FAFSA keeps showing 'Draft' status after multiple signature corrections - normal or system glitch?

Unfortunately, this is happening to MANY families with the new FAFSA rollout. The signature issue specifically is a known glitch - when they do system updates, sometimes completed signatures get reverted to 'Draft' status. Here's what worked for me: After both signatures are complete, take screenshots of EVERY confirmation page as proof. Then call each school's financial aid office directly to confirm they received the completed FAFSA. Don't trust the studentaid.gov status alone.

i had the EXACT same problem!!! logged in 3 different times to "sign" forms that were already signed! the whole system is SO broken this yr. my daughter almost missed her school's priority deadline bc of this junk

The signature requirements for the 2024-2025 FAFSA are more stringent than previous years. Each contributor (student and parent) must have their own FSA ID and complete separate signature processes. Here are the specific steps to ensure signatures are properly recorded: 1. Both student and parent must have separate FSA IDs linked to separate email addresses 2. Each must complete their own sections independently 3. After submission, verify the status says "Processed" not just "Submitted" 4. Download and save the confirmation page showing both signatures If your status keeps reverting to "Draft," it may indicate one of these common issues: - Browser cache/cookie problems (try clearing cache or using incognito mode) - Incomplete sections that appear complete (check each tab for hidden errors) - FSA ID verification issues (ensure both FSA IDs are fully verified) I recommend checking your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation status. If you see an SAI number, your application has been successfully processed despite the display glitches.

I've spent THREE MONTHS trying to get our FAFSA processed correctly. Every time we fix one thing, something else breaks. First signatures, then income verification, now back to signatures again. My daughter's college choices are sending threatening emails about "incomplete FAFSA" and "may lose scholarship eligibility" while we're doing EVERYTHING possible to fix these stupid technical problems. The whole system is BROKEN and nobody at FSA seems to care that real students are losing real money because of their incompetence!

not sure if this helps but we had similar issue and found out it was because my husband (who's the student's stepdad) tried to sign as parent but system wanted biological dad's signature even tho he's not involved in her life at all. the system is super picky about which parent signs based on dependency questions. maybe check if that could be ur issue?

Just a heads-up that many schools are aware of the widespread FAFSA processing delays and are implementing accommodations. Several universities have announced extended deposit deadlines specifically for students with pending FAFSA issues. I recommend emailing your son's financial aid offices with subject line "FAFSA Processing Delay - Request for Accommodation" and include documentation of your submission attempts. This approach worked for my daughter at two of her schools, and they granted her a 3-week extension on the deposit deadline.

Has anyone else noticed that the FAFSA website randomly logs you out while you're trying to fix these issues? Happened to me 4 times yesterday!

After dealing with similar signature glitches, I found a process that finally worked. After both student and parent sign, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "View Student Aid Report." If you can see an SAI number on that report, your signatures are actually validated despite what the main dashboard shows. The dashboard status indicators seem to be the most glitchy part of the system, while the backend processing might still be working correctly.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! My daughter submitted her FAFSA in early March, and we've had to "re-sign" it THREE times now because the system keeps reverting our completed signatures back to draft status. What's really concerning is that some schools are saying they received incomplete applications while others got the complete version - it's like the system is randomly deciding which submissions to accept. Has anyone found a reliable way to verify that schools actually received the completed FAFSA beyond just checking the dashboard? I'm worried about missing deadlines because of these technical glitches.