FAFSA digital signature not working - "system down" message for days
Is anyone else getting the "system temporarily unavailable" message when trying to sign their FAFSA electronically? I've been trying to submit my 2025-2026 application for the past 4 days but keep getting stuck at the signature page. I've tried different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, even Edge), cleared my cache, and even used my roommate's laptop, but nothing works! The FSA ID login works fine until I get to the actual signature part, then it just crashes. My priority deadline for state grants is coming up next week and I'm seriously stressing out. Has anyone found a workaround or know when the system will be back up?
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William Schwarz
This is a known issue that the Department of Education acknowledged last week. According to their status page (studentaid.gov/help-center/status), they're performing database maintenance that's affecting the digital signature verification system. The maintenance was supposed to end yesterday, but obviously they're still having problems. In the meantime, if your school's deadline is approaching, you should: 1. Document your attempts to submit (screenshots with timestamps) 2. Email your school's financial aid office ASAP explaining the situation 3. Ask if they'll accept a provisional submission without the digital signature Many schools are being flexible due to the widespread FAFSA technical issues this year. The good news is that the system is legally required to count your submission based on when you started the application, not when you finally get the signature to work.
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Ella Knight
•Thank you so much for this detailed info! I just emailed my financial aid office with screenshots of the error messages. Fingers crossed they'll be understanding about it.
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Lauren Johnson
have you tried signing out completely and making a new FSA ID? my brother had to do that and it finally worked for him
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Ella Knight
•I haven't tried making a completely new FSA ID. Wouldn't that mess up my application if I've already started it with my current ID?
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Lauren Johnson
no you just link the new ID to your social security number and it connects to your existing application at least thats what happened for my brother
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Jade Santiago
•I would strongly advise against creating a new FSA ID in this situation. This can create serious verification problems and potentially flag your application for fraud review, which would delay processing by 6-8 weeks. The issue is with the signature system, not your FSA ID. Creating multiple IDs tied to the same SSN often triggers automated security protocols.
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Caleb Stone
Update on my earlier comment - I just checked the FSA Twitter account and they posted that the signature issue should be resolved by tomorrow morning. They're doing server maintenance tonight between 11pm-3am Eastern Time. Might be worth waiting until tomorrow afternoon before trying again.
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Ella Knight
•That's great news! I'll hold off until tomorrow afternoon then. Thanks for the update!
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