FAFSA form locked - daughter can't edit gender/ethnicity or add schools - both stuck on submission

The EXACT same thing happened to me with my son's application! We started in October, then when he tried to go back in January to add his final school list, nothing would save. The gender dropdown wouldn't even open! We ended up having to create a completely new FAFSA application with a different email address. It was a huge pain, but at least we could finally submit. Just make sure you use ALL the same financial information so it doesn't flag for verification!

This is actually a known issue with applications that were started before the December system update. The problem is that certain fields in the early version of the form aren't compatible with the current version. You have three options: 1. Call FSA directly and request a manual account reset (this preserves your data but unlocks editing) 2. Create a new application (fastest but requires re-entering everything) 3. Submit a technical support ticket through studentaid.gov/help-center/contact (slower but most thorough fix) If you go with option #1, make sure to ask specifically for a "data field unlock" on the account, not just general help.

just do a new 1. my daughter had same problem. we did new 1 took like 30 min. the new fafsa is way easier than old 1 anyway. not worth fighting with them on phone

I'm an advisor at a community college and we've seen this issue frequently with applications started before December 20th. The database migration created compatibility problems with certain user profiles. The technical support ticket is actually your best option, despite being slower. We've seen manual resets sometimes create additional verification flags. Just make sure to mention the specific editing problems (gender/ethnicity fields and school addition functionality).

I had this EXACT problem!!! After 6 frustrating calls to FSA where I kept getting disconnected or put on eternal hold, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this service that connects you directly to a FAFSA agent without the wait. They got me through to someone who actually knew how to fix the editing lock problem in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I got was able to do a special reset that unlocked all the fields without losing our data. Totally worth it after wasting literally days trying to get help the normal way.

Your post literally made me just check my daughter's application - WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM!! She just tried to add her final school choice and the whole form is locked. Did anyone here actually get through on the regular FSA number? How many hours did you wait? I'm wondering if it's even worth trying...

This is why I HATE the new FAFSA system!!! The old one worked fine but they had to go and "improve" it. Now millions of students might miss financial aid because their fancy new system is broken!!! Did anyone notice if this affected their SAI calculation when they finally submitted? I'm worried this glitch might mess up my daughter's aid amount even if we fix it.

Update on our experience: We made a new application and it got processed in about 10 days. Our SAI came back almost identical to what the aid calculator had estimated. The schools were able to see it right away. So while it was annoying to restart, it wasn't as bad as I feared.

One more tip - if you decide to create a new application, take screenshots of all your current data first. That way you have a reference to make sure everything matches exactly. The FAFSA system can flag applications for verification if it sees discrepancies between multiple submissions from the same student.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! My daughter's FAFSA has been locked since we started it in early December. The gender and ethnicity fields are completely frozen, and we can't add any schools to her list. I've called the FSA helpline four times now and keep getting the same "be patient with the new system" response. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I had no idea this was such a widespread problem with applications started before the December update. I'm going to try calling tomorrow morning and specifically ask for a "data field unlock" like Malik suggested. If that doesn't work within a few days, I think we'll just bite the bullet and start a new application with screenshots of all our current data. The stress is real though - we've already missed one priority deadline and I'm terrified about missing more. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!