FAFSA contributor invitation missing - son can't add me as parent on 2025-2026 application
My son just started his FAFSA for 2025-2026 and we're having the strangest issue with the contributor section. He got all the way to the end of his application (literally just needs to sign) but says he was NEVER prompted to add me as a contributor. I haven't received any email invitation, and there's nothing in my studentaid.gov account showing a pending contributor request. When he logs back in, he can't edit anything or find where to add a contributor. It's like the system completely skipped that entire section! My daughter completed her FAFSA last week and the contributor section was clearly there - it prompted her to enter my email and everything. Has anyone else had this happen? Is there some weird glitch in the new system? He's trying to call the Federal Student Aid office tomorrow, but their wait times are ridiculous. I'm worried this will delay his entire application since we're approaching deadlines for some scholarship opportunities at his top choice schools.
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Dmitry Petrov
Same thing happened to my daughter! The new system is broken. She had to start a whole new application because there was no way to add contributors after skipping that section. So much for the "simpler" FAFSA lol
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Ugh, seriously?? Starting over seems extreme but I guess if that's what we have to do... Did she lose all her info when she started over or was she able to transfer some of it?
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StarSurfer
This is a known issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. There are a few things to try before starting over: 1. Have your son check the "Review & Submit" section - sometimes there's a link there to add contributors that wasn't properly displayed during the main application flow. 2. If that doesn't work, he should try logging out completely, clearing browser cache/cookies, and logging back in with a different browser. 3. If all else fails, call the Federal Student Aid helpline at 1-800-433-3243. They can sometimes manually send contributor invitations from their end. The new system has been problematic with the contributor section specifically. The system should have prompted him to add contributors right after the dependency questions.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Thank you! We'll try these steps tonight. He's going to look for that link in the Review section first. Really hoping we don't have to start from scratch.
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Ava Martinez
wait i don't get it. if he's a sophomore in college why does he even need a contributor? isn't he considered independent by now? my brother didn't have to add my parents when he was in his second year
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StarSurfer
•That's not correct. Being a sophomore in college doesn't automatically make someone independent for FAFSA purposes. Students are generally considered dependent (requiring parent/contributor information) until age 24 unless they meet specific criteria like being married, having dependents of their own, being a veteran, etc. Just being in your second year of college doesn't qualify you as independent.
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Miguel Castro
I had this exact problem with my son's FAFSA last month! The contributor section was completely missing. After trying everything, including multiple browsers and devices, I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid who fixed it. Here's what worked: There's actually a way to send a contributor invitation manually through the student's account, but it's hidden. Have your son go to his FAFSA, click on "Update FAFSA form" (not Review & Submit), then look for a small link at the bottom of the Personal Information section that says "Add or Edit Contributors." It's easy to miss! If that doesn't work, calling is your best bet, but good luck getting through. The phone lines are completely overwhelmed with the new system issues.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•THANK YOU! We'll try looking for that link tonight. Fingers crossed we can find it and avoid the phone call nightmare.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
i had this problem too and spent DAYS trying to get through to someone on the phone. finally got it fixed but omg the wait times are insane. kept getting disconnected after waiting for like 2 hours
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Connor Byrne
•If you're still having trouble getting through to FAFSA on the phone, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in the same situation last week - kept getting disconnected after hours on hold. Claimyr held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Saved me from spending my entire day on hold. The agent was able to manually send the contributor invitation to my spouse's email.
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Yara Elias
The contributor system on the 2025-2026 FAFSA is COMPLETELY BROKEN! My family wasted THREE WEEKS trying to fix this exact issue. First they told us to restart the application, then they said wait for a system update, then they claimed it was our browser... finally we got through to a supervisor who admitted there's a glitch affecting certain accounts. The REAL problem is the new SAI calculation requires ALL this extra contributor data but their system wasn't ready for the rollout. Classic government efficiency! 🙄
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Sofia Gutierrez
•That's incredibly frustrating! Did you ever get it resolved? I'm worried about the SAI calculation being incorrect if it's missing my income data.
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Yara Elias
•Yes, but only after escalating to a supervisor. The regular agents kept giving us wrong information. The supervisor was able to send a manual contributor invitation. Make sure your son requests to speak with a supervisor if the first agent can't help!
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Dmitry Petrov
my cousins neighbor works in financial aid at a college and she said tons of students r having this problem. apparently its happenin if u answer certain dependency questions a specific way, the system just skips the contributor section completely. they know about it but havent fixed it yet
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Sofia Gutierrez
UPDATE: We finally got this resolved! After trying everything suggested here, we couldn't find any way to add contributors through my son's account. We ended up calling Federal Student Aid this morning (waited about 45 minutes) and the agent confirmed it's a known glitch. The agent was able to manually send me a contributor invitation from their system. I received the email within minutes and was able to complete my section of the FAFSA. My son then signed and submitted it. For anyone else experiencing this: call early in the morning (they open at 8am Eastern) and be prepared to explain that the contributor section was completely skipped. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Miguel Castro
•Glad you got it resolved! Only a 45 minute wait is actually pretty good compared to what others are experiencing. Now make sure your son checks his SAI score after processing to verify everything calculated correctly!
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Will do! The agent said it should process within 3-5 business days. I'll make sure he checks the SAI calculation when it comes through.
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Samantha Hall
So glad to see this update! I was getting worried reading through all the horror stories about weeks-long waits and multiple restarts. 45 minutes actually sounds reasonable given how overwhelmed their system seems to be right now. For anyone else dealing with this - calling early morning seems to be the key. I've noticed with most government agencies that the wait times are much shorter first thing when they open versus later in the day when everyone's frustrated and calling. Thanks for sharing the resolution, Sofia! It gives the rest of us hope that this glitch can actually be fixed without starting completely over.
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