FAFSA error when student tries to invite parent after restarting application - desperate for help

I had a similar issue last month with my son's FAFSA. The problem might be that your old contribution data is still somehow linked to her FSA ID even though she deleted the application. Try this: have your daughter log into studentaid.gov and go to the 'My Documents' section. There should be an option to view application history. See if there are any 'in progress' applications still showing up there that need to be properly deleted first. Also, make sure you're using the correct FSA ID (yours, not hers) when accepting the invitation.

i bet its the notifcation settings. had this problem 2 weeks ago. go into ur settings (both of u) and make sure email AND text notifications r turned ON. the system is glitchy af and sometimes wont send invites if notifications r off. also check ur spam folder for any fafsa emails that mightve gone there

This sounds like a known issue with the FAFSA system where contributor data gets corrupted after a restart. Your daughter should try these specific steps: 1. Log out completely from studentaid.gov 2. Clear browser cache and cookies entirely 3. Wait 24-48 hours (this is important - the system needs time to fully clear old data) 4. Log back in and create a completely new FAFSA application (don't use any saved data) 5. Use a different email address for the parent invitation if possible If this doesn't work, you'll need to contact FSA directly. However, phone wait times are currently 2+ hours based on what I've heard from other families.

I went through this EXACT situation with my daughter's FAFSA last month. After trying literally everything, I finally got through to an FSA agent using Claimyr.com - it's a service that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an agent is ready. Saved me hours of waiting on hold. Here's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to see that there was a technical flag on my daughter's account that was causing the invitation errors. They manually cleared it, and we were able to complete everything within an hour after that. Sometimes these systems just break and you need a human to fix them.

OK SO! I work at a college financial aid office and we've seen this problem A LOT with the new FAFSA. It's actually a synchronization issue between the student and parent FSA IDs in the system. Here's what you need to do: 1. BOTH of you need to reset your FSA ID passwords 2. After resetting, wait AT LEAST 30 minutes before trying to log in 3. Student should log in FIRST and start a brand new application 4. Use the CONTRIBUTOR SECTION rather than the invitation system 5. Make sure your daughter enters YOUR info correctly as contributor You'd be amazed how many students put wrong info in the contributor section. One wrong digit in SSN or DOB will break everything!

Sorry I should have been clearer! In the new FAFSA, there are two ways a parent can contribute: 1. The traditional invitation system where student sends an email 2. The "Help student complete FAFSA" option where parent logs in directly with their own FSA ID Try the second option! Have your daughter complete her portion, then YOU log in separately with your FSA ID, choose "Help student complete FAFSA" and enter her information. This bypasses the invitation system entirely. I've seen this work when the invitation system fails.

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS ITS RIDICULOUS that we need FORUMS to figure out how to fill out a GOVERNMENT FORM that DETERMINES COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY??? why is this system so broken?? my kid gave up after 3 errors and now isn't applying for aid at all. way to go department of education 👏👏👏

We had a similar problem and figured out it was because my daughter's and my accounts got linked incorrectly. Call FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243 and explain the issue. They told us sometimes when you restart an application after deleting one, the system doesn't fully reset the parent-child relationship in their database. Only their tech team can fix this on the backend. Took us 4 calls to get someone who understood the issue though.

Yes, exactly. First 3 people just kept telling us to clear cache and try again. Super frustrating! I'd definitely try that service if you can. Wish I had known about it earlier. The fourth person immediately recognized the database linkage issue and escalated it. Fixed within 24 hours after that.