FAFSA application keeps failing - need help completing forms after weeks of trying

The FAFSA site has been TERRIBLE this year!! I tried 5 different times before it finally worked. Keep trying different browsers - Chrome worked for me after Firefox kept failing.

Before you panic, there are a few common issues you might be running into: 1. Browser compatibility - try Chrome or Edge in incognito mode 2. Make sure you're using the EXACT tax figures from your 2023 returns (not estimates) 3. The SAI calculation errors often happen when there's a mismatch between what you manually entered and what the IRS data retrieval tool imported 4. For the dependency verification, make sure your daughter's social security number matches exactly what's on her card Also, the site often works better late at night (after 11pm) or early morning (before 7am) when server load is lower. Don't give up and pay someone yet - you can definitely get this completed yourself!

Unfortunately, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool doesn't show you exactly what it imported - one of the system's many frustrations. Try manually entering ALL tax information instead of using the tool. That worked for my son's application when we kept getting calculation errors. Also, double check that you're using the FSA ID credentials correctly. Sometimes people create multiple IDs by accident and that causes weird authentication issues that look like calculation errors.

When I was having identical issues with FAFSA crashes during the tax section, I spent days trying and getting nowhere. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real FAFSA agent who identified the problem in minutes. Turns out there was a flag on my account from a previous application year that was causing the technical issues. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ They got me through to someone in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The agent walked me through the exact steps to fix the problem while on the phone. Honestly worth it after wasting so many evenings trying to figure it out ourselves.

have u tried using a different device? my laptop kept freezing on the fafsa site but when i switched to my ipad it worked fine. something about the cache maybe?

the new fafsa is THE WORST!!! i spent like 6 weekends trying to figure it out for my twins. the parent contribution part kept giving me errors and nobody could tell me why. turns out i was entering my mortgage info wrong - it wanted the current balance not the original loan amount?? so dumb. check all your asset info really carefully, that section causes tons of issues with the SAI calc.

One more thing to try: completely log out, clear your browser cache, then create a fresh login session. The FAFSA system sometimes gets stuck in weird authentication loops that cause the calculation errors you're seeing. If you're entering everything manually, make sure you're using periods rather than commas for decimal points in the dollar amounts (e.g., $1234.56 not $1,234.56). The system often rejects the commas silently without telling you there's a format problem. If you need to speak with someone at Federal Student Aid and keep getting disconnected, try calling right when they open (8am Eastern) on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Those are typically their lowest volume days and times.

anyone else notice how the dependency verification questions changed this year? my son is definitely independent (he's 24 and files his own taxes) but the system kept rejecting his status. had to answer the special circumstances questions to get it to accept his status.

UPDATE: We finally got through it!!! Combination of things worked: 1. Used Chrome in incognito mode 2. Entered all tax info manually (no IRS tool) 3. Fixed our mortgage amount (current balance) 4. Logged in at 5:30am when the site was faster And we got our official SAI calculation! So much relief. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. For anyone else struggling - don't give up, and try early morning hours when the site seems to work better.