FAFSA help: How to add second parent as contributor when they file taxes separately?

You can definitely fix this! Log into studentaid.gov with your daughter's account, select the 2025-2026 FAFSA application, and click on \

Thank you!! I was having a total panic attack. So her application won't get rejected for this mistake? Do I need to add both my income AND assets as the second parent?

The exact same thing happened to me last year with my son's FAFSA! When both parents file separately, they ABSOLUTELY need both incomes or your SAI will be completely wrong. You CAN edit it while it's processing - just make sure you submit the correction BEFORE it finalizes or you'll have to do a formal correction request which takes FOREVER to process.

Oh gosh, that's good to know. Did they give you any trouble for making the correction? Did it affect your son's aid package?

my cousins daughter did this and didnt fix it and they ended up getting wayyy less financial aid cause they thought only one parent was supporting the family... fix it asap!!

That's exactly what I'm worried about! Did they ever get it fixed or were they stuck with the lower aid amount?

This is a common issue with the new FAFSA. When parents file separately, the system should clearly prompt for both contributors, but it doesn't always make this clear. Here's what you need to do:\n\n1. Log in to studentaid.gov using your daughter's FSA ID\n2. Select \

Thank you for the detailed steps! I'm going to try this tonight. Do I need to fill out the asset section for myself too, or just income?

Yes, you'll need to complete both income AND asset information as Contributor 2. The FAFSA requires full financial disclosure from both parents in a married household, regardless of filing status. Make sure to include checking/savings balances, investments, and real estate holdings (excluding your primary residence) that are in your name.

Just a quick heads-up - when you make corrections, the system sometimes logs you out randomly. It happened to me THREE TIMES when I was fixing my FAFSA! So save your progress constantly and have all your tax info right next to you when you start the process.

Thanks for the warning! I'll make sure to have everything ready before I start.

I've been trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid for WEEKS about a similar issue and can't get through. If you need to talk to a real person to fix this, try using Claimyr.com - it helped me finally reach a FAFSA agent after days of trying. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Totally worth it when you're facing a deadline like this.

I hadn't heard of that service before! If I run into problems with the correction I might need this - the FSA phone lines are impossible lately.

Yeah the phone lines are completely jammed with the new FAFSA system issues. Claimyr basically holds your place in line so you don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours. It saved me so much frustration when I was fixing my daughter's verification issues.

I don't think you can edit it while it's processing??? My financial aid advisor told me you have to wait until it's fully processed and THEN submit corrections. Has anyone actually successfully edited during processing? I'd be nervous about messing up the whole application.

Your advisor is partially correct - there's a specific window during processing when you can make changes before the SAI is calculated. If you try to edit after that point but before final processing, you may encounter errors. However, in this case, since the application still shows 'processing' status, it's almost certainly still in the editable window. The key is adding the second contributor before the system finalizes the initial calculation.

make sure u save ALL the confirmation screens after u submit the correction!!! FAFSA lost my correction last year and i had NO PROOF i submitted it and had to do everything over again 😡

That's terrifying! I'll definitely take screenshots of everything. Thanks for the tip.

Update: I successfully added myself as Contributor 2 last night! The correction went through and is now showing as \

That's great news! The correction should process within 3-5 business days. Once complete, your daughter's college will receive the updated information automatically. For future reference, this is exactly why the new FAFSA has that preview page before final submission - to catch things like missing contributors. Glad you got it resolved before your deadline!

Awesome! So glad you got it fixed. The exact same relief I felt when we fixed my son's form last year. Now you won't have an artificially high SAI calculation that would have reduced her aid eligibility!

Great job getting that fixed! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this thread - if you're in a similar situation, don't panic. This is actually one of the most common FAFSA mistakes, especially with the new system. The key is catching it early like Ethan did. I've helped several families through this exact issue and it's totally fixable. One tip: if you're married filing separately, always double-check the "Contributors" section shows both parents before submitting. The system should auto-prompt for both, but it doesn't always work perfectly. Thanks for sharing your experience - it'll help other parents who run into the same thing!

Welcome to the community, Rhett! You're absolutely right to catch this early - it's so much easier to get it right the first time than to fix it later. Since you and your spouse file separately, here's a quick checklist before you submit: 1) Make sure both parents show up in the Contributors section, 2) Have both of your tax returns handy (you'll need income info from both), and 3) Don't forget that you'll both need to provide asset information too. The new FAFSA interface can be a bit confusing, but take your time with each section. If you run into any issues while filling it out, feel free to post here - this community has been super helpful for navigating these tricky situations!