FAFSA login issues: Do we need new accounts every year?

You definitely don't need to create a new account each year. The FSA ID is meant to be a permanent credential that you use throughout your education. A few things to try: 1. Make sure you're using the correct FSA ID (your username) not your email address to log in 2. If your phone number changed, that might be causing verification issues 3. Check if you're using studentaid.gov and not one of the older FAFSA websites 4. Try using the "Forgot Username" option specifically, not just password reset If none of that works, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. Just be prepared to wait - their hold times can be ridiculous right now with the new FAFSA system.

omg same thing happened to me last month!! i was freaking out. turns out i was using my old email that i forgot i changed after i graduated high school lol. check if u maybe used a different email last year?? the fafsa site is so glitchy too so maybe try different browsers?

THE ENTIRE FAFSA SYSTEM IS A COMPLETE DISASTER THIS YEAR!! I've been locked out THREE TIMES already and had to call each time to reset. The new "Better FAFSA" is actually WORSE FAFSA! And don't get me started on those SAI calculations that make NO SENSE compared to the old EFC numbers. If you can't get in, it's NOT YOUR FAULT. It's their garbage system that can't handle basic functionality like REMEMBERING RETURNING USERS!!!

I work at a university financial aid office, and we've seen a lot of login issues with returning students this year. A couple technical things to be aware of: 1. The FSA ID system did have a major update in December, which is possibly why your credentials aren't working 2. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation won't be affected by creating a new account if necessary - that's based on the information you provide, not your account history 3. Some students have reported success by clearing browser cache completely, then waiting 24 hours before attempting to create a new FSA ID And while it's frustrating, creating a new FSA ID won't impact your aid eligibility if you can't recover the old one. The important thing is submitting the FAFSA before your school's priority deadline for the 2025-2026 year.

I had the exact same problem when trying to file my FAFSA for 2025-2026! After trying everything for days and dealing with the frustration, I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. The agent was able to verify my identity and restore access to my account. They didn't even need to create a new FSA ID. The website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Way better than spending all day on hold!

This happened to me two weeks ago, and I was panicking because I needed to complete my 2025-2026 FAFSA application before my school's early deadline for maximum Pell Grant consideration. Here's what worked for me: 1. I contacted my school's financial aid office first - they couldn't fix it directly but gave me the direct technical support number (different from the main FSA number) 2. I used an incognito browser window with absolutely no saved passwords or autofill information 3. When creating a new FSA ID (which I ultimately had to do), I made sure to use a slightly different username than my previous one The financial aid officer told me this is happening because the new FAFSA system is still having integration issues with the older accounts. Apparently they're not properly migrating all user credentials despite saying accounts would transfer seamlessly. The good news is your previous aid information isn't lost - it's still in their system even if you make a new FSA ID. My new application still showed my prior year information once I got in.

My son had this exact problem! We ended up having to make a new account, but what's weird is his college somehow still had access to his old FAFSA info. So even though we couldn't log in with the old account, the information was still in the system somewhere. Financial aid is so confusing sometimes!

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! After trying everyone's suggestions (thank you all!), what ended up working was: 1. I used an incognito window as suggested 2. Called the technical support number using the Claimyr service (which saved me from hours on hold) 3. The FSA agent confirmed there was a technical issue with my account and helped me recover it instead of creating a new one Apparently during the December system update, some accounts with special characters in passwords had verification issues. The agent was able to reset everything on their end, and I now have access again! For anyone else experiencing this - definitely try calling technical support directly rather than creating a new account right away. And seriously, using Claimyr to avoid the hold time was a game changer.

I'm dealing with a similar login nightmare right now! Created my FSA ID last spring, submitted everything fine, but now it's like my account never existed. I've been trying for three days straight with password resets, different browsers, clearing cache - nothing works. The most frustrating part is that I can see my school already has some of my info from last year's FAFSA, so the data is obviously somewhere in their system, but I just can't access my account to update it for 2025-2026. Thanks for posting this - at least I know I'm not the only one going crazy over this! Going to try that Claimyr service and the incognito browser method. Fingers crossed!

This is such a widespread issue and it's honestly unacceptable that so many students are dealing with login problems during critical application periods! I'm a college junior and had to deal with this exact same situation last month. What worked for me was a combination of several suggestions I'm seeing here: 1. Cleared ALL browser data (not just cache) and waited 24 hours before trying again 2. Used a completely different device (borrowed my roommate's laptop) 3. Called during off-peak hours (early morning around 8 AM EST) to get through faster The FSA agent I finally reached explained that there were backend database issues affecting accounts created in certain time periods last year. She was able to restore my access without needing to create a new FSA ID, which saved me from having to re-verify all my information. For everyone still struggling - document everything you're trying and any error messages you get. The agents can use that info to troubleshoot more effectively. Also, if your school's financial aid office offers virtual help sessions, definitely attend one. They often have direct contacts that can expedite these technical issues. Don't panic about deadlines - most schools are being flexible with FAFSA submission dates this year specifically because of these system problems. But definitely reach out to your financial aid office to let them know you're having technical difficulties so they can make a note in your file.