FAFSA error about cash/savings amounts won't let me continue - how to find what I originally entered?

omg this happened to my sister last month! FAFSA verification is the WORST. She had to call like 10 times to get through to someone who could actually help. They told her she needed to match EXACTLY what she put in originally or it would keep rejecting her verification. so annoying

The verification system is incredibly frustrating. You need to enter the EXACT same cash/savings/checking total as your original submission, down to the dollar. Unfortunately, there's no simple way to view what you originally entered once the verification process starts. You have three options: 1. Check if you saved a PDF or screenshot of your original FAFSA submission 2. Look through your bank statements from the date you submitted and recreate that total 3. Contact Federal Student Aid directly to request your original application data

Y'all are overthinking this. Just call FSA and tell them you need the original numbers. They have all that data. I went through this same thing last year and the verification dept actually gave me ALL my original numbers over the phone.

When I had this exact issue, I found using Claimyr was a lifesaver for reaching FAFSA agents. Instead of waiting on hold for hours, they had me connected in about 15 minutes. I just explained I needed my original submission data for verification and the agent pulled it all up. They gave me the exact cash/savings/checking amount I originally entered, and my verification went through immediately after that. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

FAFSA verification is THE ABSOLUTE WORST part of the financial aid process! I swear they make it confusing on purpose. When I was helping my son with his verification last year, we had the same issue with the cash/savings/checking amount. What worked for us was going through online banking and checking our EXACT balances on the date we submitted the original FAFSA (which fortunately I had written down). We had to add up THREE different accounts to get the total. Once we entered that exact amount, it finally accepted the verification.

Has anyone else noticed that the 2025-2026 FAFSA has WAY more verification issues than previous years? I know they completely redesigned the form, but seriously every person I know is getting flagged for verification this year. So frustrating when we're all just trying to get through college without drowning in debt.

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved!!! Had to call FSA (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - it actually worked). The agent told me my exact original cash/savings/checking amount was $3,742.18. I entered that and the verification went through immediately! Turns out I was off by like $200 because I forgot to include a small savings account. Such a relief to have this done. For anyone else stuck on this - definitely call and get your original numbers, don't waste time guessing.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same FAFSA verification nightmare right now. The system keeps rejecting my cash/savings amounts and I have no clue what I originally entered back in January. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like calling FSA to get the original numbers is definitely the way to go. @Amara Okafor - thanks for mentioning Claimyr! I've been dreading calling FSA because of the horror stories about wait times, but if they can actually get me connected quickly that would be amazing. And @Mei Chen - so happy you got yours resolved! Gives me hope that there's light at the end of this tunnel. Has anyone else noticed that the FAFSA help pages are completely useless for this issue? They basically just say "enter the same amount as your original submission" but give zero guidance on how to actually find that information. So frustrating when financial aid deadlines are looming!

This thread is so helpful - I'm going through the exact same verification hell right now! Like everyone else, I have no idea what cash/savings amount I originally entered and the system just keeps rejecting everything I try. It's insane that they redesigned the FAFSA but somehow made it even MORE confusing than before. I'm definitely going to try calling FSA using that Claimyr service that @Amara Okafor and @Mei Chen mentioned. The fact that FSA agents can actually pull up the original submission data gives me hope! My financial aid office keeps telling me they can't help and that I need to contact federal student aid directly, but getting through has been impossible with normal calling. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know this isn't just me being incompetent. The 30% verification rate that @Jamal Harris mentioned explains why so many of us are stuck in this mess. Hopefully the Department of Education fixes these issues soon because this is adding so much unnecessary stress to an already overwhelming process!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been stuck on the same verification issue for over a week now and was starting to panic about my financial aid deadline. Reading through everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better - I honestly thought I was doing something wrong or missing some obvious solution. The fact that @Mei Chen got their exact original amount ($3,742.18) by calling FSA gives me real hope! I've been avoiding calling because I assumed they wouldn't have that level of detail, but clearly they do. And multiple people mentioning success with Claimyr makes me think that's definitely worth trying instead of sitting on hold for hours. It's honestly ridiculous that the FAFSA system requires exact matching to the penny but provides zero way for students to access their original submission data. Like @Giovanni Colombo said, it really does feel like they designed this to be as confusing as possible. The 30% verification rate this year is just insane compared to previous years. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions and experiences - this community is way more helpful than the official FAFSA support! I'm going to try calling tomorrow and hopefully join the success stories soon 🤞