FAFSA missing daughter's signature - can we meet May 1st deadline if corrections open late April?

omg same thing happened to my son last week! student signatures r super easy to miss on the new FAFSA. your daughter can sign electronically once the correction period opens and add schools at the same time from what i heard. but im hearing different dates for when corrections open some say april 23 some say april 30

Thank you! That's slightly reassuring. Did your son's application get processed once he signed it? I'm just terrified of the timing since May 1st is THE cutoff for so many schools to accept aid.

Hi there, I work in financial aid at a university and can provide some clarity on this situation. You'll be able to make all corrections simultaneously when the correction period opens (currently scheduled for late April, though exact date is still being confirmed by FSA). \n\nImportantly, you should immediately contact the financial aid offices at all your daughter's schools to explain this situation. Most institutions have procedures for conditional financial aid offers in these circumstances, especially with the well-known FAFSA delays this year. Your daughter won't be the only one in this situation, and schools are generally being accommodating.\n\nThe key is communication - don't assume she'll miss out on aid without talking to each school first. Many schools have extended their decision deadlines this year specifically because of FAFSA issues.

Oh my gosh thank you SO much for this detailed info! I'll have her email all her schools tomorrow explaining the situation. This gives me hope that there might be some flexibility with the May 1st deadline. Would you recommend calling the financial aid offices too, or is email better?

I'd recommend both - send a detailed email first explaining the situation (include her student ID if she has one), then follow up with a phone call 2-3 business days later if you haven't heard back. Financial aid offices are swamped right now with FAFSA issues, so persistence is key. Make sure to document all communications in case you need to reference them later.

just fyi the new FAFSA is a total disaster this year... my daughter had signature issues too and we've been waiting 7 weeks for processing. even after corrections open i heard it takes 3-4 weeks to actually process changes. the whole system is broken and nobody at FSA seems to care that kids' college futures are at stake. i'd start looking at private loans as backup honestly.

While there have certainly been challenges with the new FAFSA, processing times have actually been improving. Recent data shows most SAI calculations are being completed within 7-10 days after submission, which is a significant improvement from January/February timeframes. \n\nI wouldn't recommend jumping to private loans just yet. The parent commenter should definitely contact schools first - many institutions have created alternative verification processes specifically to address these FAFSA delays. Private loans should generally be a last resort after federal aid options are exhausted.

If you're having trouble getting through to someone at Federal Student Aid about your case, I had a similar signature issue last month and was getting nowhere with the regular phone line. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual person at FSA in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nThe FSA rep I spoke with was able to confirm exactly when my son could sign and gave me specific dates for processing. They also noted the issue in our file which helped when I talked to his schools. Totally worth it instead of waiting endlessly on hold!

Does this actually work? I've called FSA like 8 times about my daughter's FAFSA and either get disconnected or wait 2+ hours only to get someone who can't help.

Yes, it definitely worked for me. I was skeptical too but was desperate after spending literal days trying to get through. The FSA agent I got was really helpful and even sent me a follow-up email confirming everything we discussed about the signature timing.

have you tried logging into studentaid.gov and checking the actual status of the FAFSA? sometimes it shows more details about whats missing. my niece had similiar issue and when we logged in it actually gave us a link to complete the missing signature right on dashboard. worth checking!!

Thanks for the suggestion! Yes, I checked that first thing. Unfortunately it just shows

I want to provide some factual context about the correction period and school deadlines:\n\n1. The FAFSA correction period is currently scheduled to open in late April (FSA hasn't announced an exact date yet).\n\n2. Once opened, you'll be able to make multiple corrections simultaneously, including adding schools and completing the student signature.\n\n3. Current processing time for corrected FAFSAs is approximately 7-10 business days to generate a new SAI.\n\n4. Most institutions are aware of these FAFSA delays and have contingency plans. Many are accepting provisional FAFSA submissions for meeting deadlines.\n\n5. The May 1st deadline is typically for enrollment deposits, not necessarily for finalizing aid (though they're related). \n\nI strongly recommend your daughter submit her enrollment deposit to her preferred school by May 1st, even if FAFSA isn't fully processed. Then provide documentation showing you've submitted FAFSA and are waiting on processing. This preserves her spot while aid is finalized.\n\nMost schools have appeal processes if aid comes through later and affects her decision.

This is EXTREMELY helpful - thank you! I didn't realize we could still submit the enrollment deposit without having the final aid package. That definitely takes some pressure off. Do you know if colleges typically require the full deposit amount upfront, or do some allow partial payments in these situations?

UGHHH the FAFSA is such garbage this year!!! My son's application has been \

have u tried contacting your congressman? serious question - my neighbor did this and suddenly their FAFSA got processed in like 3 days after being stuck for weeks. worth a shot maybe

UPDATE FOR EVERYONE: FSA just announced this morning that the correction period will officially open on April 24th. Corrections made that week should be processed in time for May 1st deadlines, though it will be tight. \n\nAgain, please contact all schools immediately and explain your situation. Most financial aid offices are prepared for this scenario and have procedures to accommodate students affected by FAFSA delays. Some schools have even extended their May 1st deposit deadlines to May 15th specifically because of these issues.\n\nAnd remember that completing the signature requirement will be the highest priority processing-wise, so that should move through the system relatively quickly.

THANK YOU for this update!!! April 24th gives us a little breathing room. I've already reached out to three of her schools, and you're right - they've been understanding. One even told us they can provide an estimated aid package based on the info we give them directly while waiting for the official FAFSA. This community has been so helpful!