FAFSA parent invitation showing but student page says 'no activity' - stuck in application loop

same thing happened to us last week!! so frustrating. have u tried logging completely out of both accounts and starting over? that didnt work for us btw but maybe for u

This is a known issue that's happening with the new FAFSA system. There are a few troubleshooting steps you should try in this specific order: 1. Make sure your daughter created her FSA ID at least 48 hours before attempting to start the application (the Social Security verification takes time) 2. Have your daughter start a completely new application rather than trying to continue the existing one 3. Ensure both of you are using the most updated version of Chrome or Edge 4. Try accessing the site during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) If none of that works, you'll need to contact FSA directly. The issue is often that the parent invitation is being sent prematurely before the student's application is fully initialized in their system.

EXACT SAME PROBLEM HERE!! It's been 2 weeks and still can't get past this stupid loop. My son is going to miss his school's priority deadline because of this garbage system. I've called the helpline like 15 times and always get disconnected after waiting 1+ hour. This new FAFSA is a COMPLETE DISASTER!!!

have you checked if your browsers have pop-up blockers enabled? sometimes the continue button triggers a pop-up window that gets blocked. also make sure javascript is enabled in your browser settings.

I work in a college financial aid office, and we've seen this issue frequently with the new system. What's happening is that there's a database synchronization problem between the student and parent portals. Here's what has worked for our students: 1. The student needs to completely delete the application (not just abandon it) 2. Wait 24 hours for the system to fully clear the data 3. The student should start a new application using a private/incognito browser window 4. Only after reaching the contributor section should they send you an invitation If that doesn't work, there could be a data mismatch between your information and your daughter's that's causing the system to reject the connection. Double-check that all names, SSNs, and birth dates exactly match what's on your Social Security cards.

Just went thru this nightmare last month. What finally worked was having my son create a whole new FSA ID email/password. Apparently his original FSA ID had some corruption in the database. Lost like 3 weeks of time but finally got it submitted. The new system is complete trash compared to the old one!!

has ur daughter received her SAI score from last years fafsa? i heard there can be problems if the old application isnt fully processed yet

Just following up - were you able to resolve this issue? If starting a new application didn't work, you might need to call the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly. Unfortunately, with the new system rollout, they're experiencing extremely high call volumes.

I used Claimyr last week for a similar FAFSA issue and got through to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of hours. The agent had to manually fix something on the backend of our account. Something about the parent and student records not being properly linked in their database. After they fixed it, we could complete the application that same day.

UPDATE: We finally got this resolved! After trying everything suggested here with no success, we used Claimyr to reach a FAFSA agent. The agent found that there was a glitch in their system where my daughter's application was actually created but showing as "hidden" in her account. They had to manually reset something on their end, and now everything works! For anyone else experiencing this issue - it seems to be a database problem that requires agent intervention. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

So glad you got this resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend that parents and students document everything when dealing with FAFSA issues - there are so many hidden database problems that only agents can see and fix. For future reference, if anyone else hits this "hidden application" glitch, it's worth mentioning that specific term when you finally get through to an agent. It seems to be a known issue they can search for in their system. Thanks for updating us with the solution!

This is such a relief to hear you got it resolved! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where my son's application seems to be stuck in limbo. The "hidden application" glitch you mentioned sounds exactly like what we're experiencing - I received the parent invitation but his account shows nothing. I'm going to try the Claimyr service that several people recommended here since calling directly hasn't worked. Thanks for sharing the solution and following up with the community!

I'm so grateful everyone shared their experiences with this issue! As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but never posted, seeing how everyone helped @Paloma Clark troubleshoot this problem really shows how valuable this forum is. The "hidden application" glitch sounds absolutely infuriating - it's crazy that the system can create an application but then hide it from the student's view. I'm bookmarking this thread in case I run into similar issues when my younger daughter applies next year. Thanks to everyone who shared solutions, especially the tip about Claimyr for getting through to agents faster!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a new parent going through the FAFSA process for the first time with my oldest, and reading about all these technical issues is both terrifying and reassuring. Terrifying because I had no idea there were so many potential glitches, but reassuring because there seem to be solutions and workarounds. I'm definitely going to save the Claimyr link and make note of that "hidden application" issue in case we run into problems. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so much better to know about these potential issues ahead of time rather than discovering them in a panic when deadlines are approaching!

This entire thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently dealing with what sounds like the exact same "hidden application" issue with my daughter's FAFSA. We've been stuck for over a week with me receiving the parent contributor invitation but her account showing no applications. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm going to try the Claimyr service to get through to an agent and specifically mention the "hidden application" glitch. It's so frustrating that these technical issues can jeopardize our kids' financial aid, but I'm grateful this community exists to help us navigate these problems. Thank you @Paloma Clark for following up with the solution, and thanks to everyone else who shared their troubleshooting tips!

As a newcomer to this community, I have to say this thread has been incredibly educational and reassuring! I'm just starting the FAFSA process with my first child and had no idea about all these potential technical glitches. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially @Paloma Clark's journey from frustration to resolution - really highlights how important it is to have resources like this community and services like Claimyr when the system fails us. I'm bookmarking this entire discussion and taking notes on all the troubleshooting steps mentioned. It's both concerning and comforting to know that these "hidden application" issues exist but can be resolved with the right help. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your experiences and solutions!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding these FAFSA technical issues! As someone just beginning this process with my first college-bound child, I had no idea how many potential system glitches could derail the application. The "hidden application" problem that @Paloma Clark experienced sounds like a nightmare, but I'm so grateful everyone shared their troubleshooting experiences and solutions. I'm definitely saving the Claimyr recommendation and making note of that specific terminology to use if we encounter similar issues. It's reassuring to know that even when the FAFSA system fails, this community has our backs with practical solutions. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your hard-earned knowledge - it could save other families weeks of frustration and missed deadlines!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I'm incredibly grateful for this detailed thread! Reading through @Paloma Clark's experience with the "hidden application" glitch and everyone's troubleshooting suggestions has been both eye-opening and reassuring. I'm just starting this journey with my daughter and had no idea these technical issues could occur. I'm definitely bookmarking this discussion and saving the Claimyr recommendation - it's amazing how the community came together to help solve such a frustrating system problem. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. It's so valuable to have this knowledge before we potentially encounter similar issues!

This thread has been a goldmine of information! As a newcomer to both this community and the FAFSA process, I'm blown away by how everyone rallied to help @Paloma Clark solve this technical nightmare. The "hidden application" glitch sounds absolutely maddening, but I'm so grateful she shared the resolution. I'm starting this process with my son next month and I'm definitely saving all these troubleshooting tips - especially the Claimyr service and that specific terminology about "hidden applications" that seems to help agents identify the problem faster. It's incredible how one person's persistence in finding a solution has created such a comprehensive guide for other families facing the same issue. Thank you to everyone who contributed their experiences and solutions - this community is exactly what we need when navigating these complex financial aid systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm getting ready to start the FAFSA process with my daughter and honestly had no idea about all these potential technical issues. Reading about @Paloma Clark's journey from complete frustration to finally getting resolution through the "hidden application" fix has been both terrifying and reassuring. I'm definitely saving the Claimyr recommendation and taking notes on all the troubleshooting steps everyone shared. It's amazing how this community came together to help solve such a complex system problem. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - it could save other families from missing crucial deadlines due to these technical glitches!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I'm so grateful for this incredibly detailed thread! Reading through @Paloma Clark's experience with the "hidden application" glitch has been both educational and nerve-wracking - I had no idea these kinds of technical issues could completely stall the application process. I'm just beginning this journey with my oldest child and I'm definitely bookmarking all the solutions mentioned here, especially the Claimyr service and that specific "hidden application" terminology that seems to help agents identify the problem faster. It's amazing how everyone came together to troubleshoot such a frustrating system issue. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this kind of community support makes navigating these complex financial aid processes feel so much less overwhelming!