FAFSA gender/nationality errors with no edit option before signing page - help!

You absolutely should NOT sign with incorrect information. Those errors could definitely cause problems with your daughter's financial aid processing. Look for a \

Thanks for confirming I shouldn't just sign with errors! I tried the Previous button but it only takes me back one page to the certification explanation, not all the way to demographics. There's no clickable progress bar either - I think they changed the interface for the 2025-2026 form. I'll try the Save and Exit approach. Just worried about losing progress...

had the same issue last week!! the gender was wrong for my son too. there should be a little pencil icon next to each section header on the review page. if u dont see that, try using the browser back button a few times to get to the right section. worked for me after trying like 5 times

I don't see any pencil icons anywhere! Maybe they're not showing up in my browser (using Chrome). I'll try the browser back button though - smart idea. Did you have any issues after fixing it, or did the application process smoothly after that?

This happened to me too! The problem is that the demographic information is pulled from your FSA ID registration data, not something you enter directly in the FAFSA form. You need to exit the FAFSA application completely, then go to StudentAid.gov, sign in, and select \

Oh that's really helpful! I had no idea the demographics came from the FSA ID registration. That explains why I couldn't find where to edit it within the application itself. I'll try updating the FSA ID right away. Did you have to wait any time for the changes to sync with your FAFSA application?

Yes, there's usually a sync delay. When I fixed mine, it took about 30 minutes for the changes to appear in the FAFSA form. If you don't see the updates reflected after an hour, try clearing your browser cache and cookies, then log back in fresh. Sometimes that forces it to pull the new data.

OMG the FAFSA site is SO ANNOYING this year! 🤬 They messed up my daughter's info too but it was her birth date that was wrong. We ended up having to call FSA and wait FOREVER to get someone to help fix it. Good luck getting through their phone lines though - I spent like 4 hours on hold before getting disconnected TWICE!

If you need to call Federal Student Aid, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was facing similar frustrations with endless FAFSA hold times, but Claimyr actually held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me hours of waiting and prevented those infuriating disconnects. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. After multiple failed attempts trying to reach FSA directly, this was the only thing that worked for me.

omg thank you!!! why doesnt the govt just make a system that actually WORKS instead of us having to use workarounds??? but ill try that next time im desperate!

This is a critical issue that can definitely affect your daughter's aid eligibility. Gender may not seem like a major factor, but citizenship status absolutely impacts which aid programs she qualifies for. The 2025-2026 FAFSA redesign relocated several edit functions. Here's the proper procedure:\n\n1. Save your application (don't submit)\n2. Go to your FSA ID profile at studentaid.gov/fsa-id/manage-your-account\n3. Update the demographic information there\n4. Wait 1-2 hours for systems to sync\n5. Return to your saved FAFSA application\n6. The review page should now reflect the correct information\n\nIf this doesn't resolve it, you may need to contact FSA directly to have them manually update the information in their system.

Thank you for such detailed instructions! I just looked at the FSA ID profile page and you're right - all the demographic information is there. I've made the corrections and now I'm waiting for it to sync. Really appreciate the clear steps, especially the note about waiting 1-2 hours. I was about to keep refreshing the page every few minutes!

dont stress too much, i submitted my sons fafsa with wrong birthdate by accident and was able to make a correction after submission. there's a correction form you can submit later if you end up having to sign with errors. not ideal but better than missing deadlines!

While corrections are possible after submission, I would strongly advise against submitting with known errors in citizenship status. Unlike birthdate corrections, citizenship status directly affects eligibility determination algorithms. Post-submission corrections for citizenship can trigger automatic verification requirements, delaying processing by 3-4 weeks. Additionally, the SAI calculation may be incorrect initially, potentially causing issues with school financial aid packaging timelines.

oh yikes i didnt realize citizenship was such a big deal! good to know for future reference

lol welcome to the wonderful world of FAFSA! 🙃 just when you think you've figured it out, they completely redesign everything for 2025-2026! from what i've seen in my financial aid office (i'm an admin assistant), a TON of parents are having this exact same issue. the data is pulling from incorrect sources and there's no way to edit it directly on the form.

It's weirdly comforting to know we're not alone in this! So frustrating though. Since you work in financial aid, have you seen this cause problems with students' applications later? I'm worried about verification issues even if we get it fixed.

honestly it depends. if you get it fixed before submitting, usually no problems. but we are seeing lots of extra verification flags this year when demographic info doesn't match across systems. def try to fix it first if possible!

UPDATE: I followed the advice about updating the FSA ID profile and it worked! For anyone else with this issue: I had to go to studentaid.gov, log in, click on

Great news! Glad it worked out. One more tip - after submission, I recommend checking your SAI calculation when it comes through (usually 3-5 days). Just to make sure everything processed correctly with the updated information.

That's a good suggestion - I'll definitely check the SAI when it comes through. Is there anything specific I should look for to know if there were issues with the processing?

Just make sure your daughter is properly categorized as a US citizen in the SAI calculation summary. If you see anything about \