FAFSA parent section keeps rejecting husband's information even though it's correct

This happened to me too! The system kept rejecting my information even though it was definitely correct. Turns out there was a mismatch between how my name appears on my social security card versus how it was entered in the system. In my case, I have a hyphenated last name (Smith-Jones) but the system had it as just Smith in their database. Try variations of your husband's name - maybe try with/without middle name or middle initial? Sometimes it's the smallest thing causing the issue.

i had the xact same prob last yr with my wife's info!! the stupid system is SO glitchy!! we finally found out her birthday was entered wrong at the SSA office from like 20 yrs ago when she got married and changed her name. its crazy but u might need to check with social security admin to see if there's a error in THEIR system not yours

I went through this exact situation with my husband's information last October. After days of frustration, I discovered the issue was actually in the formatting of his birthdate. When entering dates in the FAFSA system, make absolutely sure you're using the correct format (MM/DD/YYYY). In some cases, people enter the year as just the last two digits or format the date differently, which causes validation errors. Also, check that there are no extra spaces at the beginning or end of any fields. The system treats "John " (with a space after) as different from "John". If you've tried all the variations and still get errors, there could be a mismatch between the Social Security Administration's records and what you're entering. This happens more often than you'd think.

Their whole system is GARBAGE this year!!! I couldn't get past the parent section either and missed my daughter's priority deadline. Ended up costing her thousands in potential aid. The government doesn't care about us at all. They make it impossible on purpose so fewer people get aid. Been this way for YEARS and they never fix anything!!

This is a very common issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. There are a few specific things to try: 1. Verify capitalization - make sure names are entered EXACTLY as they appear on the Social Security card (including capitalization, hyphens, etc.) 2. Try removing ANY special characters from all fields (including apostrophes, hyphens, spaces in SSN) 3. Check if your husband has ever had an FSA ID before - sometimes old accounts can cause conflicts 4. Verify his citizenship status if applicable 5. Try completing the application very early in the morning (3-5am) when the system has less traffic If none of these work, you need to contact FSA directly to resolve the identity verification issue. Unfortunately, as you've discovered, this is extremely difficult right now due to high call volumes.

After dealing with similar issues trying to reach someone at FSA, I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available instead of you having to stay on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I actually talked to an agent, they found that my husband's name had an extra space in their system that was causing the validation to fail. Fixed in 5 minutes! Might be worth trying since it sounds like you need to speak with someone directly to resolve this.

Have you tried creating a new FSA ID for your husband and then linking it to the FAFSA application? Sometimes the system has trouble with existing credentials, especially if they were created under the old FAFSA system. When my spouse's information wasn't being accepted, I created a brand new FSA ID for him (even though he already had one from our older child's application), and suddenly everything worked perfectly. Also, check if your husband has any flags on his credit report or if he's had an identity theft issue in the past. The FSA system cross-references with other government databases, and sometimes security flags can cause these types of verification issues.

one more thing to check - make sure ur not using autofill on ur browser!! sometimes it puts weird hidden characters in the fields that mess everything up. happened to me and i only figured it out when i manually typed everything instead

UPDATE: Success finally!!! I used Claimyr to get through to FSA this morning and the agent found the problem right away. Turns out my husband's birthdate was entered incorrectly in their system - they had the month and day swapped (European format). The agent fixed it on their end and I was able to complete the parent section immediately! Thank you all for your suggestions and support. My son's application is finally submitted and I can stop having FAFSA nightmares!

So glad you got this resolved! Your post was really helpful - I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where my wife's information keeps getting rejected. I've been banging my head against the wall for days. Going to try the Claimyr service you mentioned since clearly there's some kind of database mismatch on their end that only an actual person can fix. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through these hoops just to help our kids get financial aid, but at least there's a solution. Thanks for sharing what worked!