FAFSA parent signature shows completed but application still says 'not submitted' - help!

had the same issue!! the stupid site is super confusing. ur son probly signed but didnt hit the actual SUBMIT button at the end. its hidden on the last screen after all the signatures. my daughter did same thing. have him login and check

This is a common issue with the new FAFSA system. There are actually three distinct steps that confuse many applicants: 1. Completing all sections (blue checkmarks) 2. Signing the form (both student and parent/contributor) 3. Final submission (completely separate button on review page) Your son needs to log in with HIS account (not yours), go to the review section, and click the final submit button. The parent signature is just one required component, not the final step. Once properly submitted, both you and your son will receive confirmation emails with a submission timestamp and his SAI calculation should be processed within 3-7 days.

ARGHH the FAFSA system is a NIGHTMARE this year!! The helpline people barely know what they're talking about half the time. When they said they "couldn't find your son's account" they probably meant they couldn't find a SUBMITTED application, not that the account doesn't exist. Trust me, I spent 6 WEEKS trying to get my daughter's FAFSA processed because of similar issues. The whole system is broken!!!

I work in financial aid and we're seeing this exact problem multiple times every day. The FAFSA redesign has created a lot of confusion around the submission process. After your son logs in with his FSA ID, have him go to the "Review & Submit" section. Even if all sections show complete and both signatures are done, he still needs to click the final submission button at the very bottom of that review page. If you're still having trouble reaching the Federal Student Aid helpline, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that gets you through to an actual FSA agent without the hours-long wait. I've had several students use it successfully when dealing with complex FAFSA issues. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works.

this happened with my FAFSA too! i thought i submitted but turns out i didnt hit the actual submit button. check if your son can still edit any sections - if he can that means its NOT submitted yet

The new FAFSA system separates the parent contributor role so completely that many families get confused about who needs to do what. Your son must complete the final submission step, not you. As a parent contributor, you completed your responsibility by providing your signature. Now your son needs to log into his own account, review all information, and submit the final application. What likely happened is the agent couldn't find a record because technically no application has been submitted yet - they're only looking at completed submissions, not in-progress ones.

I spent HOURS trying to figure this out last month! Called the FAFSA helpline three times and got disconnected each time. Finally figured out my daughter needed to do the final submission from HER account. But honestly, why don't they make this clearer?! The confirmation email you get after signing makes it sound like everything is done!

Update us when your son logs in and checks - I'm curious if this solved your issue. The final submit button should be at the very bottom of the review page in his account, and it's a distinctly different color than the rest of the page elements.