FAFSA account recovery nightmare - dad can't create FSA ID due to pre-existing account

OMG SAME ISSUE!! my husband couldnt remember his fsa id from our oldest kid (now graduated) and we spent like 3 weeks trying!! the system is sooooo broken. we finally got in but only after he remembered an ancient email account he used back then. have ur husband try to think of ALL possible old emails, even work ones from past jobs maybe?

This is unfortunately very common with the new FAFSA rollout. Two things to try: 1. Use the "Forgot Username" option but instead of using the email recovery, select the "Answer Challenge Questions" option if available. Many accounts from 6+ years ago used security questions rather than email/phone verification. 2. If that doesn't work, try calling exactly at 8:00 AM Eastern Time when the phone lines open - that's your best chance of getting through before their queue fills. Also, if your husband has ever changed his phone number in the last 6 years, the recovery texts might be going to a number he no longer has. Worth checking if there's an option to recover via an old phone number you might recognize.

The FSA ID system is a mess right now with the new FAFSA. If you absolutely can't recover the account, there is another option - the paper signature page. Your husband can sign a physical form that you mail in. Here's what to do: 1. You and your daughter complete everything electronically 2. On the signature page, select the option that says your husband will mail in a signature page 3. Print the signature page for your husband 4. Mail it certified mail so you have proof it was received It's not ideal because it adds processing time (2-3 weeks usually), but it's a workaround when the FSA ID recovery is completely stuck. You can find the signature page in the FAFSA submission options.

I had literally the EXACT same issue trying to sign my kids FAFSA. Called for WEEKS with no help. Then I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a live federal student aid agent in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is ready. Saved me hours of frustration. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to verify my husband's identity using his SSN and birth date, then helped us reset everything properly. Worth every penny for us because the deadline was coming up fast.

Financial aid advisor here - just wanted to clarify a few things about the FSA ID recovery process that might help: 1. For accounts created before 2018, the recovery process is different because they used a different security system. This is likely why standard recovery isn't working for your husband. 2. If calling at 8am Eastern as someone suggested doesn't work, try 10:30am Eastern - there's often a lull between the morning rush and lunch hour. 3. Important: When you do get through, make sure your husband has his: - Social Security card - Driver's license - Any old emails you think might be associated - Tax records from the years you previously filed FAFSA (they may ask verification questions) 4. Ask specifically for a "manual FSA ID recovery" - this puts you in a different queue with specialists who handle legacy account issues. Also, check if your daughter's school has a priority deadline vs. a final deadline. Many schools will still process aid if the FAFSA is slightly late due to documented technical issues.

The whole system is INTENTIONALLY BROKEN! They make it impossible to get help because they don't want to give your kid financial aid. Been dealing with this garbage for 3 kids now and it gets WORSE every year. The new FAFSA is a disaster and they know it! My advice? Contact your congressional representative's office. Seriously. When I couldn't get FSA to help with my son's account, I called my congresswoman's constituent services and they had it fixed in 48 hours. They have special contacts at Federal Student Aid that actually ANSWER THEIR PHONES.

Have you tried accessing through a completely different browser? My husband had a similar issue and it turned out there was some weird cookie/cache problem. We switched from Chrome to Firefox and suddenly the recovery options showed different (and correct) email choices. Also, double-check if any information might be entered slightly differently. My husband's account had his middle initial in the first name field (like "John M" instead of just "John") which was causing verification issues. Don't give up hope! The new FAFSA is causing headaches for everyone this year.

UPDATE: We finally got it resolved! It took a combination of several suggestions from this thread: 1. We used Claimyr to get through to an actual person at Federal Student Aid (took about 25 minutes instead of never) 2. We asked specifically for a "manual FSA ID recovery" as suggested 3. The agent confirmed my husband did have an account from 2017 linked to an email he hasn't used in years The FSA agent was able to help us recover access to the old account AND update all the contact information. My husband has now successfully signed the FAFSA and we've submitted it! Thank you everyone for your help! For anyone else struggling with this issue, don't give up - and definitely use the advice in this thread to save yourself days of frustration.

So happy to see you got this resolved! As someone new to this community, this thread is incredibly helpful. My daughter is a junior so we'll be going through the FAFSA process next year, and now I know to check if my husband even remembers his FSA ID from when our older son applied years ago. The Claimyr service and asking for "manual FSA ID recovery" are great tips I'm definitely bookmarking. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's going to save a lot of families from going through weeks of frustration!