FAFSA form stuck in signature limbo after parent contribution - how long to wait?

yeah this happens ALL THE TIME with the new fafsa. my nephew had the same issue last month. i think it took like 4-5 days before he could go back in and add his signature. the system is totally broken imo

This is actually a common issue with the new FAFSA system. When a contributor (parent) signs before the student, the system needs to process the parent contribution first, then it allows the student to sign. The processing time usually takes 3-7 business days, though I've seen some cases resolve in as little as 48 hours. Your daughter should keep checking her studentaid.gov account daily. She'll see a notification when she can add her signature. The important thing is that your portion is already completed, so once she adds her signature, the SAI calculation should process within 24-48 hours after that. Don't panic about the college priority deadline - schools are aware of these FAFSA issues and many have extended their priority deadlines accordingly. Your daughter can also email the financial aid offices at her schools explaining the situation.

the same exact thing happened with my fafsa!!! i finished everything but forgot to sign then my dad did his part and signed but then mine submitted without my signature too!! it took almost 2 weeks before i could sign it and get my SAI!!! the whole system is garbage

i tried calling the number on the fafsa site but was on hold for over an hour and then got disconnected LOL. i tried again the next day and same thing happened. totally gave up after that and just kept checking the website every day until finally the signature button appeared

I had a similar issue with my son's FAFSA last month. The trick is to call FSA directly, but it's nearly impossible to get through using the regular number - I was disconnected after 45+ minute holds THREE separate times. Finally I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with was able to fix the signature issue on the spot and my son's SAI was calculated the next day. Saved us from missing his school's priority deadline.

I was skeptical too but it worked perfectly. My son's financial aid counselor at his high school actually recommended it. The wait times to reach FSA are insane right now with all the new FAFSA problems.

Financial aid advisor here. This signature issue is definitely a common problem with the redesigned FAFSA. To clarify a few things: 1. When a student creates a FAFSA but doesn't sign before adding a contributor, the system creates a "pending" application 2. After the parent completes their portion and signs, the system needs to process that information before allowing the student to sign (this is new with the 2024-2025 FAFSA) 3. Processing time varies wildly right now - I've seen anywhere from 2-14 days depending on system load 4. The student MUST monitor their studentaid.gov account - they may not receive an email when it's ready for signature 5. Once the student can sign, the SAI calculation typically happens in 1-3 days Regarding deadlines: Most institutions are being flexible with priority deadlines this year due to the FAFSA rollout issues. I recommend your daughter email the financial aid offices at her schools to notify them of the situation. They can make a note in her file that her FAFSA is in process but delayed due to system issues. As for contacting FSA directly, that's absolutely an option, though wait times are extremely long currently. If you do get through, request that they manually trigger the signature prompt for your daughter's account.

Great question! Schools will automatically receive the FAFSA data once it's fully processed (including SAI calculation), but there's often a 3-5 day delay in transmission. It's good practice to email the financial aid offices again once your daughter receives confirmation that her FAFSA is fully processed with an SAI score. This can help ensure they pull her record in their next import batch. Also, make sure she checks her Student Aid Report (SAR) once available for any flags or verification requirements. About 30% of FAFSA applications get selected for verification, and addressing those requirements quickly is important for finalizing aid packages.

The new FAFSA is an absolute DISASTER!!! My twins both applied in January and we're STILL dealing with errors and corrections. One got selected for verification even though we used the IRS data transfer, and the other one has had her SAI calculated incorrectly TWICE. The Department of Education should be ASHAMED of themselves for rolling out such a broken system when students' financial futures are on the line. And good luck reaching anyone by phone - I've spent HOURS on hold only to be disconnected. The real scandal is that they KNEW there were problems before launch and went ahead anyway. Now families and schools are paying the price for their incompetence!!!

@collegebound2025 The 2025-2026 FAFSA application period opens October 1, 2024, so you can't apply yet for Fall 2025. However, you can create your FSA ID ahead of time and gather the necessary documents (2023 tax returns, current asset information, etc.). The hope is that many of these system issues will be resolved by the time the next application cycle begins.

UPDATE: Day 5 and my daughter was finally able to sign her FAFSA! The signature option just appeared this morning when she logged in. No email notification or anything. Now it says we need to wait for SAI calculation. Thanks everyone for your help and advice - especially about contacting her schools. They were all very understanding about the delay!