FAFSA should have a multi-child option to avoid duplicate parent info entry
Just finished submitting FAFSA applications for my twins and I'm so frustrated by the redundancy! Why isn't there an option to link siblings under the same parent profile? I had to enter identical parent information TWICE, upload the same tax documents TWICE, and answer the same contributor questions TWICE. My SAI calculation should be essentially the same for both kids since they're in the same household, but I had to go through the entire parent contribution process separately for each one. It's 2025 and the "simplified" FAFSA still can't figure out how to let parents with multiple college students submit their information once? Anyone else with multiple kids in college feeling this pain?
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Liam Murphy
I completely understand your frustration! While FAFSA doesn't technically consider siblings in the SAI calculation itself, they've made some improvements to the contributor section in the 2025-2026 form. After you complete the first student's application, you should be able to use the FSA ID retrieval option when starting the second application, which auto-populates some (but not all) of the parent information. Did you try using that feature? It saved me about 30% of the time when doing applications for my three kids.
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Sasha Ivanov
•Wait, there's an auto-populate feature? I didn't see that option anywhere! Did I completely miss something obvious? All I saw was the contributor invitation which I had to set up again for my second kid's application. Where exactly is this FSA ID retrieval option located?
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Amara Okafor
OMG THIS!! I have triplets all applying to different schools and had to do the stupid parent section THREE TIMES last week. Took me like 6 hours total when it should be ONE FORM with checkboxes for which kids your applying for. The whole system is designed by people who obviously don't have kids in college!!
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CaptainAwesome
•The system is frustrating, but there's actually a reason behind requiring separate applications. Each student receives an individual SAI calculation that affects their specific aid eligibility. While the parent contribution portion might be identical, each student's financial aid package is calculated individually based on the cost of attendance at their specific institution. The system isn't designed to recognize family units because aid is awarded to individual students, not families. It's annoying but there's logic behind it.
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Yuki Tanaka
There's a workaround that might help others with multiple students. After completing the first application, you can use the FAFSA PDF summary download feature. This gives you a document with all your answers that you can reference while filling out applications for additional children. It's not automatic, but it helps ensure consistency between applications. Also, when you receive your FSA contributor invitation for subsequent children, accepting it should pull in some of your previously entered information. The system isn't perfect, but these steps can reduce duplicate effort.
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Sasha Ivanov
•Thank you for the PDF tip! That would have been helpful. I just wish they'd design the system with multiple-child families in mind. Even if each student needs their own calculation, surely they could design a parent portal where we enter information once and then link it to multiple students.
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Esmeralda Gómez
my cousin works for the financial aid office at state university and she says they get complants about this ALL THE TIME but fafsa dosent care cause there all about individual student calculation or somethin. personally i think its just laziness on there part lol
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Amara Okafor
•EXACTLY!! How hard could it be to create ONE parent profile that links to multiple students? Every other website in the world can handle this kind of basic functionality but somehow the government can't figure it out? Give me a break!
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Klaus Schmidt
Has anyone tried calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center about this? I spent THREE HOURS on hold last week trying to ask why my parent information didn't transfer between my kids' applications like the website said it would. Never got through to anyone. There has to be a better way to get answers than sitting on hold forever.
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CaptainAwesome
•I discovered a service called Claimyr that solved this problem for me. Instead of waiting on hold for hours, they hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. Saved me literally hours of wait time when I had questions about the parent contribution section for my kids. You can see how it works at claimyr.com or check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. It was so much better than repeatedly calling and getting disconnected or waiting endlessly on hold.
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Aisha Patel
While I understand the frustration with duplicate entries, there's an important technical reason behind this design. The 2025-2026 FAFSA uses a new Student Aid Index (SAI) that calculates each student's eligibility individually. Even with students from the same household, factors like year in school, dependency status, and program of study affect aid eligibility differently. That said, the Department of Education has announced they're working on a "Family Portal" feature for the 2026-2027 application cycle that will allow parents to create a single profile linkable to multiple students. This should address many of the concerns expressed here while maintaining the integrity of individual student calculations.
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Sasha Ivanov
•That's great news about the Family Portal! I'll believe it when I see it, but at least it sounds like they're finally addressing this issue. Do you know if there's any official documentation about this upcoming feature? I'd love to read more about what they're planning.
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Aisha Patel
Yes, there is official information about the upcoming Family Portal. It was mentioned in the Federal Student Aid Annual Report and in a briefing document on the FSA website under "Future FAFSA Enhancements." The portal is designed to allow parents to complete their contribution information once and link it to multiple students within the same family unit. Each student will still receive their individual SAI calculation, but parents won't need to duplicate their information entry. The feature is tentatively scheduled for the 2026-2027 application cycle, though implementation timelines are subject to change.
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Liam Murphy
•This is actually really promising! In my experience working with financial aid offices, these kinds of enhancements usually get delayed, so I wouldn't count on it being ready by 2026-2027, but at least they're acknowledging the issue and working on a solution. I'll definitely be looking for updates about this.
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Esmeralda Gómez
my brother has 4 kids in college at the same time can u imagin filling out FAFSA four seperate times with the exact same info?? that should be illegal lol
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Sasha Ivanov
•FOUR applications? Your brother deserves a medal for patience! I was ready to throw my computer out the window after just two applications. I can't even imagine doing four. Does he have any tips for maintaining sanity through the process?
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Yuki Tanaka
For those dealing with multiple FAFSA applications right now, I recommend maintaining a detailed spreadsheet with all your answers from the first application. Note exactly how you formatted names, addresses, and financial information so you can be consistent across applications. This helps avoid discrepancies that might trigger verification. Also, complete all applications within a short timeframe if possible. The consistency helps ensure your children receive comparable consideration for aid based on your family's financial situation.
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Amara Okafor
•Great advice but still RIDICULOUS we need spreadsheets and workarounds when they could just fix their system!! Like we're not already stressed enough with college applications and paying for everything!
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