FAFSA 2025-26 already showing system errors - anyone else panicking?

I'm having the exact same problem. The system was down all weekend, then briefly worked Monday morning before crashing again. I called the Federal Student Aid hotline and after waiting 87 minutes, they told me it's a "known issue" that will be fixed "soon." Whatever that means. My advice is to gather all your documents now (2023 tax returns, W-2s, etc.) so you're ready when the system actually works. And screenshot any errors you get - my financial aid office asked for those last year when they provided deadline extensions.

yep same here cant even reset my FSA ID password keeps giving me error codes tried calling like 50 times nobody picks up

I work in a college financial aid office, and unfortunately, this is happening nationwide. The Department of Education is aware of the issues but hasn't provided us with a definitive timeline for resolution. Here's what I can tell you: 1. Most schools ARE extending priority deadlines because of these system issues 2. The FAFSA verification process will likely be scaled back this year due to the implementation problems 3. You should document every attempt you make to complete your FAFSA (screenshots with timestamps) 4. If your school has a supplemental financial aid form, complete that ASAP The good news is that despite the technical problems, the new FAFSA formula is designed to provide more aid to lower-income students, with expanded Pell Grant eligibility. Don't give up - these technical issues will eventually be resolved.

I got through the system at 3am!! For some reason it worked when everyone else was sleeping. Try late night or very early morning. Still took me 7 attempts and the contribution calculation part was glitchy, but I finally submitted it. The confirmation email took 2 days to arrive though, so don't panic if you don't get it right away.

After dealing with this nightmare myself, I finally found a solution for reaching an actual human at Federal Student Aid! I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a FSA agent in about 10 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with was actually super helpful and manually pushed my application through after verifying my identity. Apparently there's a backdoor system they can use when the main one is having issues. Worth a try if you're desperate like I was!

The real problem is that they completely redesigned the system AGAIN without proper testing. I'm a software engineer, and what the Department of Education is doing violates every principle of responsible software deployment. They should have maintained the old system in parallel while rolling out the new one incrementally. Instead, they force-launched a broken system and now millions of students are suffering. Based on the error messages I've seen, they're having database synchronization issues between the front-end application and back-end processing systems. That's why some people can submit but then their applications get stuck in processing limbo. If you're getting API errors specifically, try clearing cache/cookies and using incognito mode. Sometimes that bypasses the bad session handling.

LMAO this is EXACTLY why I didn't even bother with financial aid after my freshman year. The system is DESIGNED to be impossible to navigate. The government doesn't want to give you money! Last year my application was "selected for verification" and they needed my parents' tax info even though I'm 24 and independent?? Make it make sense! I just took out private loans instead. Higher interest rate but at least I could actually GET THEM without fighting a broken website for months.

UPDATE: I just got an email from Federal Student Aid saying system maintenance will be completed by next Tuesday. Apparently they're adding server capacity to handle the application volume. There's an official statement on studentaid.gov now too.

Has anyone tried the mobile app instead of the website? I've heard mixed things but my roommate said it worked for her when the main site was down.

I finally got through! For anyone still trying, here's what worked for me: cleared all cookies/cache, used Microsoft Edge browser (not Chrome), and tried at 6:30am. The system was slow but functional. Now my application shows "Submitted" though no SAI calculation yet. I'm just relieved to have it in the system before my school's priority deadline. Thanks everyone for your tips and commiseration!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this exact nightmare last year! I know how stressful it is, but don't give up. A few additional tips that helped me: 1) Save your progress frequently - the system times out but sometimes saves partial data, 2) If you get kicked out, wait 15-20 minutes before trying again (I think there's some kind of rate limiting), and 3) Contact your school's financial aid office ASAP to let them know you're having technical difficulties - most are being very understanding about extensions this year. Also, make sure you have your parents' info ready if you're a dependent student, because the parent contributor section seems to be the glitchiest part. You've got this! The system will eventually work and you'll get your aid processed.