FAFSA DOB typo correction after online fix - need to resign?
I accidentally put the wrong birth date on my daughter's FAFSA form (put 2006 instead of 2007, total mom brain moment). We already fixed it in the online system under settings → personal info, and the SSN match is now verified. The problem is the PDF report still shows the wrong DOB. Does anyone know if we need to do anything else to correct this? Will both my daughter and I need to resign the application? Really nervous about this holding up her aid package since we're cutting it close to her college decision deadline.
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Austin Leonard
Yes, whenever you make changes to personal information like DOB, both the student and parent need to resign the FAFSA. Log back into studentaid.gov, go to your application, and you should see a notice at the top about needing signatures. The system actually won't fully process your correction until you get those new signatures.
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Sophie Duck
•Thanks so much! Just checked and you're right - there's a message about needing signatures. Will do that tonight. Any idea how long it'll take to process after we resign?
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Anita George
had this same problem but it was my sons social security # lol. had to resign and then it fixed the whole thing within like 3 days
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Sophie Duck
•That's such a relief to hear! 3 days isn't bad at all. I was worried it might take weeks.
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Abigail Spencer
I'm in a similar situation right now! I made a mistake on my mom's birthday (put 1970 instead of 1969) and fixed it online. Called the FAFSA helpline about FIVE TIMES because they kept disconnecting me, and when I finally got through after 2 hours on hold, they said both of us have to go back and sign again for the correction to process. So frustrating, especially since my school's priority deadline is next week!!!
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Logan Chiang
•If you're having trouble reaching FAFSA by phone, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) last month when I had to fix a similar mistake. They hold your place in line and call you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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Isla Fischer
Financial aid counselor here. When you make corrections to demographic information like DOB, both the student and parent (if dependent student) must provide new signatures. Here's the process: 1. Log into studentaid.gov with the student's FSA ID 2. Navigate to the FAFSA application 3. You'll see a notification that new signatures are needed 4. The student signs first with their FSA ID 5. Then the parent signs with their FSA ID The system will generate a new SAI calculation once both signatures are submitted. Processing typically takes 3-5 business days, after which the corrected information will be sent to your colleges. The PDF report should update to show the correct DOB after processing.
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Sophie Duck
•Thank you so much for the detailed steps! We'll follow exactly what you outlined. One more question - will this affect her SAI score at all since it's just a DOB correction?
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Isla Fischer
•A simple DOB correction will not affect the SAI calculation. The system will recalculate, but since DOB doesn't impact the financial formula (unless it somehow changed dependency status, which is rare), your daughter's SAI should remain the same. The colleges will receive the updated information but shouldn't see any change in aid eligibility based on just a birth year correction.
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Miles Hammonds
i dont think you need to resign. my cousin had wrong DOB and the school just fixed it on there end. as long as the SSN is right the schools can match everythng up.
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Ruby Blake
•This is NOT correct advice! Schools can sometimes make minor corrections, but DOB is a critical identifier and needs to be fixed at the source with proper signatures. Please don't spread misinformation that could delay someone's financial aid.
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Anita George
The whole FAFSA system this year is such a mess!! My daughter's application has been "processing" for 6 weeks. SIX WEEKS!! And now they want us to make corrections and resign??? Make up ur minds people
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Sophie Duck
•6 weeks?! That's terrible! The DOB error was totally my fault but the new system is definitely more confusing than the old one.
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Austin Leonard
I'm going to share something that might save you time later - after you and your daughter resign, take a screenshot of the confirmation page. Then about 5 days later, check that the DOB is actually updated in the system. I had a similar situation with my son's FAFSA (wrong address), and even after resigning, the change didn't go through the first time. Having that screenshot of the confirmation helped when I had to call FSA to get it sorted out.
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Sophie Duck
•That's an excellent tip! I'll definitely take screenshots of everything. Thank you!
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Abigail Spencer
UPDATE: Just wanted to let you know that after I resigned both myself and my mom yesterday for our DOB correction, the new FAFSA report was ready this morning! So it didn't take 3-5 days like they said - it was less than 24 hours. Hope yours is as fast!
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Sophie Duck
•That's amazing news! Thanks for coming back to share that update. We just finished resigning about an hour ago, so hopefully we'll have the same quick turnaround!
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