FAFSA parent SSN/birthdate mismatch error - need urgent help for first-time applicant

omg same thing happened to me last month! the system kept saying my dads info was wrong but we KNEW it was right. turns out he had an old FSA ID from when my brother went to college 5 yrs ago and the birthdate was entered wrong back then. try having your parent create a brand new FSA ID account and see if that fixes it

this happens ALOT actually! the system might be pulling outdated info from previous tax returns. go to studentaid.gov and have your parent verify their FSA ID information. sometimes there's like a ONE digit error in either the SSN or birthdate thats been in the system for years. My mom had this exact issue and it turned out her birthdate was entered as 05 instead of 06 for the month yearsss ago.

This is actually a very common issue with first-time FAFSA applicants. The problem typically occurs due to one of these reasons: 1. There's a mismatch between the information on your FSA ID and what's being entered in the FAFSA application 2. The parent information was incorrectly entered when creating their FSA ID 3. The information doesn't match what's on file with the Social Security Administration To resolve this issue: 1. First, verify that the parent is using their own FSA ID and not accidentally using the student's 2. Have the parent log into studentaid.gov with their FSA ID and check their profile information 3. Ensure the SSN, name, and birthdate match exactly what's on their Social Security card 4. If you find discrepancies, update the information in the FSA ID profile 5. Wait 1-3 days for the updated information to sync with the SSA database 6. Then try completing the FAFSA again If all else fails, you may need to contact Federal Student Aid directly to resolve the issue.

dont worry too much about the deadline. most schools have exceptions for techncial problems with FAFSA. my cousins application got delayed by 2 months bcuz of verification issues and they still gave her the full financial aid package. just document everything and email the financial aid office at the school to let them know your having technical issues.

This whole FAFSA system is RIDICULOUS!!! I had the EXACT same problem but with my NAME not my SSN. Apparently the system didn't like that I use my middle name instead of my first name on everything. Had to spend SIX HOURS on the phone waiting for someone to tell me that I needed to use my legal first name even though I've NEVER used it on any documentation. The government wants us to jump through hoops just to get our kids into college. It's ABSURD that they make this process so complicated!!!!!

Try using Claimyr to get through to a FAFSA agent faster. I was dealing with a similar verification issue last month and was about to give up after being on hold forever. Someone on this forum recommended claimyr.com and it was a game changer - they called FAFSA, waited on hold, then called me when they got an agent on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

I had this exact issue when helping my son with his FAFSA. The problem was that I had gotten married and changed my last name since creating my original FSA ID years ago. Even though I had updated my name with Social Security, the FAFSA system was still pulling old information. Here's what eventually worked for us: 1. Parent needs to go to studentaid.gov and select "Forgot Username" or "Forgot Password" 2. Follow the steps to recover account access 3. Once logged in, go to "My Profile" and verify ALL information is correct 4. If any information is wrong, update it and save changes 5. Wait 24-48 hours for changes to process 6. Have your daughter start a new FAFSA application (don't worry, she won't lose previous work) 7. When entering parent information, make sure it exactly matches what's now on the updated FSA ID This resolved the mismatch issue for us. Good luck!

UPDATE: I want to thank everyone for their help! I followed the advice about checking my FSA ID information and discovered that when I created my FSA ID years ago (for my older son who's now graduated), my birthdate was entered incorrectly - the day and month were switched! I updated my information, waited 48 hours like suggested, and my daughter was able to successfully enter my information in her FAFSA application. Everything is working now and we're on track to submit before her school's deadline. This forum was a lifesaver!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm going through the exact same issue with my son's FAFSA right now. The SSN/birthdate mismatch error is so frustrating, especially when you know the information is correct. I'm definitely going to check my old FSA ID profile first thing tomorrow morning - it sounds like that's where most of these issues stem from. It's reassuring to know that even if we miss the initial deadline, schools are usually understanding about technical problems. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

Just wanted to add another potential solution that worked for my family! We had the same SSN/birthdate mismatch error and after trying everything else, we discovered that my husband had accidentally created TWO FSA IDs over the years - one when our oldest applied to college and another one a few years later that he forgot about. The system was pulling conflicting information from both accounts. We had to contact Federal Student Aid to merge/delete the duplicate account, but once that was resolved, everything worked perfectly. So if you're still having issues after checking your FSA ID profile, it might be worth asking the support team if you have duplicate accounts in the system. Hope this helps someone else avoid the stress we went through!