FAFSA application rejected with no explanation - second submission still pending

same thing happened to me!! got rejected twice with no explanation. so annoying

This is a common issue with the new FAFSA system. Several things could be happening: 1. Mismatched information between what you entered and what's on file with Social Security Administration or IRS 2. A technical glitch in the system (very common this year) 3. Missing sections that don't appear as errors in the interface The most reliable way to check is to call Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-433-3243. Unfortunately, this time of year their wait times are extremely long - I waited 3+ hours last week. Make sure both you and your son's FSA IDs are working properly too.

My niece had this same problem last month. Turns out her birthday was entered wrong by ONE day (they put 12 instead of 13). Check all the personal info super carefully - sometimes it's the smallest thing that causes the rejection.

The new FAFSA system is GARBAGE!!! This is happening to thousands of students across the country. My daughter's application was rejected THREE TIMES with no explanation before finally going through. The Department of Education knows about these issues but isn't doing enough to fix them. I had to call TWENTY SEVEN TIMES before getting through to a human being who could help us. The whole system is designed to make kids give up on getting financial aid!!!

Having worked in a college financial aid office, I can tell you these rejection issues often happen when there's a discrepancy between the information you entered and what the IRS/SSA has on file. It could be as simple as a name spelling difference, hyphenated last names entered differently, or a number transposed in a SSN. One thing to try: go back to the account and select the option to view your completed FAFSA. Look for any sections with warning symbols. Even if it lets you submit, sometimes there are underlying issues flagged in the system. Also, check if your son successfully completed the student signature section and you completed the parent signature section. Both need to be properly signed electronically for processing.

I finally got through to FAFSA after trying for days. Wait times are insane right now! I used a service called Claimyr that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me hours of holding the phone. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and the website is claimyr.com. The agent explained that my daughter's application had an issue with how our tax information transferred. They fixed it immediately once we finally got through.

anyone else notice that the website keeps crashing too?? i try to log in and review my application but half the time it gives me an error message 🙄 whole system needs to be fixed!!!

Update on processing times: I just attended a financial aid webinar yesterday where they said current FAFSA processing is taking 7-10 business days minimum due to high volume and system issues. If you resubmitted on Sunday, I wouldn't expect to hear anything until at least next Wednesday. If you're concerned about college deadlines, contact your schools' financial aid offices directly. Many are extending their priority deadlines because of the widespread FAFSA issues this year.

My brother works in IT and he said the new FAFSA system wasn't tested properly before launch. That's why so many people are getting random rejections without explanations. The system literally doesn't know how to tell you what's wrong because they didn't build that functionality! 🤦‍♂️

One more thing to check - make sure you're using the correct FSA IDs when signing the FAFSA. A common error is parents accidentally using their child's FSA ID to sign the parent section or vice versa. This can cause a submission error that's hard to identify. Also, some families have reported success by using a different browser or device for their submission. There are known compatibility issues with certain browsers, especially older versions.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare! My daughter's FAFSA was rejected last week with that same useless "could not be processed" message. We're on our third attempt now and I'm losing my mind. What's really frustrating is that I called three different colleges she applied to and they all said they're seeing this constantly - some schools are getting 40-50% more calls about FAFSA issues than normal. One admissions counselor told me they're basically expecting most families to have problems this year. I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through to an actual human at Federal Student Aid. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get answers before her college decision deadline next month!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! My FAFSA was rejected yesterday with that completely unhelpful "could not be processed" message. After reading through all these comments, I'm realizing this is way more widespread than I thought. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here - double-checking all personal info for typos, making sure FSA IDs are correct, and maybe trying a different browser. The fact that so many families are experiencing identical problems really does seem to point to major systemic issues with the new FAFSA rollout. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions. It's frustrating but at least we know we're not alone in this mess!