FAFSA form won't let me add new schools - stuck in financial page loop

This exact same thing happened to me back in November when I tried adding UCLA to my existing FAFSA. The system kept looping me through the financial sections over and over. What finally worked was clearing my browser history/cookies/cache completely, then using an incognito/private browsing window, AND turning off my VPN. For some reason, the combination of those three things fixed it. If that doesn't work, there's actually a backdoor method: log in, go to your processed FAFSA, and use the "Print" option to generate a PDF. On page 1 of that PDF is your DRN (Data Retrieval Number). You can call the financial aid office at your new schools and give them this number - they can manually add themselves to your FAFSA.

hav u tryed using a diferent email to login? my cousin had this problem and he made new acount and it worked fine for him just saying

This is a known issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA form that many students are experiencing. The problem occurs when there's a specific combination of answers on your financial information page that triggers a validation loop in the system. The most reliable solution is to contact Federal Student Aid directly. However, as you probably know, their phone lines are extremely backed up right now with all the application issues people are having. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent without the hours-long wait. They have a service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. There's a video demo here showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once you get an agent on the phone, specifically tell them you're experiencing the "school addition loop glitch" - they have a protocol for resolving it by temporarily unlocking certain fields in your application.

OMG THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!!!! I had the EXACT same problem last month and wanted to SCREAM!!! The stupid FAFSA system is SO broken this year!!! I literally called the Federal Student Aid people SIX TIMES and got disconnected EVERY SINGLE TIME after waiting for like 2 hours each time. WHAT A JOKE!!! I finally got it fixed but not through their website. I had to get the financial aid office at my community college to help - they have some special access or something. Bring your ID to the financial aid office at one of the schools you already listed and explain the situation. They might be able to do something from their end.

have you checked if there's any alerts or notices on your account? sometimes there's verification issues that need to be resolved before you can make changes. i had something similar happen and turns out i had an alert i never saw

When I had a similar issue trying to add schools, it turned out my parent's financial section had a flag on it because the numbers didn't match their tax return exactly. Even though my application was "processed," this underlying flag prevented me from making changes. You might need to go back through the parent financial section and check EVERY number against their actual tax documents. Even a $1 difference can cause the system to freak out. For me, it was a retirement contribution amount that was off by $25.

This is a technical issue related to the new FAFSA processing system. When adding schools to an already-processed application, you need to ensure you're using the correct workflow: 1. Log in to studentaid.gov 2. Select "Manage my FAFSA" (not "Edit FAFSA") 3. Choose the option specifically for "Add School Codes" 4. Enter the federal school codes 5. Submit changes If you're using the general "Edit FAFSA" option, it requires revalidation of all sections, which is causing your loop problem. The dedicated "Add School Codes" pathway bypasses this issue. If the dedicated pathway is still causing problems, you'll need to contact Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-433-3243. Request that they add the schools manually to your processed FAFSA.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to resolve this? I'm curious if any of the suggestions worked for you.

So glad you got it resolved! This is really helpful info for others facing the same issue. The fact that it was specifically an assets section validation problem explains why the loop kept happening - the system was probably trying to reverify those calculations every time you tried to proceed. Thanks for updating us with the solution that actually worked!

This is such a relief to read! I've been dealing with the exact same issue for the past week and was starting to panic about missing deadlines. The fact that FSA agents can actually fix this glitch gives me hope. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service - waiting on hold for hours just wasn't working for me either. Thanks for sharing the solution that actually worked, Quinn! This thread is going to help so many students who are stuck in this nightmare loop.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been struggling with what sounds like the exact same issue for about a week now. Every time I try to add schools, I get bounced back to that financial information page and can never get to the signature page to actually submit the changes. It's so frustrating because my original application is already processed and working fine. Reading through all the suggestions here, it sounds like the Claimyr service combined with calling FSA directly is the most reliable solution. I had no idea this was a widespread glitch - I thought I was going crazy! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially Quinn for following up with what actually worked. This gives me a clear path forward instead of just randomly trying different browsers and clearing cache over and over. Has anyone else had success recently getting this fixed through FSA? I'm wondering if they've gotten better at handling these calls since more people are reporting the issue.

This thread is exactly what I needed to find! I've been banging my head against the wall for the past 5 days with this same issue. Every single time I try to add my backup schools, I get trapped in that financial information page loop - it's like Groundhog Day but with FAFSA forms! I had no idea this was a widespread system glitch. I genuinely thought I was doing something wrong or that my application was somehow corrupted. The fact that FSA agents can actually resolve this on their end is such a relief. I've tried calling the regular number multiple times but always give up after 2+ hours on hold. Definitely going to try the Claimyr service that @Laila mentioned - at this point I'm willing to try anything to get this resolved before my deadlines next month. Quinn, thank you so much for following up with the actual solution that worked! This thread is going to save so many students from the same frustration.

This thread has been a lifesaver! I've been stuck in this exact same financial page loop for over a week now trying to add three schools to my processed FAFSA. I was starting to panic thinking I'd miss all my priority deadlines. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear this is a widespread system glitch affecting tons of students. I had tried all the basic troubleshooting (different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode) but nothing worked. The fact that Quinn was able to get it resolved through FSA directly gives me hope that there's actually a solution. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service to get through to an agent since I've spent way too many hours on hold already with no success. It's frustrating that we have to jump through these hoops because of system bugs, but at least now I know there's a path forward. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support means everything when dealing with FAFSA stress!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been experiencing this exact same loop issue for the past few days trying to add two additional schools to my FAFSA. It's so frustrating because my original application processed fine, but now I'm completely stuck on that financial information page every time I try to make changes. Reading through all these experiences, I'm relieved to know this is a widespread system glitch and not just me being technologically challenged! I've already tried all the basic troubleshooting steps (different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode) with no luck. The Claimyr service sounds like a game-changer - I've attempted calling FSA multiple times but always give up after hours of waiting. It's encouraging to see that Quinn was able to get this resolved once they actually reached an agent. I'm definitely going to try this approach since my priority deadlines are coming up fast. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and solutions. This community support makes dealing with FAFSA issues so much less stressful!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! I've been trying to add schools to my processed FAFSA for the past few days and keep getting stuck in that endless financial page loop. It's such a relief to read through this thread and realize it's not just me - I was starting to think I was completely incompetent with technology! I've tried all the usual fixes (different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode) but nothing has worked. The fact that Quinn was able to get it resolved by actually reaching an FSA agent gives me hope that there's a real solution. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service since I've already spent way too much time on hold with no success. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's so helpful to know this is a confirmed system glitch and that we're not alone in dealing with this frustration. Fingers crossed I can get this sorted out before my deadlines!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I just started experiencing this exact same loop issue yesterday when trying to add two more schools to my already processed FAFSA. I was getting so frustrated thinking I was doing something wrong, but reading through everyone's experiences makes me feel so much better knowing it's a widespread system glitch. I've already tried the basic troubleshooting steps (different browsers, clearing cache) with no success, so I'm definitely going to skip straight to trying the Claimyr service to reach an FSA agent. It's such a relief to know there's actually a solution and that agents can fix this on their end. Thanks Quinn for following up with the successful resolution - it gives all of us hope that we can get this sorted out before our deadlines! This community support during FAFSA season is invaluable.