FAFSA parent section keeps showing error when entering basic information - can't proceed

OMG YES!!! Having the EXACT same issue with my daughter's FAFSA. Been trying for 4 days straight! Called the number and sat on hold for 2 hours before getting disconnected. This new FAFSA system is a complete NIGHTMARE. I've tried everything - different computers, phones, browsers. Nothing works. So frustrating that they completely overhauled the system and it's clearly not ready for prime time. Why didn't they test this before releasing it???

I had this same error last week. The problem is likely with how your FSA ID information is syncing with the FAFSA system. Here are some troubleshooting steps that worked for me: 1. Make sure your FSA ID has been fully verified (check your email for confirmation) 2. Ensure the name, DOB, and SSN match EXACTLY what's on your Social Security card (including hyphens in names) 3. Try waiting 1-2 full days after creating/verifying your FSA ID before attempting the parent portion 4. Use a desktop computer rather than mobile 5. Make sure you're clicking the specific parent contribution link from the email, not just logging into the general portal Also, if your student's college deadline is approaching, have them contact the financial aid office directly. Many schools are being flexible with FAFSA deadlines due to the widespread system issues.

this happend to me too lol. turns out i was using my old fsa id from when my older kid did fafsa. had to reset it and wait 3 days before it worked. also make sure ur not using any special characters in the password

These technical issues are unfortunately very common with the new FAFSA system. As a college financial aid advisor, I'm seeing this exact problem with many families. The system is struggling with the parent contribution section specifically. A few technical notes that might help: 1. The system is most stable between 11pm-5am Eastern time 2. Your FSA ID and FAFSA profile must match EXACTLY (including middle initials, suffixes, etc.) 3. If you recently updated any information on your FSA ID, there's a 48-72 hour processing period before those changes fully sync If you're approaching deadlines, have your student contact their school's financial aid office about a FAFSA extension or provisional aid evaluation. Most institutions are aware of these widespread technical issues.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an actual FSA agent? I was dealing with a similar issue for WEEKS and couldn't get through on the regular line. I found this service at claimyr.com that got me connected to a real person at Federal Student Aid in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with was able to manually verify my parent info and override the error. Apparently it's a known issue with certain accounts where the verification system gets stuck in a loop.

honestly i gave up on the online form and just submitted a paper FAFSA. yes they still have those! you can download it from studentaid.gov/resources/fafsa/paper-form and mail it in. takes longer to process but at least it works

I experienced this exact issue and finally resolved it. The problem was that my name in the FSA ID system had my full middle name, but I was entering just my middle initial on the FAFSA parent form. The systems are EXTREMELY picky about exact matching now. Also, make sure: - No extra spaces anywhere in name fields - Email address matches exactly between FSA ID and FAFSA form - Try using the "Forgot Username" option on the FSA ID site to see exactly how your name is recorded One more tip: I found that using Firefox browser worked when Chrome kept giving me errors. Something about the site security certificates works better with Firefox.

I'm back with an update - STILL can't get the stupid form to work! Tried at 2am, tried different browsers, checked my FSA ID info multiple times. Nothing works. My daughter's going to lose her chance at a scholarship because of this broken system. I'm beyond frustrated!

Just to follow up with some good news - the Department of Education announced yesterday that they're extending many financial aid deadlines due to these widespread FAFSA technical issues. They're also adding more customer service representatives to handle the increased call volume. If you're still experiencing problems, document your attempts (screenshots of errors) and have your student send those to their financial aid office.

I'm so glad to see this thread and that people are finally getting their FAFSA issues resolved! As someone who just went through this nightmare myself, I wanted to share what ultimately worked for me. After days of the same error message, I discovered that my FSA ID had my married name but I was accidentally entering my maiden name on the parent form (old habit from years of filling out forms). For anyone still stuck, here's my complete checklist that finally worked: 1. Log into your FSA ID account and write down EXACTLY how your name appears there 2. Use Firefox browser in incognito/private mode 3. Clear all cookies and cache first 4. Try during off-peak hours (I had success around 6am EST) 5. Enter information exactly as it appears in your FSA ID - no variations at all The whole experience was incredibly stressful, but I'm relieved to see the Department of Education is acknowledging these issues and extending deadlines. Don't give up - there IS a solution, it just takes some detective work to figure out the exact formatting issue!

I'm new to this community but dealing with the exact same frustrating issue! My daughter's FAFSA has been stuck on the parent section for over a week now. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea so many families were experiencing this problem. I wanted to add one more potential solution that worked for a friend of mine: she discovered that her FSA ID email address had a period in it (like jane.doe@email.com) but she was entering it without the period on the FAFSA form. The system apparently requires EXACT matches down to punctuation marks. Also, for anyone considering the paper FAFSA route - while I understand the temptation when you're desperate, I called three different colleges and they all strongly advised against it due to processing delays. They said they're being very understanding about these technical issues and working with families on deadlines. Going to try the Firefox incognito method tonight during off-peak hours. Fingers crossed! Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in this mess.