FAFSA parent section glitch - two accounts under dad's name preventing completion

omg the same exact thing happened with my mom's account!! customer service is useless, kept transferring me around for like 2 hours

This is a known glitch in the new FAFSA system (they never admit it though). Your dad needs to try these steps: 1. Clear ALL browser cache and cookies 2. Use Chrome specifically (not Safari or Firefox) 3. Try accessing from a different device entirely 4. If that doesn't work, have him create a completely new FSA ID with a different email The last option worked for me, but it's annoying because then you have to call and get them to merge the accounts later. The duplicate account problem usually happens when someone started an FSA ID application but never completed it, then tried again later.

I went through this EXACT situation last month. The FSA phone support is completely disconnected from the technical team. They literally don't have the ability to see what the other department is doing. What worked for me was having my parent submit a formal account recovery request through the FSA ID site (not the regular FAFSA site). They had to verify identity with tax info, then wait about 3 days for processing. After that, magically the duplicate account issue was resolved and we could continue. Don't worry too much about the priority deadline - schools understand the FAFSA is a mess this year and many are being flexible. But definitely mention this issue to your financial aid office!

the new fafsa system is TRASH!!!! i had 5 different glitches when tryin to apply, including the parent contributor thing. they need to fix this garbage or just go back to the old system!!!!

I work at a college financial aid office, and we're seeing this parent contributor glitch constantly this year. Here's what you need to know: 1. The duplicate account problem is 100% real despite what some reps tell you 2. Your school CAN still process your aid even with a delayed FAFSA submission 3. Document EVERYTHING - date/time of calls, rep names, what they told you Most importantly: contact your school's financial aid office IMMEDIATELY and explain the situation. Many schools are creating special exception processes for students with documented FAFSA technical issues. They may be able to hold your aid package while you resolve this. The parent account recovery process mentioned above is your best bet technically. It takes 3-7 business days but usually works.

After trying 9 times to reach someone at Federal Student Aid who could actually help with this exact issue, I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an actual FAFSA agent in under 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent was able to see both parent accounts and merge them right away. Totally worth checking out their demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

This duplicate parent account issue has been a recurring problem this year with the redesigned FAFSA. To provide some clarity: When the new FAFSA system launched, many parents who had previously created FSA IDs under the old system found themselves with partial or duplicate accounts in the new system. This occurs because the migration process wasn't seamless. The most effective solution is this specific process: 1. Have your parent log in at studentaid.gov (not the FAFSA form directly) 2. Go to Account Settings > Personal Information 3. Look for any warning messages about account verification 4. Complete the full identity verification process if prompted 5. After verification, contact FSA specifically requesting "account consolidation" If this doesn't work, your school's financial aid office can process a FAFSA override form while you work through the technical issues. Most schools have implemented contingency procedures for these system failures.

UPDATE: We got it fixed!! After following the advice here, my dad did the identity verification on studentaid.gov, then called FSA again. This time he got through to someone who knew exactly what the problem was. They had to merge his accounts and it took about 48 hours to process, but now he can see the parent section and we're finishing the FAFSA today! I also contacted my school's financial aid office and they gave me a deadline extension because of the technical issues. THANK YOU everyone for your help!!