FAFSA account birthday error won't save - IT dept unresponsive with deadline approaching

This exact thing happened to my son last year. The FSA technical support is notoriously slow with these profile correction issues. Here's what worked for us: instead of trying to update the existing profile, create a new FSA ID with the correct birthdate, but use a slightly different email address (like adding a period or plus sign if you use Gmail). Then link that new FSA ID to her FAFSA application. Once you have the new FSA ID with correct info, call FSA and explain you need to transfer the application data from the old ID to the new one. This requires less technical intervention on their part and they can usually do it while you're on the phone.

The deadline in 9 days is giving me anxiety just reading this! I had a simmilar issue but it was with my name (I have a hyphenated last name that somehow got entered wrong). What ended up working for me wasn't the online system but going IN PERSON to my daughter's financial aid office at her college. They have direct contacts at FSA and were able to get it fixed in 48 hours when I'd been waiting for weeks!! If your daughter's school has a financial aid office, GO THERE TOMORROW. Bring ID, bring proof of the correct birthdate, and ask them to intervene directly. They deal with this stuff all day long and know exactly who to call.

lol welcome to FAFSA hell 😭 they NEVER fix anything quickly. my brother had this same problem last year and ended up missing deadlines and had to do late admission. the whole system is designed to make u fail i swear

I work in college financial aid and see this issue frequently. The FSA ID birthdate correction backlog is seriously backed up since the rollout of the new FAFSA system. Here's the most reliable solution: 1. Document everything - take screenshots of the error message 2. Call FSA directly and request a "manual override" for the birthdate correction - use those exact words 3. Get a case number and reference it in all communications 4. If the deadline is approaching, immediately contact each school's financial aid office and submit a formal FAFSA processing delay notification Critical: Schools can often process your FAFSA with a note in your file about the birthdate discrepancy while you wait for the fix. They have override capabilities for certain verification issues. Don't create a new FSA ID as suggested above - this can cause more problems as the system will flag potential identity fraud with two similar profiles.

just wondering, did u try using a different browser? sometimes the studentaid website is super glitchy in chrome but works in firefox. or try clearing your cache? just basic troubleshooting stuff but sometimes it works!

After spending HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid for a similar issue (wrong SSN digits), I discovered Claimyr.com and it saved my sanity! Instead of waiting on hold forever, their service held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Got through to an actual human who could help within 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. For something time-sensitive like this with a deadline so close, it might be worth trying instead of waiting hours on hold just to get the same runaround.

To clarify my earlier comment - I understand the concern about creating two FSA IDs. The financial aid advisor is right that normally this is not recommended. In our specific case, the FSA agent we spoke with actually suggested this approach themselves because the birthdate issue was causing verification problems that were more complicated to fix than simply transferring the data. YMMV obviously - follow the financial aid advisor's recommendation first, and only consider my approach if that fails.

I know this might sound crazy, but have you tried submitting a complaint through the Federal Student Aid Feedback Center? It's different than regular customer service. When my daughter had major FAFSA issues last year (could not verify her identity because of similar profile errors), we filed a formal complaint through the Feedback Center and got a response from a higher-level specialist within 48 hours. Go to studentaid.gov/feedback-center/ and submit a detailed complaint. Be specific about the deadline you're facing and all the attempts you've made to resolve it. This escalates it differently than regular customer service channels and often gets faster action. Also, document EVERYTHING - names of reps you've spoken with, case numbers, dates and times. This will help when you inevitably have to explain the situation multiple times.

@OP to answer ur question from earlier - my brother did eventually get it fixed but it took like 6 weeks!!! he had to do late registration for classes and missed out on some grants because the priority deadlines had passed. dont let this happen to ur daughter!!!!

Update: I just checked with my daughter about her issue last year. She reminded me that after we filed the Feedback Center complaint, we received a call from someone in the FSA Resolution Center (different than regular customer service). They had special access to override the technical block and manually correct her information. The key was getting out of the regular customer service queue and into a specialized department. Another tip - if you've already submitted multiple help requests through different channels, mention ALL your case numbers in each new communication. Sometimes they'll consolidate them and raise the priority level.

One more critical piece of advice: While you're waiting for the FSA resolution, contact each school where your daughter is applying and explain the situation. Ask them for an extension on their financial aid deadline due to a documented FAFSA technical issue. Many schools have institutional authority to grant extensions in cases like this. Request that they note in her file that there's an active FSA case regarding a birthdate correction. Provide them with any case numbers you have. Most financial aid offices are understanding about these technical issues, especially with all the problems in the new FAFSA system rollout this year. This creates a paper trail showing you've been proactive, which can help if you need to appeal any late penalties later.

As someone who just went through this nightmare with my own kid, I want to add one more potential solution that worked for us when everything else failed. If you have access to your daughter's high school guidance counselor, they often have direct contacts at Federal Student Aid for exactly these kinds of emergency situations. Our counselor was able to reach someone in FSA's Educational Partner Relations department who handles escalations from schools. They got our profile issue resolved in 3 business days when we'd been stuck for over a month going through regular channels. Also, make sure when you're documenting everything that you're noting the exact error message text - sometimes the IT team needs that specific language to identify what's blocking the save function. Screenshot the entire error page if possible, not just the message. Hang in there - this system is broken but there ARE people who can fix it once you reach the right department!