resend invitation approach. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to the remove/re-add contributor method that several people mentioned worked for them. Thank you everyone for sharing your detailed troubleshooting steps - this community support is invaluable when dealing with these frustrating technical glitches!

I'm currently experiencing this exact same issue with my son's 2025-26 FAFSA! He finished his portion two weeks ago, I received the notification email, but when I log into studentaid.gov with my FSA ID, the application is nowhere to be found. It's incredibly frustrating because we're trying to submit everything before the priority deadlines. Reading through all these solutions has been so helpful though - I had no idea about the disconnect between the notification system and the actual contributor invitation system. I'm going to start by having him check that he entered my email correctly (seems like this trips up a lot of people!), then try the resend invitation option. If that doesn't work, we'll move to the remove/re-add contributor approach that so many of you have had success with. It's reassuring to know this is a widespread technical issue and not something we messed up. Thank you all for sharing such detailed troubleshooting steps - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with these FAFSA glitches!