FAFSA contributor section stuck for Study Abroad student - time running out!
I'm seriously panicking right now. My daughter leaves for her Study Abroad program in Barcelona in FIVE DAYS and her FAFSA is still showing 'In Progress' because of my section. The system shows I accepted the contributor request back in February, but I can't figure out how to actually complete my part! Every time I log in, it just shows the status tracker with 'FAFSA Form Started' but doesn't take me to any form to fill out. I've tried multiple browsers, clearing cache, even using my husband's laptop. Nothing works! Has anyone dealt with this contributor section glitch? The university financial aid office said they can't process her aid package until the FAFSA is complete, and she NEEDS that money for her program expenses. I'm so desperate I've been crying all morning.
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Liam Brown
This happened to me too! The new FAFSA system is horrible for contributors. Try clicking on the specific 'Contributor' section when you log in - it's not very obvious but should be in the left menu. If that doesn't work, you need to make sure the student (your daughter) has fully completed her portion AND put in your email exactly as it appears on your FSA ID. Double check she entered your correct email and SSN when she designated you as a contributor.
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Emma Johnson
•Thank you! I just texted my daughter to check if she completed her part. She says she did everything on her end, but when I look at the status it still says her personal and financial sections are incomplete too? I'm so confused. Does she need to fully submit her part before I can access mine?
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Olivia Garcia
The new FAFSA is a NIGHTMARE!!! I spent 6 WEEKS trying to access my parent contributor section for my twins. Kept saying 'in progress' but wouldn't let me DO anything! Turns out they had to completely log out, then I had to log in with MY FSA ID (not just through their invitation). The system is garbage.
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Emma Johnson
•I've tried logging in with my FSA ID directly and it still just shows that status page. This is so frustrating! Did you have to call someone to fix it?
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Noah Lee
Based on the screenshot you shared, it looks like your daughter needs to complete her sections before you can fully access yours. On the status tracker, note how it says "The student should complete most of the form themself, including their personal and financial information. You must fill out the section assigned to you." The new 2025-26 FAFSA requires the student to complete their portion first, then it unlocks the contributor sections. If your daughter thinks she completed everything, she needs to verify she actually saved and submitted each section - many students click through without actually submitting.
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Emma Johnson
•That makes sense! I just called her and turns out she thought she completed everything but didn't actually hit submit on the last page of her section. She's doing that now. Fingers crossed this works because she leaves so soon!
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Ava Hernandez
call them!! my son needed his fasfa processed for study abroad too and i spent FOREVER trying to fix it online. total waste of time lol
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Emma Johnson
•I've tried calling the Federal Student Aid number like 20 times and can't get through - just get the automated message saying call volume is too high. Did you actually reach a human? What number did you use?
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Isabella Martin
I managed to reach a live FSA agent after struggling with the exact same issue last month. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) which gets you through the phone queues. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to manually check why my contributor section wasn't working and found there was a mismatch between my email in the system and what my son had entered. They fixed it right away. Worth trying since your daughter leaves so soon!
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Emma Johnson
•Thank you! If my daughter submitting her part doesn't fix it, I'll definitely try this. Didn't know this service existed!
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Elijah Jackson
make sure your using the EXACT same email address for your fsa id that your daughter entered when she listed you as contributor. even one letter differenc will cause this issue. my daugher put gmail.con instead of gmail.com and it took us 2 months to figure out why i couldnt access anything!!!
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Emma Johnson
•OMG that could be it! My email has a period in it (jane.smith@gmail) and sometimes people forget the period. I'll check with her right now.
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Sophia Miller
Any update? Did your daughter's submission fix the issue? I'm dealing with a similar situation and wondering if there's hope...
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Emma Johnson
•YES!!! It worked! As soon as she properly submitted her section, I got an email notification that I could complete mine. The trick was that she thought she had submitted everything but had only saved it. Once she actually completed the submission of her part, I could access mine. My section only took about 15 minutes to complete. Such a relief!
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Liam Brown
That's great news! Just a heads-up - after you both submit, it typically takes 3-5 business days for the FAFSA to process and generate the SAI (Student Aid Index). Then her school needs time to create her aid package based on that. Since she's leaving in just 5 days, I'd recommend calling her school's financial aid office to let them know the FAFSA is finally submitted and ask if they can expedite processing for study abroad students.
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Emma Johnson
•Great advice - just called the financial aid office and explained the situation. They said they'll fast-track her file once the SAI comes through! I'm still stressed about the timing but at least we're moving forward. Thank you all for the help!
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