FAFSA confusion - do both spouses need to complete parent section when filing jointly?

You're confusing two different things. Filing taxes jointly doesn't mean only one parent fills out FAFSA. With the new FAFSA system, BOTH parents in a married household must create FSA IDs and contribute to the application. Your spouse will need to create their own FSA ID (if they don't have one already) and then answer their own authentication questions. It's for identity verification purposes, not because of your tax filing status.

The new FAFSA requires both parents in a married household to provide consent for using their tax information. It's not about your tax filing status - it's about verifying identity and consent. Both parents will need to: 1. Have their own FSA ID 2. Complete identity verification 3. Provide consent for tax data retrieval So yes, the system will send your spouse an email asking them to complete their portion. Your daughter's SAI calculation requires info from both parents.

yep happened to me too! whole new system sucks tbh. my wife had to make an FSA ID and get verified and all that even though ive been doing the fafsa for our 3 kids for years. such a waste of time. but yeah both parents need to do it now no way around it

I spent 3 hours trying to call Federal Student Aid about this exact same problem last week! Kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in like 20 mins. They explained the new system requires both parents to have separate FSA IDs and verify their own information separately - even for married couples. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent was super helpful explaining exactly what my husband needed to do.

THEY MADE EVERYTHING WORSE WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM!!! My son almost missed scholarship deadlines because of this exact issue. We've been filing jointly for 22 years and suddenly my husband needs his own FSA ID?? And of course the verification system kept rejecting his phone number saying it didn't match records. TOOK WEEKS to resolve and multiple calls. The whole system is BROKEN.

Quick question - does anyone know if the parent who initiates the FAFSA has to be the same one who signs the actual aid agreements later? My wife started ours but I'm wondering if I need to be the one to finish it for consistency.

To clarify for everyone: this is part of the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. Both parents in a married household must now: 1. Create their own FSA ID 2. Complete their own identity verification 3. Provide consent for IRS data retrieval 4. Answer their own authentication questions Your husband can complete his portion from any device with internet access - phone, tablet, laptop. The system will email him instructions. If he's traveling, he should prioritize completing this as soon as he receives the email to avoid delays in processing your daughter's SAI calculation.

my wife needed her social security card, email, and phone for verification. took her like 15 mins once she actually sat down and did it. biggest issue was she didn't remember what email she used for some government thing years ago and the system kept saying it didn't match lol. just tell him to be patient

Good news is your husband doesn't need to enter any financial information - that part is already done through your joint tax return. He just needs to verify his identity and consent to sharing the tax data that's already been submitted. So it's annoying but not complicated. The new system is more secure but definitely more cumbersome for parents.

I went through this exact same situation last month! The key thing to remember is that your husband can complete his portion from anywhere - he just needs internet access and about 15-20 minutes. When he gets the email, he'll need his Social Security number, a phone number that matches his records, and an email address. The system will walk him through creating his FSA ID if he doesn't have one already. I'd suggest having him do it as soon as he gets the email rather than waiting until he's back from his trip. The identity verification questions are pretty straightforward - things like previous addresses, loan history, etc. Once he completes his part, your daughter's FAFSA will be ready for processing. The new system is definitely more annoying than the old one, but at least the financial heavy lifting is already done on your end!

Just wanted to add that if your husband runs into any technical issues while traveling, he can also complete his portion later and come back to finish it - the system saves progress. But definitely don't wait too long since some schools have early FAFSA deadlines for priority financial aid consideration. One tip: have him download the myStudentAid app if he's going to do it on his phone - it's a bit easier to navigate than the mobile browser version. Also, if he's going somewhere with poor internet, he might want to try completing it during off-peak hours when the connection might be more stable. The whole process really is much quicker than it seems once you understand what's happening!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My husband is also traveling for work this week and I was freaking out when I saw that email notification part. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the new FAFSA requirements. It sounds like the key takeaway is that both parents need their own FSA ID now for identity verification, regardless of how we file taxes. I'm going to have my husband create his FSA ID before his next trip so we don't run into this again with our younger son's FAFSA next year. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is such a lifesaver when navigating all these financial aid changes!

I just went through this exact same frustration a few weeks ago! The new FAFSA system is definitely confusing, but yes - both parents in a married household must now complete their own verification, even when filing taxes jointly. Your husband will need to create his own FSA ID (if he doesn't have one already) and complete identity verification separately. The good news is he can do this from his phone while traveling - it only takes about 15-20 minutes and he'll just need his SSN, phone number, and email. The system will ask him identity verification questions like previous addresses or loan history, then he'll provide consent for tax data sharing. Since you've already entered all the financial info from your joint return, he's really just confirming his identity and giving permission. I'd recommend having him complete it as soon as he gets the email rather than waiting until he returns, especially if your daughter has any upcoming scholarship deadlines. The myStudentAid app works well on mobile if he prefers that over browser. It's definitely more cumbersome than the old system, but once you understand it's just about security verification, it's not too bad!

I'm new to this FAFSA process and reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that the 2025-26 FAFSA requires both parents to verify separately even when married filing jointly. This is so different from what I expected based on our tax situation. Can someone clarify - does my spouse need to have all our financial documents with him when he completes his verification portion, or since I've already entered everything from our joint return, is he really just doing the identity verification and consent part? Also, if he creates his FSA ID now before traveling, will that make the process smoother when he gets the email, or does the verification have to happen in a specific sequence? I want to make sure we're as prepared as possible since our daughter has some early scholarship deadlines coming up. Thanks so much for all the detailed advice everyone has shared - this community is amazing!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and it's so frustrating! My husband is also traveling for work this month and when I saw that email notification requirement, I almost panicked. After reading everyone's responses, I feel much better understanding that this is just the new FAFSA system requiring both parents to verify their identity separately - even though we file jointly. The key thing I learned is that your husband doesn't need any financial documents with him since you've already entered everything from your joint return. He just needs his SSN, phone number, and about 15-20 minutes to complete the identity verification questions and give consent for tax data sharing. I'm definitely going to have my husband create his FSA ID before his next business trip so we don't run into this timing issue again. One tip I picked up from this thread - the myStudentAid app works better on mobile than the browser version if he's doing it on his phone. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with these new FAFSA requirements!

I'm just starting to navigate this whole FAFSA process for the first time and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about these new requirements for both parents to verify separately. Quick question - when my spouse creates his FSA ID ahead of time (which sounds like the smart move based on everyone's advice), does he need to wait for the email from the FAFSA system to actually do the verification part? Or can he somehow complete that step proactively too? Also, for those who mentioned the identity verification questions about previous addresses and loan history - how far back do they typically go? My husband has moved around a lot for work over the years and I'm wondering if he should gather that information beforehand. Thanks for all the detailed experiences everyone has shared - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't get from the official FAFSA website!

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can definitely relate to your confusion! The new FAFSA system is really different from what many of us expected. Yes, both parents in a married household must now complete separate identity verification, even when filing taxes jointly. Your husband will receive an email asking him to create his own FSA ID (if he doesn't have one) and complete identity verification questions. The good news is this can be done entirely on his phone while traveling - it typically takes 15-20 minutes and he'll just need his SSN, phone number, and email address. Since you've already entered all the financial information from your joint tax return, he's really just confirming his identity and providing consent to share that data. I'd recommend having him complete this as soon as he gets the email rather than waiting until he returns, especially with scholarship deadlines approaching. The myStudentAid app works well for mobile if that's easier for him. It's definitely more cumbersome than the old system, but once you understand it's just a security verification step, it's pretty straightforward!

I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago and totally understand your confusion! Yes, the new FAFSA system requires both married parents to complete separate identity verification, regardless of your joint tax filing status. Your husband will need to create his own FSA ID and verify his identity through security questions, but the good news is he can absolutely do this from his phone while traveling. It typically takes 15-20 minutes and he'll just need his Social Security number, phone number, and email. Since you've already entered all the financial information from your joint tax return, he's really just confirming his identity and giving consent to share that data - no financial documents needed on his end. I'd strongly recommend having him complete the verification as soon as he receives the email rather than waiting until he returns, especially with potential scholarship deadlines. The myStudentAid app actually works quite well on mobile devices if that's easier for him to navigate. While the new system is definitely more cumbersome than before, once both parents complete their portions, processing typically happens within 3-5 business days. Don't panic - this is totally manageable even with his travel schedule!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and it's such a relief to find this thread! My spouse is also traveling for work this month and I had no idea about these new FAFSA requirements. Reading everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful - I was panicking thinking we'd have to wait weeks for processing. From what I'm gathering, the key points are: 1) Both parents need separate FSA IDs for identity verification (regardless of joint tax filing), 2) The traveling spouse can complete their portion on mobile in 15-20 minutes, 3) They only need SSN, phone, and email (no financial documents since that's already entered), and 4) Processing takes 3-5 days once both parents finish. I'm definitely going to have my spouse create their FSA ID proactively and complete the verification immediately when the email arrives. Thanks everyone for sharing your real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice you can't get from official sources!