FAFSA FSA ID system glitch preventing account verification - anyone found a workaround?

YES! This same thing happened to my daughter last month. We tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, using mobile instead of desktop, entering the address differently, even tried at different times of day thinking maybe the system was overloaded. Nothing worked. We were stuck at that exact same verification step on page 6. What finally worked for us was having my daughter create a completely new email address (not the one she originally used), then starting the FSA ID process completely fresh with that new email. For some reason, that allowed her to get through the verification steps and complete the process. Not sure why, but it worked for us after 3 weeks of frustration.

My niece had this exact problem!!! The FSA ID system is GARBAGE this year with all these new changes. She ended up having to use the paper form too and it's taking FOREVER to process. They told us 4-6 weeks minimum and it's already been 3 weeks with no updates. Meanwhile her friends who got their FSA IDs before the glitch started are all done and getting aid packages already. So unfair!!

I've been helping families with this exact issue for the past month as a college financial aid counselor. The FSA ID verification glitch is affecting approximately 15-20% of new accounts according to our contacts at Federal Student Aid. In addition to the new email suggestion (which works for about 30% of affected users), here are some other approaches that have worked for my students: 1. Try completing the process between 2-5 AM Eastern time when server load is lowest 2. Enter your address with NO punctuation or apartment numbers initially (you can update this later) 3. For phone verification, use a landline instead of mobile if possible 4. If you have any special characters in your name (hyphens, apostrophes), try without them 5. For some reason, using Microsoft Edge browser has higher success rates than Chrome or Firefox If all else fails, yes, the paper FAFSA is an option. Request it immediately at 1-800-4-FED-AID. In my experience, they're prioritizing processing for students with approaching deadlines.

just went thru this last week... the glitch is still happening. i tried calling the support line every day and kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. super frustrating!!!!! ended up using claimyr.com to get through to an actual fafsa agent in about 15 min. they have this service where they wait on hold for you and then call you when an agent is on the line. worked really well. check out their demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ the agent told me to clear ALL browser data (not just cache), restart my computer, and then try at exactly midnight. it finally worked! something about the system reset that happens at midnight eastern apparently.

My son had this problem to. We called and called and no fix. Ended up missing his priority deadline at his top school. Completely unfair that some students get locked out because of THEIR system issues!!! The financial aid office said they'll still consider his application but no guarantee he'll get the max aid now. So mad about this whole system.

Hi there! I work in a college financial aid office, and we're seeing this issue with about 1 in 5 students right now. The Department of Education has acknowledged the problem with FSA ID verification, especially with the new system rollout. One important thing to note: contact your school's financial aid office ASAP and let them know about the technical issues you're experiencing. Many schools are being flexible with FAFSA deadlines specifically because of these known system problems. We can often make notes in your file and extend internal deadlines while you work through the technical issues. Also, the Department of Education has created a special technical issues email address: FSA.TechnicalSupport@ed.gov - include your name, phone number, and specific issues you're encountering. They're prioritizing cases based on upcoming deadlines.

I had the EXACT same issue last month! It's because of the new StudentAid.gov system that launched in December. What worked for me after trying literally everything else: I went to my local library and used their computer. For some reason it worked first try there. Maybe it's something with their network being whitelisted? Worth a shot if nothing else works.

Quick update to my earlier comment - I've now helped three different families get through the FSA ID verification by using the new email method combined with trying during off-peak hours (very early morning seems to work best). Also, make sure you're entering your Social Security Number exactly as it appears on your card - no dashes or spaces. And double-check your birth date format (MM/DD/YYYY). I've seen cases where people get stuck in the verification loop because of tiny inconsistencies in their personal information.

As someone who just went through this nightmare with my daughter, I wanted to add a few more tips that helped us after reading through all these responses: 1. Make sure you're using the EXACT legal name from your Social Security card - we had been using a nickname and that was part of our problem 2. If you have multiple addresses (like dorm + home), use your permanent/legal address only 3. Turn off any VPN or proxy services - apparently these can interfere with the verification process 4. We also found success using an incognito/private browsing window after clearing all data The combination of new email + early morning hours + incognito browser finally worked for us after 2 weeks of trying. It's absolutely ridiculous that students have to jump through all these hoops because of their system issues, but at least there are workarounds. Also wanted to echo what others said about contacting your schools directly - most are being understanding about the delays. Our financial aid counselor said they're seeing this issue with about 20% of new applicants right now. Hang in there everyone! The system IS broken but these workarounds do help.

I'm so glad I found this thread! My daughter and I have been dealing with this exact same FSA ID verification issue for the past 10 days. We've tried everything - different browsers, devices, times of day, and even went to three different FAFSA workshops hoping someone could help us get past that dreaded page 6 verification step. Reading through all these responses gives me so much hope! We're going to try the combination approach tonight: new email address + very early morning hours (around 2-3 AM) + incognito browser + making sure we use her exact legal name from her Social Security card. I also really appreciate the tip about contacting the schools directly and documenting everything. I've been taking screenshots of every error message we get, so hopefully that will help if we need to appeal any deadlines. One question for those who got through - after you finally completed the FSA ID verification, were you able to go straight into filling out the FAFSA or did you have to wait for any additional verification steps? Just want to know what to expect once we hopefully get past this hurdle! Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions. It's such a relief to know we're not alone in this frustrating process!

I'm dealing with this exact same FSA ID verification nightmare right now! My son has been stuck on that page 6 verification for almost two weeks and we're getting desperate with his college deadlines approaching fast. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm planning to try the combination approach tonight: creating a brand new email address, attempting at 2-3 AM Eastern time, using Microsoft Edge in incognito mode, and making absolutely sure we use his exact legal name as it appears on his Social Security card (no nicknames or shortened versions). I've also been documenting everything with screenshots and call logs, which seems like it will be crucial if we need to contact his schools about deadline extensions. The tip about emailing FSA.TechnicalSupport@ed.gov is golden - I'm sending them our documentation first thing tomorrow morning. It's both reassuring and infuriating to see so many families going through this same technical disaster. The fact that students are missing priority deadlines because of THEIR broken system is absolutely unacceptable. But I'm so grateful everyone is sharing what worked for them - gives me real hope we can get through this! Will definitely update this thread with our results to help other families dealing with this mess. Fingers crossed the middle-of-the-night approach works for us like it did for others!