FAFSA parent invite confusion - both parents filed jointly but dad still getting invite emails

You actually should have your husband accept that invite. Even though you file jointly and the tax info is there, the FAFSA system is designed to have each parent complete their own contribution section. The application might show as submitted, but it could potentially be flagged for verification later if both parents who received invites don't complete their sections. It's one of those weird technical requirements with the new FAFSA.

Really? That's so frustrating! I thought since we already got the SAI score that everything was finalized. Will accepting the invite now change her aid eligibility or mess up the application somehow?

I had this EXACT same issue and can tell you from experience that you actually DON'T need to have your husband accept the invite at this point. Since your daughter's application is already processed with an SAI score, the system has all the information it needs. Those emails are automated and sometimes continue even after processing.\n\nHowever, for next year's FAFSA, I would recommend having both parents complete their sections right away to avoid any confusion. The new system is supposed to have each contributor respond separately, but in practice, if you file jointly and one parent completes it, the system often processes it fully.

im not sure this is right advice... my son got his aid cancelled bc i didnt do my part even tho my wife did hers and we file jointly!! the school financial aid office told us BOTH parents need to accept and submit, not just 1. better safe then sorry

The 2024-2025 FAFSA requires ALL invited contributors to complete their sections, regardless of filing status. This is a big change from previous years. Even though your tax info is in there, each parent needs to individually verify their identity and sign their section. I work with college-bound students, and I've seen applications flagged for verification specifically because one parent didn't complete their section, despite joint filing status.\n\nHave your husband accept the invite and complete his section ASAP. It shouldn't change the SAI if all the information matches what's already submitted.

Thank you for the clarification! If he accepts now, will it put her application back into processing mode or something? I'm worried about messing up the current status since she did get her SAI already.

It shouldn't put it back into full processing mode, but it might trigger a brief review. The SAI calculation itself shouldn't change as long as the information matches what's already in the system. The danger in not completing it is that it could flag her application for verification later when schools review it, which would be much more problematic than dealing with it now.

MY DAUGHTER'S FINANCIAL AID GOT DELAYED FOR 2 MONTHS BECAUSE OF THIS EXACT THING!!!! Trust me, have your husband accept the invite NOW! The schools might not process her aid package if they see missing parent information. We learned this the hard way last year and had to scramble last minute to get everything fixed. Better to deal with it now than when tuition is due!

Oh no, that sounds awful! I definitely don't want her to have delays. Did accepting the invite late cause any problems with the application itself?

Accepting late was better than not accepting at all! It did reset some things in the system and there was about a week delay while they reprocessed, but that was WAY better than what would've happened if we ignored it completely. Some schools won't even consider the FAFSA complete if all required contributors haven't accepted their invites.

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline? They can tell you exactly what to do in your specific situation. I had a similar issue with my son's FAFSA and needed clarification.

Good luck getting through to them! I tried calling FSA for three days straight about a similar parent contributor issue and couldn't get past the automated system. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they have this service that calls and waits on hold for you, then connects you when an actual human picks up. Totally worth it for me since I got my question answered in one day instead of wasting hours on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Thanks everyone for the advice! I talked it over with my husband and he's going to accept the invite today just to be safe. I appreciate all the different perspectives - sounds like it's better to complete everything now rather than risk issues later. I'll update if we run into any problems!

Smart decision! For future reference, always have all invited contributors complete their sections even with joint filing. The new FAFSA system is more particular about verification than previous years.

this happened to my family too! weird thing was, my brother got financial aid with only mom doing her part but when i applied this year they made both parents do it separately. i think they changed the rules or something 🤷‍♀️

UPDATE: My husband accepted the invite and completed his section yesterday. It was actually pretty quick since most info was already filled in. Her application status briefly changed to

Great news! This is exactly how it should work. You're all set for this application cycle now, and you'll know for next year to have both parents complete their sections right away. Thanks for updating us!