FAFSA contributor request not showing up for husband - can't resend it!

same thing happened to us last week!!! the stupid contributor request just disappeared into the void. my son's dad never got anything. we tried for 3 days and nothing worked

This is actually a fairly common issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The contributor request system has been glitchy since the January roll-out. Several things might be happening: 1. Your husband needs to check his spam folder - the emails often go there 2. He might need to clear his browser cache and cookies, then log out and back in 3. The system sometimes takes 24-48 hours to sync between accounts 4. His FSA ID may need to be verified or updated Before trying to resend, have him update his FSA ID security questions and email. Then try accessing from a different device or browser. If that doesn't work, you might need to call FSA directly.

I bet what's happening is the email links expired. That happened to us and its SO FRUSTRATING. The contributor links only work for like 72 hours or something ridiculous. Try deleting the contributor and adding them back from scratch. Also make sure your asking for contributor info not full access - theres a difference!

When we had this exact issue, I spent 3 HOURS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid. It was a nightmare - kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at FSA who could help. Their phone system is terrible, but the service worked and got me right through to an agent who fixed our contributor problem in about 10 minutes. They even have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Basically, the agent told me there was a sync issue between the FAFSA system and my husband's account. They had to manually reset something on their end.

There's a specific technical issue with the contributor system that's causing this problem. Here's what's happening: when the original contributor request is sent but not completed within 14 days, it can get stuck in a limbo state where: 1. The system thinks it's still pending (so you can't send a new one) 2. But it doesn't appear in the contributor's dashboard (because it's in error state) The most reliable solution is to have the student (your daughter) call Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-433-3243 and request a "contributor request reset." Specifically mention that you need a "back-end reset of the contributor invitation status." This is different from just canceling and reissuing the invitation through the portal. Also, make sure your husband's FSA ID email EXACTLY matches the email your daughter entered when sending the contributor request. Even minor differences can cause this issue.

I work at a college financial aid office and see this ALL THE TIME since the FAFSA redesign. Here's what I tell families: 1) First, make sure the contributor has a fully verified FSA ID (not just created, but verified) 2) Check that the name on the FSA ID EXACTLY matches their legal name 3) Try sending the request during "off-hours" (early morning or late evening) when system traffic is lower 4) If all else fails, you can complete a paper FAFSA as a last resort Also important: While you're figuring this out, contact your daughter's college financial aid office directly! Many schools have internal processes to handle these FAFSA technical issues, and they might be able to extend her priority deadline given the widespread system problems.

UPDATE: We got it fixed!!! The problem was exactly what @FinAidPro suggested - my husband's FSA ID email didn't match what my daughter entered in the contributor request. Once we updated his email address in his FSA ID account and waited about an hour, the contributor request suddenly appeared in his dashboard. He was able to complete it right away. For anyone else facing this issue, definitely check that the email addresses match EXACTLY. And thanks to everyone who offered suggestions - this forum was so much more helpful than anything on the official site!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar issue but my situation is slightly different - my daughter's stepdad (my husband) keeps getting the contributor request emails, but when he clicks the link it just takes him to a generic "getting started" page instead of his actual contributor tasks. Has anyone experienced this variation of the problem? We've tried updating his FSA ID email and clearing cache like others suggested, but still no luck. The deadline stress is real!