FAFSA parent section confusion - why did form bounce back to daughter after I completed it?

This is actually completely normal with the new FAFSA process! The form is designed to bounce back and forth between contributors. After you completed your section, it went back to your daughter because she likely needs to review some information or complete additional sections. The new SAI calculation requires multiple check-ins from both the student and parent contributors. Once you complete your section, your daughter might need to: 1. Review the parent-provided information 2. Complete additional student sections that became available after parent information was submitted 3. Submit the final application It's not a mistake - it's just how the redesigned FAFSA works. Have her log in and check for any sections marked incomplete or that need review.

lol yeah the same thing hapend to us its so annoying. my son had to go back in like 3 times before it finally went thru. just keep doing what it says and evntually it works

The back-and-forth is intentional in the redesigned FAFSA. Here's a simplified flow of how it works: 1. Student starts application and adds parent contributor(s) 2. Parent(s) complete their section 3. Application returns to student to review parent info and complete additional sections 4. Student may need parent to verify certain items that were flagged 5. Final submission by student What's likely happening is that after you completed your section, there are now additional questions your daughter needs to answer based on your input. For example, if your income falls within certain thresholds, it might trigger additional questions about assets or special circumstances. This is perfectly normal and doesn't indicate an error. Have your daughter carefully go through each section to see what remains incomplete.

We went through the EXACT same thing with my son's application. It's super confusing. After I completed my section, it went back to him, then back to me again for some verification thing, then back to him. Ended up going back and forth THREE times before it was finally done. Apparently that's just how it works now. So frustrating!

UGH!! THIS WHOLE NEW FAFSA IS THE WORST!!! We've been going back and forth with my twins' applications since JANUARY and still not done. The whole process is a disaster. They need to fire whoever designed this system because it's totally broken. Every time we think we're done, SURPRISE! More sections to complete. 🤬

Just to add some clarification - when the form goes back to your daughter, she should see specific sections highlighted as needing attention. The most common sections that need completion after parent contribution include: 1. Review of parent-provided household information 2. Confirmation of special circumstances (if applicable) 3. The final submission section The good news is that once all contributors have provided their information, your daughter just needs to review and submit. The final SAI calculation can't be generated until she completes this step.

Financial aid advisor here. The new FAFSA is definitely causing confusion, but what you're experiencing is working as designed. The application now has conditional logic that determines what questions appear based on previous answers. After you completed your section as a parent contributor, the system likely generated new questions for your daughter based on your responses. For example, if your income falls below certain thresholds, additional questions about specific tax credits or benefits might appear. Also, there's now a mandatory student review of parent-provided information before final submission. This is actually a positive change as it helps catch potential errors before submission. My advice: Have your daughter log in and carefully check each section for completeness. The system should clearly indicate which sections still need attention.