FAFSA 2025-2026 website won't let me create a new account - stuck on first screen

I experienced the same issue last week. What worked for me was trying during off-peak hours (like 5am or 11pm). The FAFSA site gets overloaded with traffic during normal hours, especially now that the 2025-2026 application is available. Also, make sure you're not using any VPN or ad blockers when accessing studentaid.gov - those can interfere with the verification process.

mine did the SAME THING!!!! so frustrating. i ended up having to use my mom's ancient computer with Internet Explorer (lol) and somehow that worked?? the fafsa website is such garbage every single year

This is a known issue with the new rollout. The StudentAid.gov site has been experiencing technical difficulties with the account creation process specifically. Here are some additional troubleshooting steps: 1. Try using incognito/private browsing mode 2. Make sure your email domain isn't blocked (some school emails cause problems) 3. Check if your password meets all their criteria (12+ characters, special symbols, etc.) 4. Try a different email address entirely If none of these work, you might need to contact FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243, but good luck getting through - wait times are currently 2+ hours.

If you need to reach the Federal Student Aid helpline without the ridiculous wait times, try using Claimyr. I was struggling with the same account creation issue and needed to speak with someone ASAP due to my school's deadline. Claimyr got me connected to an FSA agent in under 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to verify my information and manually help me with the account setup process. The website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.

I'm dealing with this exact same problem right now. When I called FSA, they told me there's a massive backlog of people trying to create accounts because of the system update. They recommended completing a FAFSA on paper (yes, PAPER in 2025!!) and mailing it in if your deadline is coming up soon. Apparently, paper applications are being processed faster than electronic ones right now, which is completely insane. You can download the PDF from studentaid.gov/resources and print it out.

Update: The Department of Education just announced they're doing emergency maintenance on the account creation system tonight from 11pm-3am Eastern. They claim this will fix the issues many are experiencing. Might be worth waiting until tomorrow morning to try again.

wait im confused does this affect ppl who already have accounts? i have a SAI from last year but need to do the 2025-26 fafsa now. do i need to make a new account or use my old one?

UPDATE: Great news everyone! I tried at 6am this morning after the maintenance and got through! The account creation worked perfectly, and I'm now halfway through my FAFSA application. A few tips that helped me: 1. I used Chrome in incognito mode 2. Used my Gmail account instead of university email 3. Made sure my password had exactly 14 characters with special symbols 4. Disabled my VPN completely Thanks for all your help! Now I just have to figure out this new SAI calculation...

So glad to see this got resolved! I've been lurking here for a while dealing with the same exact issue. Just tried following your steps @Rosie Harper and it worked for me too! The incognito mode + Gmail combo seems to be the magic formula. For anyone still stuck, I also noticed that clearing ALL cookies and browser data (not just cache) before trying helped. The maintenance they did last night definitely fixed whatever was causing the initial loading screen to freeze. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread was a lifesaver!

This is such a helpful thread! I've been bookmarking all these solutions for future reference. The fact that a paper FAFSA is processing faster than the digital one in 2025 is absolutely wild - feels like we've gone backwards in time! But I'm really glad to see that the emergency maintenance seems to have fixed most of the account creation issues. For anyone still having trouble, it might also be worth trying different times of day since server load definitely seems to be a factor. The combination of incognito mode + personal email + VPN disabled appears to be the winning formula based on multiple success stories here.

Just wanted to chime in as another success story! I was having this exact same problem for almost a week - the loading screen would just spin endlessly after entering my info. After reading through all the helpful advice here, I tried the combination of incognito mode + Gmail + completely disabling my VPN, and it worked like a charm this morning around 7am. The maintenance they did really seems to have made a difference. For anyone still struggling, I'd also recommend making sure your internet connection is stable - I noticed the process seemed more sensitive to any network hiccups than other websites. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions here - this community is incredibly helpful for navigating these frustrating FAFSA tech issues!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I've been struggling with the exact same account creation issue for the past few days and was starting to panic about missing my financial aid deadline. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been such a relief - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this frustrating problem. I'm planning to try the successful combination tomorrow morning: incognito mode + Gmail + VPN disabled + early morning timing. It's honestly ridiculous that we need so many workarounds for a basic government website in 2025, but I'm grateful for this community sharing practical solutions. Will definitely update if I manage to get through the account creation process. Thanks everyone for being so helpful to fellow students navigating this mess!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to jump in as another newcomer who's been silently following this thread while dealing with the same nightmare. I've been stuck on that first screen for 4 days now and was honestly about to give up. But seeing all these success stories after the maintenance gives me hope! I'm definitely going to try the magic combo tomorrow: incognito + Gmail + no VPN + early morning. It's wild that in 2025 we need a whole playbook just to create an account on a government website, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions instead of the useless "try clearing your cache" advice you get everywhere else. This thread should honestly be pinned - it's more helpful than anything on the official site! Will report back with my results. Fingers crossed! 🤞