FAFSA contributor account stuck at step 7 - deadline approaching and system glitch not fixed!

same thing happened to me!!! been trying to create my account for 3 days now. my twins need my info for there applications. i get to step 7 and it just sits there forever. refreshed about 20 times, tried different browsers, nothing works. this new fafsa system is terrible!!!

I had the exact same issue last week. The contributor system has been buggy since they rolled out the new FAFSA. What worked for me was clearing all browser cookies/cache, then using Microsoft Edge (not Chrome or Firefox) in incognito mode. For some reason that combination let me get past step 7. If that doesn't work, there's a backdoor method: Your student can manually enter your tax information if you provide it to them directly. It's not ideal since the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is more accurate, but it will let you complete the application before the deadline. Just make sure they have your AGI from your most recent tax return, W-2 amounts, and any untaxed income information.

my kid go to community college an i helped with hers last week. the contributor stuff was SUPER buggy but i did get it to work eventually. have you tried a diffrent device?? i couldnt get it to work on laptop but it worked on my phone. dunno why but might help

This new FAFSA system has been a disaster. I work in college financial aid, and we're seeing these contributor issues constantly. Here are some additional tips that might help: 1. Make sure you're using your personal email, not a work email (many work emails block the verification links) 2. When creating your FSA ID, use a different email than your student used for theirs 3. Try accessing the site at off-peak hours (very early morning seems to work better) 4. If all else fails, document your attempts (screenshots of the errors) and contact the financial aid offices at your daughter's schools. Many schools are offering deadline extensions because of these FAFSA issues. The Department of Education knows about these problems, but the fixes have been incredibly slow. Don't panic about the deadline yet - many schools are being very flexible this year because of all the FAFSA rollout problems.

I got so frustrated trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid about this same issue! After dozens of attempts and disconnections, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human at FSA in about 20 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with gave me a workaround for the contributor issue. Apparently if you try creating your FSA ID first (before clicking the invitation link), then use that FSA ID to accept the invitation, it sometimes bypasses the step 7 glitch. Worked for me!

I've been helping families navigate FAFSA issues for over 15 years, and this rollout has been the most problematic I've ever seen. The contributor system issues are affecting thousands of families. One technical solution that's worked for many families: The contributor should create their FSA ID completely separately from the invitation process. Go to studentaid.gov, create your FSA ID, verify your email and phone, and THEN go back and click on the invitation link from your child. Also important: Make sure your name, DOB, and SSN match EXACTLY what's on your Social Security card. Even a missing middle initial can cause problems. As others have mentioned, many schools are extending their priority deadlines because of these FAFSA issues. If you're still stuck, contact your daughter's schools directly and explain the situation. Document everything - dates of attempts, screenshots, reference numbers from FAFSA calls. The good news is that once you get past this contributor setup hurdle, the rest of the process is generally working better.

my cousin works for a university financial aid office and she says theyre extending ALL their deadlines because of the fafsa mess. call your daughters school financial aid office directly!! they probably already know about these problems and will work with you. dont freakout about the deadline, seriously.

Quick update for everyone dealing with this issue: The Department of Education just announced yesterday that they're implementing a fix for the contributor account creation problem. It should be fully deployed by this weekend. If you can wait a few days before trying again, you might have better luck. In the meantime, remember that your student's SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) calculation won't be affected by a slight delay in submitting the FAFSA. As long as you submit before the school's final deadline (not just priority deadline), your daughter will still be considered for the full financial aid package. This has been a frustrating year for everyone involved in the financial aid process. Rest assured that schools are being extraordinarily flexible with deadlines specifically because of these FAFSA technical issues.

UPDATE: after trying for 5 days straight i FINALLY got my contributor account working!!! what fixed it was using my PHONE instead of computer AND doing it at 4:30am when nobody else was on the system!! completed my part of both my kids applications. such a relief!!! if your still stuck try the middle of the night seriously it worked!!!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My son sent me the contributor invitation 6 days ago and I keep getting stuck at the same step 7. It's incredibly frustrating knowing that there's a known glitch and they have no timeline for fixing it. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here - the Edge browser in incognito mode and creating the FSA ID separately first. Also going to attempt it in the early morning hours when the system might be less overloaded. Thanks to everyone sharing their workarounds and experiences. It's reassuring to know we're not alone in this mess, even though it shouldn't be this complicated to help our kids with financial aid!