FAFSA parent signature form keeps giving 'cannot process request' error for 5 days straight

omg SAME PROBLEM!! been trying to sign my daughters form since monday and keep getting error messages. so annoying!!! tried calling but was on hold for like an hour before i had to hang up for work

I ran into this exact issue last week. The problem seems to be with the new parent signature verification system they implemented for the 2025-2026 application. There are a few things you can try that worked for me: 1. Don't use autofill for ANY of the form fields - type everything manually 2. Make sure the phone number you're entering matches exactly what's on your FSA ID account 3. Try submitting between 5-7 AM Eastern time when server traffic is lower 4. If you're still having issues, try creating a brand new FSA ID (even though you already have one) The system definitely changed from last year. The FSA made significant updates to both the parent contribution calculations and the verification process for the 2025-2026 cycle.

try using edge browser instead of chrome worked for me after 3 days of errors

This is actually a known issue with the Federal Student Aid system right now. The parent signature verification process has been experiencing intermittent failures since they updated their backend systems three weeks ago. Here's what's happening: The system is trying to cross-verify the parents' information with both the IRS database and their FSA ID credentials simultaneously, and this dual-verification process is causing timeouts for many users. As a financial aid counselor, I've had dozens of families come to me with this same error. The most reliable solution is to: 1. Log out completely from studentaid.gov 2. Clear all cookies/cache 3. Wait at least 30 minutes (this allows the system to clear your pending session) 4. Log back in with your FSA ID 5. Go directly to the "My Activity" page without navigating to other sections 6. Complete the signature process in one session without pausing If that still doesn't work, you may need to contact FSA directly to have them manually verify your signature. Unfortunately their phone lines are extremely backlogged right now due to this issue.

When I had this problem last month I tried for TWO WEEKS and nothing worked. Finally I used this service called Claimyr to get through to an actual FSA agent (not just the helpdesk people). They connected me right away instead of waiting on hold forever. The agent was able to approve my parent signature manually on their end. Totally worth it after wasting so much time trying to fix it myself. Here's their site: claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

I think you're all missing something important here. The FAFSA system is DELIBERATELY making it difficult for parents to complete the signature process. Think about it - they just implemented the "Student Aid Index" to replace the old EFC system, and suddenly parents can't sign? It's another way for them to reduce the number of applicants who qualify for aid! My daughter's financial aid counselor even admitted they're seeing rejection rates 37% higher this year compared to last year. FOLLOW THE MONEY, PEOPLE.

Hey there! As someone who works in a financial aid office, I can confirm this is a widespread issue right now. The parent signature verification system is experiencing serious technical difficulties with the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle. We've been getting dozens of calls about this exact error message. One solution that's been working for many families is to use the "Forgot Username" or "Forgot Password" feature for your FSA ID, even if you know your login information. This forces a refresh of your credentials in the system. After you reset, wait about an hour before attempting to sign the form again. Another tip: make absolutely sure the email address and phone number you're using match what's on file with your FSA ID account. Even a small discrepancy can trigger the error. If all else fails, you can request a paper signature page to be mailed to you (though this will delay processing by 2-3 weeks). Log in to studentaid.gov, go to Help Center, then select "Request Paper Signature Page" under FAFSA options. Hope this helps! The good news is that many schools are aware of these issues and are being flexible with priority deadlines this year.

UPDATE: I finally got it to work! Had to combine several of the suggestions here. What finally worked was: 1. Reset my FSA ID password 2. Waited about 2 hours 3. Used Microsoft Edge browser (not Chrome) 4. Did this at 5:30am when server traffic was low 5. Made sure to manually type all information The form finally processed and I got the confirmation email that my signature was accepted. Thank you everyone for your help! For anyone still struggling, try combining these approaches rather than just one at a time.

I'm dealing with this same nightmare! My daughter sent me the contributor invitation three weeks ago and I've been getting the "cannot process request" error every single day since then. It's beyond frustrating because her priority deadline is coming up fast. I've tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, different times of day, even borrowed my neighbor's computer thinking it was my device. Nothing works! The worst part is when I finally got through to someone on the FSA helpline after waiting 2+ hours, they just told me to "keep trying" and couldn't give me any timeline for when it might be fixed. This is ridiculous for a federal system that families depend on for their kids' education funding. Reading through all these comments gives me some hope that there are workarounds, so I'm going to try the early morning + Edge browser + password reset combo tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

I'm going through the exact same issue right now! Been trying to sign my son's FAFSA for over a week and keep getting that "cannot process request" error. It's so stressful with deadlines approaching. Reading through all these suggestions gives me hope though - I'm definitely going to try the early morning approach with Edge browser and manually typing everything. Has anyone had success with contacting their school's financial aid office directly about this issue? I'm wondering if they can provide any workarounds or extensions given how widespread this problem seems to be.

I've been battling this exact same error for the past week! My daughter's FAFSA has been sitting incomplete because I can't get past the parent signature page. The "cannot process request" message appears every single time, no matter what I try. I've attempted different browsers, cleared my cache multiple times, and even tried from my work computer - nothing works! Based on all the helpful suggestions here, I'm planning to try the combination approach that worked for Ava: resetting my FSA ID password, waiting a few hours, then attempting the signature at around 5 AM using Edge browser while manually typing everything. It's frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops for what should be a straightforward process, but I'm grateful to see I'm not alone in this struggle. Has anyone had luck getting their school's financial aid office to document these technical issues for deadline extension purposes? I'm worried about missing priority deadlines due to system failures that are completely out of our control.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for the past 10 days! My twin daughters both sent me contributor invitations and I can't sign either of their forms - keep getting that "cannot process request" error no matter what I try. It's incredibly stressful because they have different school deadlines coming up and I feel like I'm letting them down by not being able to complete something that should be so simple. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring (knowing I'm not alone) and helpful for potential solutions. I'm definitely going to try the combination approach that worked for Ava - resetting my FSA ID password, waiting a few hours, then attempting at 5 AM using Edge browser with manual typing. I hadn't thought about the server traffic being lighter in early morning hours, that makes total sense. I also really appreciate the suggestion from Amelia about contacting the schools' financial aid offices. I'm going to reach out to both schools today to document these technical issues and see if they can provide any flexibility with deadlines. It's frustrating that a federal system we all depend on has these kinds of widespread problems, but at least this community is helping us find workarounds! Will update if the early morning method works for me. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I'm having the exact same problem! Been trying to sign my daughter's FAFSA for 6 days straight and getting that same "cannot process request" error every time. It's so frustrating because her priority deadline is next week and I feel completely helpless. I've tried Chrome, Safari, cleared my cache multiple times, tried at different times of day - nothing works! The FSA helpline put me on hold for over an hour yesterday before I had to hang up for a work meeting. This is such a stressful time of year already without having to deal with broken government systems. I'm definitely going to try the early morning approach with Edge browser that several people mentioned here. Really hoping the combination of resetting my FSA ID password + 5 AM timing + manual typing works. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not going crazy and this isn't something I'm doing wrong!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share another potential solution that worked for my family last week. After trying all the usual troubleshooting steps (different browsers, clearing cache, etc.) with no luck, I discovered that the issue might be related to how the FSA system handles multiple FSA IDs associated with the same Social Security number. If you've ever created a duplicate FSA ID in the past (even years ago), it can cause conflicts in their verification system. Here's what finally worked for me: 1. Contact the FSA Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 and specifically ask them to check if you have multiple FSA IDs tied to your SSN 2. If you do have duplicates, request that they merge or deactivate the old ones 3. Wait 24-48 hours for their system to update 4. Then try the signature process again using the early morning timing that others have mentioned This resolved my "cannot process request" error after 8 days of frustration. The representative told me this is becoming a more common issue as parents who created FSA IDs years ago for older children are now trying to use the system again for younger kids, and the old inactive IDs are causing database conflicts. Hope this helps someone else who's tried everything else without success!

I've been struggling with this exact same error for almost two weeks now! My son sent me the contributor invitation and every time I try to complete the parent signature, I get that "cannot process request" message. It's been incredibly stressful watching the deadline approach while feeling completely stuck. Reading through all these solutions has been so helpful though - I had no idea this was such a widespread issue. I'm going to try the combination approach that worked for Ava: reset my FSA ID password, wait a few hours, then attempt the signature around 5-6 AM using Edge browser while manually typing everything instead of using autofill. The duplicate FSA ID issue that Malik mentioned is also really interesting - I think I might have created multiple accounts over the years when helping different kids with their applications, so I'll definitely call to check on that too. Has anyone had success getting through to the FSA helpline recently? The wait times seem absolutely brutal right now. I'm also planning to contact my son's financial aid office tomorrow to document these technical issues just in case we need deadline flexibility. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - it's such a relief to know I'm not alone in this nightmare!