FAFSA correction needs spouse login? Confused about retirement assets correction process

Yes, this is actually normal! With the new FAFSA system, both contributors (you and your husband) need to authenticate separately for corrections if you're both on the application. It's a security feature they added this year. Each contributor needs their own FSA ID and has to approve changes related to their information. Since you file jointly, you're both considered financial contributors to the student.

I went through the exact same thing last month! The system is so glitchy. Make sure both of you have FSA IDs properly linked to YOUR social security numbers (not each others). Then BOTH of you need to authenticate for any changes, even if only one of you did the initial application. It's part of the new 2025-2026 FAFSA changes. For corrections involving assets, everyone who contributed financial info needs to verify through the system. If you're getting errors, try clearing your cookies, using a different browser, or doing it during non-peak hours (early morning worked for me).

yupp both parents gotta do it now. the new system is SO MUCH WORSE than before lol. my parents went thru the same thing with my fafsa. dad did everything originally but mom had to make an fsa id just for some dumb correction. good luck!

This is definitely something you want to fix ASAP. Retirement accounts should NOT be included as assets on the FAFSA (they're protected), and including them could significantly increase your SAI and reduce aid eligibility. I made a similar mistake and it changed our SAI by over $5,000 which affected our Pell Grant eligibility. Both you and your husband need separate FSA IDs, and both need to authenticate for the correction to go through. It's part of their new "contributor" model for the 2025-2026 FAFSA.

If you're getting an error page when trying to log in, it could be that the system is experiencing high volume (typical during correction periods) or there might be a technical issue with how your accounts are linked. I tried for THREE DAYS to get through the spouses authentication process before finally getting it to work. So frustrating!!

my cousin used this service called Claimyr to actually get through to a live person at fafsa when she had this exact problem!!! saved her from waiting on hold for hours. she showed me a video about how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ the site is claimyr.com if ur interested. they got her a callback in like 20 min when she was expecting to wait all day

Just to clarify something important: fixing the retirement account error is absolutely worth the effort. The FAFSA formula exempts retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.) from asset calculations when determining your SAI. By accidentally including it, you're essentially telling the system you have much more available money than you actually do (for financial aid purposes). Depending on the value of the retirement accounts, this could mean thousands of dollars difference in your aid eligibility. Since corrections are now open, I'd prioritize this fix - especially if your student is starting college this fall.

We had to do this too with our FAFSA correction. Both my wife and I needed to authenticate separately, which was NOT the case in previous years. Just a heads up - after both of you authenticate and submit the correction, you'll probably get an email saying your "correction is being processed" and it can take 3-5 business days before your updated SAI is calculated. The whole system is frustratingly slow this year.

UPDATE: We finally got it fixed! Here's what worked for anyone dealing with the same issue: 1. I had to create my own FSA ID (took about 15 minutes) 2. We had to wait 48 hours for my FSA ID to fully verify with Social Security 3. We tried again, both authenticating separately 4. We removed the retirement account from assets 5. It took 4 business days but we just got notification that our SAI dropped by $12,000!!! THANKS everyone for your help. That $12k difference could mean thousands more in financial aid for our son's freshman year. So glad we fixed it!