FAFSA contributor signature confusion - does my son's father need FSA ID now?

Yes, the 2025-26 FAFSA is COMPLETELY different from previous years. If your son's father lives with you, he is now considered a "contributor" and absolutely needs his own FSA ID to sign the application - even if he wasn't required to in previous years. This is one of the biggest changes in the new system. Without his signature, the application won't process correctly. The system now requires signatures from all contributors listed on the FAFSA. When you invited him and he accepted, that created the requirement for his signature with his own FSA ID. If you don't see a completed status, it's because his signature is missing.

i had the same problem!! its stupid they changed the whole thing. my kid almost lost her grant money cuz her dad didnt sign. when u add the dad as contributor he HAS to sign with his own fsa id now. they dont tell u this anywhere!! we figured it out last minute before deadline

The 2025-2026 FAFSA has completely restructured how parent/contributor information is handled. Here's what's happening in your situation: 1. Since you're not married but living together with your son's father, both of you are now required to be contributors on the FAFSA 2. Each contributor must have their own FSA ID 3. Each contributor must electronically sign the FAFSA 4. The application won't be fully processed until all required signatures are obtained This is different from previous years where only one parent might need to sign. Even though you invited him and he provided information, he still needs to create an FSA ID and sign the form. The status you're seeing (correction started but not submitted/processed) typically indicates missing signatures. I recommend having him create an FSA ID immediately and then sign in to complete his portion. The FSA ID creation process takes about 10 minutes, and he'll need his SSN, email address, and phone number.

I went through EXACTLY this nightmare scenario in March with my daughter's FAFSA. The new system is horrendous. After 5 weeks of trying to figure out what was wrong, I finally discovered the same thing - her father (my ex) needed his own FSA ID and signature even though he was never required to have one before. I spent HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid for help. Always on hold, always disconnected. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human at FSA in under 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying here - all contributors now need their own FSA IDs and signatures, even if they didn't in previous years. Once my ex created his FSA ID and signed, the application processed within 48 hours.

this is why the new fafsa is GARBAGE!!!! they promised it would be easier but made it 10x more complicated. my nephew lost his entire financial aid package because his dad never signed and nobody told them it was required now. CRIMINAL how they rolled this out with zero proper communication

I work in a college financial aid office, and I can confirm that this has been one of the most confusing changes in the new FAFSA. When both parents live in the same household (married OR unmarried), both must now: 1. Be listed as contributors 2. Have their own FSA ID 3. Electronically sign the FAFSA This is very different from previous years. In your situation, since you've already invited your son's father and he's accepted, he just needs to: 1. Create his own FSA ID at studentaid.gov (using his own email address) 2. Log in with that FSA ID 3. Find the pending FAFSA application 4. Complete his electronic signature Once he does this, the application should move to fully processed status within 3-7 days. If you're close to a deadline, I recommend having him do this immediately. Also, check that all the information for both of you is accurately reported on the application.

I remember filling out my kid's FAFSA back in January and being completely confused by all the contributor stuff too. The old system was so much easier! I agree with checking that signatures section - it should clearly show you which signatures are missing. But seriously Department of Education should've done a better job explaining these changes!!

Update: We figured it out! My son's father created his FSA ID last night (took about 15 minutes) and then signed in to complete his signature. This morning I got an email saying the FAFSA has been processed! Our SAI is showing now and everything looks correct. I'm still annoyed they didn't make this clearer anywhere in the instructions, but at least it's resolved. Thanks everyone for your help - you saved us from potentially losing thousands in financial aid!