FAFSA 'error occurred' message when signing parent portion - need urgent solution
I'm at my wit's end trying to complete the parent contribution portion of my son's FAFSA application. He filled out his part perfectly, sent me the contributor invitation, and I got through all the financial questions. But when I hit submit to electronically sign, I keep getting an 'an error occurred, try again' message. I've tried 3 separate times, even waited overnight thinking it might be a system issue, but same frustrating error each time! Sent an email to FAFSA support days ago but haven't heard anything back. His priority deadline for state grants is coming up in 2 weeks, and I'm getting seriously worried. Has anyone else encountered this signature error? Any suggestions on what I should try next?
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Dylan Evans
This exact thing happened to me when trying to sign my daughter's FAFSA last month! The problem might be with your FSA ID. Try these troubleshooting steps: 1. Clear your browser cache and cookies 2. Try using a different browser (Chrome worked for me when Firefox didn't) 3. Make sure your FSA ID credentials exactly match what's on your Social Security card 4. Check if your name has special characters or hyphens - the system sometimes has issues with those If none of that works, there's also a PDF signature option you can use as a workaround. Look for the "provide signature" option and you should see alternatives to the electronic signature.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•Thank you! I'll try all those steps right now. I do have a hyphenated last name, so maybe that's causing the issue? Didn't even think about that. I didn't see a PDF option though - is that somewhere specific in the process I need to look for?
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Sofia Gomez
had the same error message last week!!! so annoying. tried like 10 times. ended up being that my email on the fsa id didnt match the one my son put when he listed me as contributor. check if emails match maybe??
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•That's a really good point - I'll check with my son about what email he used when he added me. Thanks for the suggestion!
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StormChaser
This is a common issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA system updates. There are several potential solutions: 1. Verify your FSA ID is fully authenticated (sometimes takes 1-3 days after creation) 2. Ensure the name/DOB/SSN on your FSA ID exactly matches your contributor information 3. Check if you have a previous FAFSA profile from years ago that might be conflicting 4. Try disabling any browser extensions or using incognito/private browsing 5. The mobile app sometimes works when the website doesn't If none of those work, you may need to reach Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-433-3243. Unfortunately, call volumes are extremely high right now due to the recent system changes.
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Dmitry Petrov
•The phone number is useless right now. I called 14 times last week and couldn't get through even once. Just endless 'high call volume' messages then disconnects. 😡
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Ava Williams
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!! My daughter lost her entire financial aid package from last year because of these stupid FAFSA changes. Been trying to get someone on the phone for MONTHS. They keep saying "oh just submit a correction" but you CAN'T CORRECT what you CAN'T SUBMIT!!! This is just another way they make it hard for families who need aid. The rich don't have these problems!!!!
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Miguel Castro
•While I understand your frustration, there are legitimate technical issues they're working through with the new system. Have you tried contacting your daughter's financial aid office directly? They often have back channels to help resolve FAFSA issues and can sometimes offer institutional aid to bridge gaps while FAFSA issues are being resolved.
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Dylan Evans
Quick update - if you're still having the signing issue, I just remembered another potential fix. Make sure your FSA ID password doesn't contain any special characters that look similar to others (like l vs I or O vs 0). The system sometimes misinterprets these during the signature authentication process. Also, check if your son accidentally entered any of your information differently than what's on your FSA ID (even small differences like "St." vs "Street" can cause the error).
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•Thanks for the follow-up! I actually just got it working! It was a combination of things - I cleared cache/cookies, switched browsers, AND had my son check what email he used when he added me (turned out he used my old work email instead of my current one). Made those changes and it finally went through this morning. Such a relief! Now I just hope it processes in time for his priority deadline.
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Chloe Harris
So glad to hear you got it working, Fatima! For anyone else still struggling with this issue, I wanted to add that the FAFSA help Twitter account (@FederalStudentAid) has been pretty responsive lately with tech support questions. They can sometimes escalate cases or provide specific troubleshooting steps. Also, if you're really pressed for time with state deadlines, some states allow you to submit an estimated FAFSA and correct it later - might be worth checking your state's specific requirements. The email mismatch issue seems to be catching a lot of parents off guard this year!
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