FAFSA household size blank error - changed from 3 to empty after IRS data transfer

same thing happened to me!! Our household size disappeared and daughter's app has been in review for 9 days now. So annoying

I had this exact issue! The household size field is actually hidden in a weird place. Go back to the parent section, then click on "Household Information" (it's easy to miss). When you're there, look for "Number in Household" - it should be the second or third question. The tricky part is that you have to click "Edit" at the bottom of that specific section before you can change anything. And yes, this is definitely affecting your SAI calculation since household size directly impacts how they evaluate your financial need. Larger households generally get more aid since the formula assumes more expenses.

This is a widespread issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The IRS data transfer is overwriting household size values with NULL values instead of preserving the manually entered data. It's particularly problematic because household size directly affects your Student Aid Index calculation - each additional person can potentially lower your SAI by several thousand dollars. To fix this: 1. Log into studentaid.gov 2. Select "Continue" on your application 3. Navigate to the parent section 4. Find "Family Information" (not Household Information) 5. The number in household field should be there 6. Make your correction 7. Re-sign and submit Unfortunately, yes, this will put your application back into review status, but it's absolutely essential to correct this error.

I've been dealing with this exact problem for my son's FAFSA! I spent THREE HOURS on hold with Federal Student Aid yesterday trying to get help with this household size glitch. Finally gave up. I eventually found where to fix it though - it's under "Household Information" but you have to scroll down past several other questions to find it. So frustrating that such a simple field can cause so much trouble. And yes, it absolutely affects your SAI calculation! Each person in your household can reduce your SAI by about $4,100-$4,900 depending on your income level. If you're still having trouble reaching someone, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in the FAFSA phone queue and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me from hours of hold music! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

wait so does this mean if household size is wrong our loans will be wrong too?? or just the grants get affected?

This whole new FAFSA system is A COMPLETE DISASTER!!!! First they delay the release by months, then the website crashes constantly, now they're randomly deleting our information?? My daughter might miss out on thousands in aid because of their incompetence. I've filled out FAFSA forms for 15 years (older kids) and NEVER seen such a mess. The IRS data retrieval tool used to make things easier but now it's creating more problems than it solves!!!

Just to provide some clarity: the household size field issue is actually affecting about 18% of all FAFSA applications according to the latest FSA bulletin. They're planning a system-wide fix in the next update, but until then, manual correction is necessary. And yes, your SAI calculation is significantly impacted by household size. The formula subtracts an "Income Protection Allowance" based on how many people are in your household. For 2025-2026 applications, each additional household member beyond the first increases this allowance by approximately $4,800-$5,200 (varies by exact circumstances). This directly reduces your SAI, potentially increasing grant eligibility. So it's absolutely worth correcting this error, even if it means your application goes back into review status.

Found it!!! its actually under Parent Information > Household Details > Family Members THEN you have to hit the tiny edit button at the bottom of that section then you can finally fix the household size the new FAFSA is the worst thing ever im soooo done with this whole process

After you make the correction, I strongly recommend taking screenshots of every page showing your household size. I made the correction last month, and two weeks later it had somehow reverted AGAIN after another IRS verification. The screenshots saved me when I had to prove to the financial aid office that I had indeed corrected it previously.

This is incredibly helpful information, everyone! I'm a new parent going through this process for the first time and honestly had no idea that household size could have such a massive impact on financial aid. The fact that each person can potentially change your SAI by $4,000-$5,000 is huge! I just checked my daughter's FAFSA and sure enough, our household size went from 4 to blank after the IRS transfer. Following the instructions here, I found it under Parent Information > Household Details > Family Members like @Keisha Robinson mentioned. Had to scroll way down and click that tiny edit button. One question though - after I make this correction and resubmit, about how long is it taking for applications to get processed again? Our school's priority deadline is April 15th and I'm getting nervous about timing. Also taking @GalaxyGuardian's advice about screenshots - definitely going to document everything in case this glitch happens again!

I'm dealing with this same exact issue right now! My son's FAFSA had our household size of 5 people, but after the IRS data retrieval it went completely blank. I've been trying to fix it for weeks and getting nowhere with customer service. Thank you everyone for the detailed instructions on where to find this hidden field. It's ridiculous that such a critical piece of information that affects thousands of dollars in aid eligibility is buried so deep in the application and keeps getting wiped out by their own system! I'm also really concerned about our timeline - we have college deadlines coming up fast and I'm worried this correction will delay everything. Has anyone had success contacting their school's financial aid office directly about this widespread glitch? I'm thinking of reaching out proactively to explain the situation before our corrected FAFSA gets processed. This whole "simplified" FAFSA rollout has been an absolute disaster. Between the late launch, constant crashes, and now data getting randomly deleted, I feel like we're all beta testing their broken system while our kids' financial aid hangs in the balance.