FAFSA keeps saying email/phone already linked to another account - managing applications for multiple kids

omg same here!! 3 kids and i literally cant update anything. tried calling the number but gave up after being on hold for 45 min

I successfully navigated this issue last month. The system is poorly designed for families with multiple students. You need to create a separate parent FSA ID with a different email address for each student. It's not intuitive at all, but it does work. For each application: 1. Create a new parent FSA ID with a different email address 2. Link the new parent FSA ID to that specific student's application 3. Use the appropriate parent FSA ID when making changes to each application It's cumbersome but it's the only reliable solution I found.

this is exactly why im telling my kids they better get scholarships because fafsa is a complete joke now. spent 2 weekends trying to do the same thing ur doing and nothing works.

The multiple student issue has been a major problem with the 2024-2025 FAFSA. Here's what I recommend: 1. Each parent should have their OWN unique FSA ID (with unique email and phone) 2. Each student needs their own FSA ID (with unique email and phone) 3. For multiple students, you'll need to use one parent's FSA ID for one student's application and the other parent's FSA ID for the other student If you're a single parent, you'll unfortunately need to create a second FSA ID with a different email address specifically for your second student's application. It's not ideal, but it's the current workaround until they fix the system.

After fighting with the FAFSA system for weeks, I finally got through to an actual human at Federal Student Aid using Claimyr. It worked surprisingly well - got me past the hold queue and connected with an agent who helped resolve my multiple student problems. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and their website is claimyr.com. Seriously saved me hours of frustration.

The FAFSA parent contributor issue with multiple students is a known technical problem in the new system. I've been helping families navigate this for months now. Here's the official solution that works consistently: 1. Each student application can only have one unique email/phone for the parent contributor section 2. You'll need to use separate parent FSA IDs for each application 3. If you're married, designate one parent per application 4. If you're a single parent, create separate FSA IDs with different emails This is absolutely a design flaw, but these steps will allow you to complete both applications. Once submitted, you can then call FSA to have them manually link the applications in their system for proper SAI calculation if the parent information is identical.

have u tried using ur spouse's information for one kid and urs for the other?? that's what we had to do

I went through this exact nightmare scenario last month with my twins. After multiple calls to FSA, I discovered that using the same parent information for multiple students is causing system conflicts. The temporary solution is to use different parent FSA IDs for each application, even if it means creating artificial email addresses. What worked for us was: 1. I used my FSA ID for my daughter's application 2. My husband used his FSA ID for our son's application 3. We entered identical financial information on both 4. After submission, we called FSA to ensure both applications were properly linked for accurate SAI calculation It's definitely not intuitive, but it does work. Don't give up - the financial aid is worth fighting for!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same issue with my two kids and was ready to give up. It's frustrating that the FAFSA system wasn't designed with multiple-student families in mind, but at least there are workarounds. For anyone else struggling with this, it sounds like the consensus is: use separate parent FSA IDs (different emails) for each student's application, enter identical financial information, then call FSA after submission to ensure proper linking. Has anyone had success with the verification process after using this workaround? I'm worried about potential complications when schools request documents if the parent information appears different across applications.