FAFSA account creation error - phone number 'already in use' for first-time applicant

same thing happened 2 my daughter last week! so annoying. we had to call like 50 times before getting thru. turns out someone else used her # by accident when they applied. took forever to fix

This is a known issue with the new FAFSA system after the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. The problem is that their database validation is checking all historical FSA ID accounts, not just active ones. Your son's phone number might have been used by someone else years ago who no longer uses the system. There are three solutions: 1. Use a different phone number temporarily just to create the account (can be changed later) 2. Contact FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243 to have them manually verify and override 3. Create the account without a phone number (it's actually optional) and just use email verification Option 3 is fastest but less secure for account recovery purposes.

I went thru this with my kid too!! SO FRUSTRATIN!! we found out that his older cousin had used his phone # by accident when she applied years ago (they have similar #s). FAFSA system is TERRIBLE this year, everything is broken!!! took us 3 weeks to fix and almost missed deadlines.

This is actually a fairly common issue with the new FAFSA system. The database structure was changed significantly with the FAFSA Simplification Act implementation, and there are still integration issues between the old database and new one. In addition to the options already mentioned, here's what has worked for my clients: 1. Try adding a +1 before the phone number if you haven't already 2. Ask your son if he's ever received text messages from studentaid.gov (sometimes students forget they created accounts in the past) 3. Check if your son's high school might have created an account on his behalf during a college application workshop The FSA phone lines are extremely backed up right now, so be prepared for long wait times if you need to call.

I had this EXACT same problem trying to help my brother set up his account last month! We tried for days to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid on their regular number. Complete waste of time - either busy signals or disconnects after 30+ minutes on hold. Finally I found this service called Claimyr that got us through to an actual FSA agent in about 10 minutes. They confirmed someone had mistakenly used his number and they were able to release it from the other account. Here's the site if you need it: claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Not sure if there's another way but this worked for us when nothing else did.

Something similar happened to my twin sister and me. The customer service rep explained that sometimes phone numbers get recycled by carriers and end up causing these conflicts in their system. The most reliable fix is having them manually override it in their system. BTW - while you're waiting for this to get fixed, make sure your son has gathered all his tax information and documents. The new FAFSA requires different documentation than previous years, including information about family-owned businesses and farms if applicable. At minimum, have ready: - 2023 tax returns - W-2 forms - Records of untaxed income - Bank statements - Investment records This way once you get past this technical hurdle, you can complete the actual application quickly.

lol welcome to FAFSA hell! my son gave up after 2 weeks of this garbage and ended up not even applying for aid. the whole systems broken and they dont care. good luck!!!

UPDATE: We got it working! We took the advice to create the account WITHOUT a phone number (just using email verification), and it went through! Once the account was created, my son was able to add his phone number without any issues. The whole FAFSA application is now submitted. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now with my daughter's FAFSA application. We've been stuck on this phone number error for three days and I was starting to panic about missing deadlines. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea you could skip the phone number during account creation! We're going to try that approach first thing tomorrow morning. It's frustrating that such a critical system has these kinds of glitches, but at least there are workarounds. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm a college counselor and have been helping several families navigate this exact same phone number issue over the past few weeks. The FSA system changes have created so many unexpected complications. For anyone still struggling with this, I want to emphasize that the "skip phone number" workaround really is the fastest solution - I've had 100% success rate with it among my students. Just remember to use a strong, unique password since you won't have SMS recovery initially. Also, once you do get into the system, screenshot your confirmation numbers at each step! The new FAFSA has had some issues with data not saving properly, so having those confirmation numbers can save you from having to restart if something goes wrong. Hang in there everyone - despite all these technical headaches, the new simplified FAFSA really is easier to complete once you get past the account creation hurdles.

I'm experiencing the exact same issue right now! My son just turned 18 and is applying for the first time, but keeps getting that "phone number already in use" error. We've been at this for two days straight and it's incredibly stressful with all these college deadlines approaching. Thank you @Carmella Fromis for explaining the database validation issue - that actually makes sense given how many system changes they've made this year. I'm definitely going to try the skip-phone-number approach that worked for @Leeann Blackstein. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to find workarounds for such a basic function, but I'm just grateful this community exists to help each other navigate these technical disasters. Has anyone noticed if certain times of day work better for accessing the system? I'm wondering if server load might be contributing to some of these issues too.

I'm going through this exact nightmare right now! My daughter has been trying to create her FSA ID for over a week and keeps getting the same "phone number already in use" error. She's never applied for financial aid before and we got her this phone number brand new just 4 months ago, so there's absolutely no way it should be in their system. Reading through all these comments has been both frustrating (knowing how widespread this problem is) and incredibly helpful (seeing actual solutions that work). We're definitely going to try the skip-phone-number approach first thing tomorrow morning. I can't believe a federal system this important has such basic functionality issues, especially when students are trying to meet critical deadlines. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in dealing with this chaos!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions in this thread! I'm a parent of a high school senior and was starting to research the FAFSA process when I stumbled across this discussion. Reading about all these technical issues is honestly pretty overwhelming, but it's so valuable to know what to expect and have these workarounds ready. The skip-phone-number solution seems to be the clear winner based on everyone's feedback. I'm bookmarking this thread for when we start our application process next month. It's unfortunate that families have to deal with these kinds of system glitches during such a stressful time, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people help each other navigate these challenges. You've all saved me (and probably many other parents) hours of frustration!

Just wanted to add another data point - we experienced this exact same issue with my daughter's FAFSA application last month. After reading through all the helpful advice here, we tried the skip-phone-number method and it worked perfectly! The account was created immediately and she was able to complete her entire application that same day. One thing I'd add for future families dealing with this: we found that after creating the account without a phone number, it's actually better to wait at least 48-72 hours before trying to add the phone number back to the account. When we tried to add it the next day, we got the same error again, but when we waited 3 days, it worked without any issues. It seems like their system needs time to fully process the new account before it can properly validate phone numbers. Hope this helps anyone else dealing with this frustrating bug!

Wow, I'm so relieved to find this thread! I'm currently dealing with this exact same phone number error for my daughter's first-time FAFSA application. We've been stuck for 4 days now and I was starting to think we were doing something wrong. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been incredibly helpful - especially knowing that the skip-phone-number method has worked for so many people here. We're definitely going to try that approach tonight during off-peak hours. It's crazy that a federal system this important has such widespread technical issues, but I'm grateful for this community sharing real solutions. Thank you all for taking the time to help other families navigate this mess!