FAFSA parent login issues - account locked and can't reach support

This EXACT thing happened to me last month. The system kept saying my password was wrong even though I was copying and pasting it from my password manager. What eventually worked was clearing all my browser cookies, using Chrome specifically (not Safari or Firefox), and then selecting the "Forgot Username" option instead of "Forgot Password." For some reason that reset everything properly. The FSA ID system is a complete mess this application cycle!

omg the FAFSA parent login is THE WORST!!!!! i was locked out for like 3 weeks and my son almost lost his scholarship cuz we couldn't submit in time. keep trying different browsers, sometimes the mobile version works when desktop doesnt. good luck!!!!

I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college, and unfortunately these FAFSA parent portal issues are extremely common this year after the system updates. Here are some technical solutions that have worked for my students' parents: 1. Try accessing the site during off-peak hours (early morning 4-7am EST) 2. Make sure you're using the correct FSA ID (parents sometimes confuse their FSA ID with their student's) 3. Check if your email or phone number needs verification - sometimes there's a pending verification that's blocking access 4. Use the "Forgot Username" option as someone suggested 5. Try the desktop version of the site with browser compatibility mode turned on Regarding contacting FSA directly, I recommend having your daughter contact her prospective schools' financial aid offices. Many schools can issue a temporary extension when there are documented FAFSA technical issues. They might also have direct channels to FSA representatives.

To check if you have a pending verification without logging in, you can try the account recovery process and see if it mentions any unverified contact methods. Sometimes the system will tell you during recovery that "Your email [or phone] requires verification before proceeding." One other thing to try: if you have any documentation from when you first created your FSA ID (like confirmation emails), check if perhaps your username has a slight variation you're not remembering (maybe it includes a number or special character you've forgotten).

I had a similar issue and I just gave up on doing it online. I printed the PDF version of the FAFSA and mailed it in. Takes longer but at least it worked. The whole system is broken if you ask me. They make it so complicated for parents who are just trying to help their kids go to college!

Hey there! I had this exact problem when trying to complete my son's FAFSA last week. After days of frustration, I discovered Claimyr.com which helped me actually get through to a Federal Student Aid agent. They have a service that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an agent is available. I was skeptical, but their video demo convinced me (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ). The FSA agent was able to manually verify my identity and reset my account access. Saved me from missing my son's deadline at Purdue!

Y'all are wasting time with all these technical "solutions" when the real problem is the FAFSA system is DESIGNED TO FAIL. This is deliberately complicated to discourage people from lower income backgrounds from completing it. My daughter had to give up on $15,000 in potential aid because we couldn't get past these exact same login issues. The system isn't broken - it's working exactly as the government wants it to work.

Update: I tried the Chrome browser at 5:30am and it WORKED! I was able to get in using the Forgot Username option, which then let me verify my email and reset everything. Currently halfway through completing my parent section. Thanks everyone for your help - especially the tip about early morning hours!

Hey my daughter just went thru this whole fafsa process and something nobody mentioned is that the parent and the student cant be logged in at the same time from different devices. My wifes account kept getting locked because our daughter was already signed in. Maybe thats part of your problem too?

As someone who just went through this nightmare last month, I wanted to add a few more tips that saved me after nearly giving up. First, if you're still having trouble, try using an incognito/private browsing window - sometimes cached data from previous failed login attempts causes issues. Second, I discovered that the FAFSA system sometimes doesn't recognize special characters in passwords properly, so if your password has symbols like &, @, or !, try creating a new one with just letters and numbers. Finally, if you're using a VPN or your internet provider has you behind a shared IP (common with some rural providers), try temporarily disabling the VPN or using mobile data instead. The system flags multiple failed attempts from the same IP address. I know it's incredibly stressful with deadlines looming, but don't lose hope - there's usually a technical workaround that works!

I'm dealing with the same issue right now! Been locked out of my parent FSA ID for over a week and my son's deadline is approaching fast. I tried the Chrome browser suggestion and early morning login times but still getting "incorrect login information" errors. One thing I discovered that might help others - I contacted my son's high school guidance counselor and she mentioned that some parents have had success by having their student initiate the "invite parent" process from their FAFSA dashboard again, even if they already did it once. Apparently this can sometimes reset the parent access permissions. Also, she told me that if we absolutely can't get in before the deadline, some colleges will accept a signed statement explaining the technical difficulties along with tax documents as temporary documentation while we sort out the FAFSA issues. It's not ideal but better than missing aid entirely. Hang in there everyone - this system is definitely broken but we'll figure it out!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! My daughter's deadline is next week and I've been locked out of my parent FSA ID for 5 days straight. I've tried every browser, cleared cookies, reset passwords multiple times - nothing works. The most frustrating part is that I can see my FSA ID exists when I try to create a new one, but it won't let me access it. I'm definitely going to try the 5am login suggestion and having my daughter re-send the parent invitation. Has anyone had luck with contacting their child's college directly? I'm starting to wonder if I should reach out to her financial aid office proactively to explain the situation before the deadline hits. This whole system overhaul has been an absolute disaster for parents!