FAFSA 2025-2026 needs spouse signature but no email received - what now?
Just tried submitting the new FAFSA for my daughter and I'm stuck at the final step. The system asked for my spouse's email at the end of the application (we file taxes jointly). I entered her email but it's been 5 hours and she hasn't received any notification to add her signature. I thought only one parent needed to complete the FAFSA? The application shows as 'waiting for signatures' on my dashboard. Has anyone else had this issue with the spouse signature? Should I try re-entering her email or just wait longer? Our daughter's priority deadline is in 3 weeks and I'm getting anxious about delays.
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Taylor To
Yes, both parents need to create FSA IDs and sign the FAFSA if you're married filing jointly. One parent completes the application, but both must sign. Sometimes the email notifications get delayed or go to spam folders. Have your spouse check all email folders including spam/junk. If nothing arrives by tomorrow, you can try logging back in and re-sending the signature request. The system is probably overloaded today with everyone trying to submit applications on opening day.
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Oliver Cheng
•Thanks for clarifying! I had completely misunderstood - thought only one parent needed an FSA ID. We'll check her spam folder right now. If we don't find it, how exactly do I re-send the signature request? I don't see that option on my dashboard.
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Ella Cofer
Same thing happened with us!! The email took over 24 hours to come through to my husband. The system is super backed up right now. Just wait it out.
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Kevin Bell
•Not always true. My wife never got her email at all and we had to call FSA. Apparently there was a typo in the email address I entered. Double check you didn't make a mistake when entering it.
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Savannah Glover
OMG I H8 THE NEW FAFSA!!! They make everything so complicated now! Last year we didn't need my husband to do anything and now suddenly he needs an FSA ID and signature?? RIDICULOUS! This is why people don't apply for financial aid!
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Taylor To
•Actually, both parents have always needed to sign if married filing jointly - that's not new for this year. What has changed is the new SAI formula and contributor definitions, but not the signature requirements.
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Felix Grigori
A few important points about the spouse signature requirement: 1. Both spouses must sign if you're married filing jointly - this has been the case for years 2. Each spouse needs their own FSA ID 3. Email notifications can be delayed 24-48 hours during high volume periods 4. You can log back in and see if there's an option to "Resend Notification" 5. If no email arrives within 48 hours, double-check the email address was entered correctly If you're approaching your school's priority deadline, you might want to contact Federal Student Aid directly to resolve this. The spouse signature is mandatory, and your application isn't complete until both signatures are received.
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Oliver Cheng
•This is super helpful, thank you! My wife is creating her FSA ID right now. Quick question - once she has her FSA ID, does she need to wait for the email notification, or can she just log in directly to sign?
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Kevin Bell
My wife just needed to create an FSA ID and then log into studentaid.gov herself. The application showed up in her dashboard as needing signature. She never actually got an email even though I entered her address.
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Oliver Cheng
•That's good to know! My wife just finished creating her FSA ID but doesn't see anything on her dashboard yet. Maybe it takes time to link?
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Felicity Bud
When I filed FAFSA for my son last week, I had the exact same issue with my husband's signature. After waiting 12 hours with no email, I tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline but couldn't get through after 45 minutes on hold. I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback from an FSA agent who helped fix the issue - turned out there was a mismatch between the email I entered and the one my husband used for his FSA ID. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent was able to resend the signature request to the correct email immediately. Saved us days of waiting!
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Oliver Cheng
•Thanks for the tip! We might try that if we can't resolve this by tomorrow. Did they need any specific information to help with the signature issue?
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Max Reyes
TOTALLY RANDOM but did anyone else notice that the new SAI calculation seems WAYYYY stricter than the old EFC? My daughter's aid estimate is like $3000 less than last year with basically the same income information. This signature thing seems like the least of our problems, lol.
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Felix Grigori
•That's a separate issue, but yes, many families are seeing changes with the new SAI formula. The changes impact different families differently based on income levels, number of college students, and other factors. If your aid package is significantly different, you can request a professional judgment review from your financial aid office once awards are made.
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Oliver Cheng
UPDATE: My wife checked her spam folder and found the email! It came through about 7 hours after submission but went straight to spam. She's completed her signature now and our application shows 'Processing' instead of 'Waiting for Signatures'. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Taylor To
•Great news! Glad it worked out. The 'Processing' status is normal and can take 3-5 days before you get your SAI calculation. Make sure you also check your Student Aid Report when it's available to verify all information is correct.
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Nalani Liu
Congratulations on getting it resolved! For future reference and anyone else reading this thread, here are the key takeaways: 1) Always check spam/junk folders first - FAFSA emails commonly end up there, 2) Both married parents need FSA IDs and signatures when filing jointly, 3) Email delays of 6-24 hours are normal during peak submission periods, 4) Double-check email addresses for typos, and 5) If the email doesn't arrive within 48 hours, contact Federal Student Aid directly. The spouse signature requirement catches many families off guard, but it's been a longstanding requirement. Good luck with your daughter's financial aid process!
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Evelyn Xu
•This is such a helpful summary, thank you! As someone who's about to start the FAFSA process for my twins next year, I'm taking notes on all these tips. The spam folder issue seems to be a really common problem - I'll definitely remember to check there first. Quick question though - if both parents need FSA IDs, do they both need to be present when filling out the application, or can one parent complete everything and just get the signature from the other at the end?
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Sean Kelly
•@Evelyn Xu Great question! One parent can complete the entire FAFSA application alone - they just need to have access to both parents information' SSN, (tax info, etc. .)The second parent only needs to log in at the very end to provide their electronic signature. So no, both parents don t'need to sit together during the whole process. Just make sure the completing parent has all the necessary documents and information for both spouses before starting. The signature step is really just a final approval/verification step.
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