FAFSA email verification code not coming through - anyone else stuck?

Yep same thing happening here!! Been waiting for verification codes for 2 days now. System must be glitched again 🙄

This is a known issue with the FSA ID system right now. Several things to try: 1. Double-check that the email address is typed correctly on the FSA ID profile 2. Add fsaid@ed.gov to your contacts/safe senders list 3. Wait 24 hours before requesting another code (requesting multiple times can trigger security blocks) 4. Try requesting the verification code during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) If none of these work, you'll need to contact Federal Student Aid directly. They can manually verify the email or suggest other solutions.

had the same issue last week!! what finally worked for me was using my phone not computer and making sure i wasnt on wifi (used cellular data) and then the code came through in like 2 minutes weird but it worked

I work with college-bound students, and we've seen this issue affecting about 30% of FAFSA applicants this cycle. The verification code problem typically stems from one of these causes: 1. High system traffic (application volume is up 32% this year) 2. Email delivery filtering by certain providers (Gmail and Yahoo especially) 3. Backend database syncing issues with the new FAFSA system Besides the excellent suggestions above, I recommend checking if you or your son have any previous FSA ID accounts. Sometimes the system gets confused when trying to link multiple accounts to the same person. You can check this by attempting password recovery on FSA ID accounts using both your email addresses. If all else fails, your son can use the "Forgot Username" option, which sometimes refreshes the account verification status and allows a code resend that actually works.

I had this EXACT same problem and wasted a whole week trying to get it resolved. Finally I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual FSA agent on the phone instead of waiting on hold forever. They connected me within 10 minutes and the agent was able to manually verify our email address. Totally worth it - you can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent told me they're having major issues with their verification system right now and tons of people are having the same problem.

My daughter had this happen and we just gave up on that email and created a brand new FSA ID with a completely different email address (she made a new gmail just for FAFSA stuff). That worked immediately and we got the code in like 2 minutes. The stupid thing is we already submitted our 2024-2025 FAFSA but for SOME REASON had to make a whole new account for 2025-2026?!? The whole system is so unnecessarily complicated... like why can't they just keep the same login working year to year???

UPDATE: We tried requesting the code at 5:30am this morning and it ACTUALLY CAME THROUGH! Seems like the system is completely overloaded during normal hours. We're finally able to move forward with the application. Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

omg last year I had SO many problems with fafsa emails I ended up having to go to my schools financial aid office and they had to call someone special to get it fixed! Just make sure u get it done in time bc if u miss the priority deadline sometimes the good grants are already gone happened to my roommate she got way less money!!

I'm new here but dealing with the exact same issue! Been trying for 4 days now and absolutely nothing. My daughter's priority deadline is next week and I'm starting to panic. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - I had no idea this was such a widespread problem. Going to try the early morning approach tomorrow since that seemed to work for you. Thanks for posting about this, it's reassuring to know we're not the only ones struggling with this broken system!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this nightmare last month! The FSA verification system has been absolutely terrible this cycle. What finally worked for me after 6 days of failed attempts was a combination of things: 1) Using incognito/private browsing mode, 2) Requesting the code at around 6am EST when traffic is lowest, and 3) Making sure to wait at least 24 hours between attempts (apparently rapid requests can flag your account). Also discovered that some email providers like Protonmail seem to have better luck getting the codes through than Gmail. The whole system is clearly overwhelmed and they really need to fix this before more students miss their deadlines. Hang in there everyone - it's frustrating but you'll get through it!

This thread has been a lifesaver! I'm a parent helping my twin daughters with their FAFSA applications and we've been stuck on email verification for both of them for over a week now. It's incredibly frustrating that such a critical system for accessing financial aid is this unreliable. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm going to try the early morning approach (around 5-6am) with incognito mode and make sure we wait 24 hours between attempts. Has anyone had success using different email providers for siblings applying in the same household? I'm wondering if using the same internet connection/IP address might be causing additional issues when trying to verify multiple FSA IDs. Thanks to everyone for sharing your solutions - it's clear the Department of Education needs to seriously overhaul this verification system!