FAFSA Parent PLUS loan portal access issues - completely locked out

Ugh, the FAFSA parent portal is SUCH a nightmare. I had the exact same problem last semester trying to get a PLUS loan for my daughter. The whole system is designed to keep parents from actually being able to help their kids. After FOUR calls to FSA, I finally got someone who told me I had to completely delete my account and create a new one with a different email address because my account was "corrupted in the system" whatever that means 🙄

This is a common issue with the FSA ID system, especially for Parent PLUS loan applications. The problem is likely related to one of three things: 1. Your FSA ID may be linked to a different email than the one you're trying to verify 2. There could be a mismatch between your SSN and the one in their system 3. Your account may be locked due to too many unsuccessful login attempts Before trying anything drastic like deleting your account, I'd recommend: - Check if you have multiple FSA IDs (many parents accidentally create several) - Verify the email and phone number on your account are current - Make sure your name exactly matches what's on your Social Security card (including hyphens, spaces, etc.) The fastest way to resolve this is to speak directly with a FAFSA agent who can look up your specific account and see what's happening.

Unfortunately there's no self-service way to check for multiple FSA IDs. You need to contact Federal Student Aid directly. They can search their database using your SSN and tell you if you have multiple accounts associated with your information.

I had this same issue trying to apply for my son's PLUS loan!! I was stuck in verification loop hell for days. After trying everything, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a FSA agent without waiting on hold forever. They have this system where they call FSA, wait on hold for you, then call you when an agent is on the line. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to see that my account had a verification flag that wasn't clearing properly in their system. They removed it manually and I was able to log in immediately after. Saved my sanity and got my son's PLUS loan submitted before his school's deadline.

have u tried using the forgot password thing but then puttin in a slightly different email address? like if ur normal is johndoe@gmail.com try john.doe@gmail.com? sometimes the system gets confused with the emails especially if u ever changed it

As someone who works with financial aid (not for FSA, but at a university), I can tell you this is unfortunately a very common issue with Parent PLUS loan applications. The problem is almost always one of these three things: 1. Two-factor authentication issues (email verification loops) 2. Account security locks from failed login attempts 3. Data mismatch between your personal info and what's in their system The FSA ID system is separate from the actual FAFSA system, so creating a new FSA ID won't affect your son's FAFSA submission. It might be the quickest solution if you can't get an agent to help manually fix your account. If you do create a new account, make sure to: - Use a completely different email address - Double-check all personal information for accuracy (name exactly as on SSN card) - Write down your username and password somewhere secure - Complete the PLUS loan application in one sitting if possible But speaking to an agent directly is still your best first option.

my mom had this problem too! what worked for us was having ME (the student) log into MY fafsa account, then from there i could see the parent plus loan stuff and there was some option to resend an invitation link to my mom and that new link finally worked for her. maybe ask ur son to check his account?

Am I the only one who finds it RIDICULOUS that the system we use to handle THOUSANDS of dollars in student loans is so incredibly broken? I've been dealing with FAFSA for three kids over 7 years and EVERY SINGLE YEAR there's some new technical issue. This year I couldn't access my Parent PLUS application, last year they lost my tax info, the year before they randomly selected us for verification after we'd already been approved. It's like they're TRYING to make it hard for families to get financial aid!

UPDATE: Success! I used the Claimyr service that @profile4 suggested to get through to an agent. Turns out my account had both a security lock AND an email verification issue. The agent fixed both problems on their end in about 5 minutes. I was able to log in immediately after and complete the Parent PLUS loan application for my son. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar Parent PLUS loan access issue right now and was getting so frustrated. Reading through all the suggestions here gives me hope that there's actually a solution. The duplicate FSA ID issue that @profile1 mentioned in the update is really interesting - I wonder if that's what's happening with my account too since I also helped my older child with FAFSA a few years ago. Going to try the agent route first before creating a new account. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Welcome to the community! I'm going through something very similar with my daughter's Parent PLUS loan application. I've been locked out of my FSA account for about 2 weeks now and it's incredibly frustrating. Reading through this thread has been so helpful - I had no idea about the duplicate FSA ID issue that can happen when you've helped multiple kids over the years. I'm definitely going to try contacting an agent first before attempting to create a new account. It's reassuring to know that @profile1 was able to get their issue resolved quickly once they got through to the right person. Thanks for sharing your experience and all the helpful suggestions everyone!

Welcome to the community! I'm relatively new here too and just went through a very similar nightmare with my son's Parent PLUS loan application. I was locked out for almost 3 weeks and tried everything - password resets, different browsers, clearing cache, you name it. What finally worked was getting through to an FSA agent who discovered I had an old "ghost" account from 2019 that was somehow interfering with my current one. They merged the accounts and cleared the verification flags in about 10 minutes. The whole experience made me realize how many parents are probably struggling with these same technical issues but don't know where to turn for help. This thread has been a goldmine of practical solutions and it's so reassuring to see that most of these problems CAN be fixed once you get the right person on the phone. Hang in there everyone - there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Welcome to the community! I'm dealing with almost the exact same issue right now - been locked out of my FSA account for about 10 days trying to complete a Parent PLUS loan for my daughter. The email verification loop is driving me absolutely crazy! After reading through this thread, I'm realizing I probably have the duplicate account issue too since I helped my older son with his FAFSA back in 2020. It's so frustrating that the system can't handle parents helping multiple children over the years without creating these conflicts. I'm definitely going to try the agent route first based on everyone's success stories here. @profile1 your update about the duplicate records with different email formats (middle initial vs no middle initial) sounds exactly like what might be happening to me. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know I'm not alone in this and that there actually are solutions!

Welcome to the community! I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now with my daughter's Parent PLUS loan application. I've been stuck in that email verification loop for about a week and was starting to think I was losing my mind! Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I had no idea this was such a widespread issue. The duplicate FSA ID problem makes so much sense now. I helped my older daughter with her FAFSA three years ago and I bet that's causing conflicts in the system. @profile1 thank you for sharing your update about getting it resolved - knowing that the agent could fix both the security lock AND email verification issues in just 5 minutes gives me hope! I'm definitely going to try contacting FSA directly first before attempting to create a new account. This thread is a lifesaver for stressed parents dealing with these technical issues!