FAFSA dependent section glitch - shows 'No' even with dependents entered

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!! I spent 2 hours on this yesterday. The dependent section is totally bugged this year. I entered my daughter's info correctly but it kept showing up as 'No' dependents on the review. I tried calling FSA but got disconnected 3 times after 40+ minute waits. I finally just submitted it anyway and am planning to correct it later.

This is a known issue with the latest update to the FAFSA portal. For clarification - are you trying to list yourself as having dependents (meaning you're the parent/guardian of children) or are you trying to list yourself as a dependent of your parents? Those are two different sections that people often confuse. If you're trying to claim children as YOUR dependents, make sure you're completing the "Student Household Information" section correctly. The bug happens when you enter the dependent info but don't check the box that specifically asks "Do you have dependents who receive more than half their support from you?" Even if you enter all their info, the system won't register them as dependents without that specific checkbox being marked "Yes.

i had this same issue last week!! the trick is you gotta go back and forth betwen the pages a few times. like go back to the dependent page, then forward again, then back again and THEN it finally fixed itself for me. the new fafsa is soooo buggy lol

I've been dealing with the same exact issue. Claimed my son as dependent (he is 4 years old) and the review page still shows no dependent. I think the actual data is storing correctly in their system but just displaying wrong on the review page. I submitted mine last week and then used the "Make FAFSA Corrections" option to view what was actually submitted, and surprisingly the dependent info was there correctly. Maybe it's just a display glitch on the review page?

After struggling with FAFSA's phone support for days trying to fix this same dependent section issue, I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an actual FSA agent in under 5 minutes who confirmed this is a known display bug. The agent verified that if you've completed the dependent section correctly, the information IS being saved in their system even though the review page shows 'No'. They recommended taking screenshots of the dependent information you entered as proof in case there are questions later. You can see how their service works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - totally worth it after wasting hours on hold.

The dependents section issue is specifically related to the 2025-2026 FAFSA simplification changes. Here's what's happening technically: 1. The new system has separate pipelines for data entry and summary display 2. Your dependent data IS being recorded correctly in their database 3. The summary/review page has a rendering bug that isn't pulling the dependent data for display 4. This WILL NOT affect your actual SAI calculation To verify this is working properly, complete and submit your FAFSA, then wait 24-48 hours and use the "View or Print" option. The printed/viewable PDF will show the dependents correctly even though the review page doesn't. Source: I work in financial aid administration and we've been briefed on this specific issue.

This happened to me last year too! The student dependency questions are so confusing with all the negatives and double-negatives in the wording. Like "Do you NOT have dependents who DON'T receive support..." I literally had to diagram the sentences to figure out how to answer. Then the review showed the opposite of what I entered anyway. I think it's been broken for a while tbh

Update: After trying everyone's suggestions, I found that using the page-flipping trick AND clearing my browser cache seemed to help. When I went through the dependent section again and then checked the review page, it finally showed the correct information! I also took screenshots of everything just to be safe. Thanks for all the help - this forum saved me from having a complete meltdown over FAFSA errors!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same dependent section glitch for my 2025-2026 FAFSA. It's incredibly frustrating to see "No" dependents on the review page when I know I entered my twin boys' information correctly. Reading through all these responses has been a huge relief - especially knowing that the data is actually being saved even though the display is buggy. I'm going to try the page-flipping trick and clearing my browser cache like Sofia mentioned. It's reassuring to hear from someone in financial aid administration that this won't affect the actual SAI calculation. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This thread is a lifesaver! I'm having the exact same issue with my 2025-2026 FAFSA showing "No" dependents on the review page despite entering my daughter's information multiple times. Reading Jace's explanation about it being a display bug that won't affect the actual SAI calculation has given me so much peace of mind. I was literally losing sleep over this thinking my financial aid would be completely wrong. I'm going to try the page-flipping trick and cache clearing method that worked for Sofia, and definitely taking screenshots of everything as backup. It's amazing how much stress this community can help alleviate when dealing with these technical glitches!