FAFSA FSA ID creation order - Does parent account timing affect student application?

You're totally fine! The order of FSA ID creation doesn't matter at all. My wife and I created ours months before our daughter did hers. The "verification pending" message is normal and just means the system is cross-checking your information with Social Security Administration records. This usually takes 1-3 days but can sometimes take up to a week, especially during peak FAFSA season. Just wait it out and you should be good to go!

no big deal, happens all the time. just wait a few days for verification to complete. the system is always glitchy this time of year when everyone's applying

The account creation order doesn't matter, but I can clarify what's happening with that verification message. When you create an FSA ID, the system has to match your information with Social Security Administration records before you can be fully linked to a student's FAFSA as a contributor. This usually takes 1-3 business days. What you're experiencing is completely normal. Just wait for the verification to complete, then you'll be able to continue. Make sure all the information you entered (name, DOB, SSN) exactly matches your Social Security card to avoid delays. One tip: while waiting for verification, your son can continue filling out other sections of his application that don't require parent information. Then once your accounts are verified, you can go back and complete the parent/contributor sections.

my daughter made hers first then i made mine and we still got the same message so i don't think order matters. took about 4 days for mine to get verified then everything worked fine

I went through this exact same situation last month with my twins' applications! The verification pending message is super stressful but normal. What I did find out though is that if your verification takes longer than 3 days (mine took almost a week), you might want to call FSA to check if there's a mismatch in your information. I spent 3 hours on hold with the Federal Student Aid helpline before getting disconnected TWICE. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Turns out there was a small discrepancy in how my name was entered versus my SSA records (I had used my middle initial instead of full middle name). The agent helped me fix it right away and verification completed within hours after that.

Omg I'm literally going through the EXACT same thing right now!! My husband & I made our FSA IDs last weekend and our daughter made hers Tuesday. We're stuck on that verification thing too! So frustrating!!!! Did yours ever get fixed??

when we did it last year my husband never got verified and we had to call. turned out he used his nickname not his legal name lol. make sure u use EXACTLY what's on ur social security card

Just wanted to add - while you're waiting for verification, make sure your son has gathered all the other information he'll need for the application. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll need 2023 tax information (which is different from previous years where you used prior-prior year tax info). Also make sure you have records of any untaxed income and current asset information (bank accounts, investments, etc.) ready to go. The new FAFSA pulls some tax info directly from the IRS, but you'll still need to answer questions about assets manually.

UPDATE: Our verification just went through! It took exactly 3 days. Now we're able to complete the parent contribution section without any issues. Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance!