FAFSA correction nightmare - Can I delete and resubmit after parent signature issue?

Unfortunately, once you've submitted your FAFSA, you can't delete it entirely. You have to use the correction process even for major changes. For the parent signature issue - are your parents logging in with their own separate FSA IDs? Many parents make the mistake of trying to access through the student's account. They need to go to studentaid.gov directly, sign in with their own FSA ID, and then they should see a section for "FAFSA to sign" on their dashboard.

i had same thing happen!! the email thing is probably it. my mom's email was wrong and she never got notification. we ended up having to call FSA to fix it but took FOREVER to reach anyone

I HATE the FAFSA correction process!! It feels like they WANT us to fail!! I tried for THREE WEEKS to make a simple income correction last year and ended up losing out on $4000 in aid because the stupid system wouldn't let my dad sign the correction form. The whole system is DESIGNED to fail students who need help the most!!

There's actually a specific process for this. If your parents can't see the FAFSA in their account, it's likely because: 1. The parent listed on the FAFSA doesn't match exactly with the name on their FSA ID 2. You may have entered incorrect SSNs for your parents 3. There could be a mismatch between your parents' emails on the FAFSA vs. their FSA ID accounts For corrections this extensive, I recommend calling FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243. Be prepared with both your FSA ID and your parents' information. They can help troubleshoot why the FAFSA isn't appearing in your parents' accounts.

when i had this happen with my dad not seeing my fafsa, i tried using Claimyr to reach someone at FSA and it worked super well! they got me right through to an agent who fixed the parent signature issue right on the call. their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ saved me hours of hold time and the agent was able to reset something so my dad could see and sign my fafsa

To address your specific questions: 1. You cannot delete a submitted FAFSA, only correct it 2. For major corrections like yours, you're still better off using the correction process than starting over (as you can't actually start over anyway) 3. For the parent signature issue, check these specific things: - Verify the parent SSN on the FAFSA matches their FSA ID account - Make sure the parent name matches EXACTLY (including hyphens, suffixes, etc.) - Check if the email addresses match between the FAFSA form and FSA ID account If your priority deadline is only 3 weeks away, you should absolutely call FSA directly to resolve this. Corrections typically take 3-5 business days to process after submission, so you're cutting it close. Explain to the representative that you have an approaching priority deadline and need urgent assistance with parent signature access.

have u tried checking if ur listed as a dependent? my friend had same problem but turns out he accidentally checked independent student box lol so parents signature wasnt needed. worth checking maybe???

One additional thing to try: Have your parents attempt to create a "new" FAFSA for you using their FSA ID. The system should recognize that you already have one submitted and direct them to the signature page. This workaround sometimes helps when there are parent access issues. If that doesn't work, and you do call FSA, be sure to ask them to verify and update the email addresses associated with your parents on the FAFSA. This will ensure they receive the proper notifications for signing. Also, once you get this resolved, immediately contact your school's financial aid office to explain the situation. They may be able to place a note on your file about the pending corrections to ensure you don't miss out on priority consideration.

After ALL the trouble I had with parent signatures last year, I finally discovered it was because my dad's NAME had a Jr. suffix in his FSA ID but we left that off on the FAFSA!! Such a tiny thing caused WEEKS of problems!! Check EVERY detail between the FSA ID account info and what you entered on the FAFSA!

dont stress too much abt priority deadlines my cousin missed hers by almost a month and still got full pell grant amount. just explain the situation to financial aid office they usually understand

UPDATE: It's fixed! I took everyone's advice and: 1) Double-checked all parent info (turns out my mom's birthday was off by one day on the FAFSA - can't believe that tiny error caused all this trouble!) 2) Used the Claimyr service to reach FSA without the endless hold time 3) The agent fixed the birthday issue and resent the signature request to my parents' correct emails 4) They just signed it successfully 5 minutes ago! Thank you all SO MUCH for your help. For anyone with similar issues, definitely check every single character of the personal info between FSA ID and FAFSA, and don't waste hours on hold if you don't have to. Now I just have to wait for processing and hope I make that priority deadline!

So glad you got it resolved! This is a perfect example of why the FAFSA system needs better error messages - a one-day birthday difference shouldn't cause such a nightmare. Your experience will definitely help other students who run into the same issue. Good luck with your priority deadline - you should have plenty of time now for processing!

This thread is such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with a similar parent signature issue right now and was about to panic. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the tiniest details can cause major problems. I'm going to go through my FAFSA line by line with my parents tonight to make sure everything matches their FSA IDs exactly - names, birthdates, SSNs, emails, everything. The fact that one day difference in a birthday caused all this trouble is mind-blowing but also really helpful to know. Thanks for sharing your resolution steps, Keisha - I'll definitely try the Claimyr service if I can't get through to FSA directly. This community is amazing for helping each other navigate this confusing process!

Wow, what a journey this thread has been! As someone who went through FAFSA corrections hell last year, I can totally relate to the frustration. It's incredible how the smallest details can derail the entire process - one wrong digit in a birthday causing weeks of problems is exactly the kind of thing that makes students want to give up on financial aid altogether. For anyone reading this thread in the future: Keisha's experience is the perfect case study. The key takeaways are: 1) You literally cannot be too careful with matching every single character between FSA ID info and FAFSA entries, 2) Don't waste precious time on hold if there are alternatives like Claimyr, and 3) Always give your school's financial aid office a heads up about processing delays. The fact that this community came together to help troubleshoot and share real solutions shows how valuable peer support is in navigating these bureaucratic nightmares. Keep helping each other out - we're all in this together!

This thread is gold! As a parent who's been through the FAFSA nightmare with two kids now, I can't stress enough how important it is to double and triple check EVERYTHING. We learned the hard way with my oldest that even spaces and punctuation matter - my wife's hyphenated maiden name was entered differently on her FSA ID versus the FAFSA and it took weeks to sort out. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet: take screenshots of your parents' FSA ID profile pages before starting the FAFSA. That way you have an exact reference for names, birthdates, SSNs, and emails. We do this now and it's saved us so much trouble. Also, if you're dealing with divorced parents or complex family situations, the matching requirements become even more critical since you have to be precise about which parent's information goes where. Keisha, so glad you got it resolved! Your experience is going to help so many other families avoid the same pitfalls.