FAFSA showing processed but my name appears in student summary instead of daughter's - is this normal?
I've been checking my daughter's FAFSA application status daily and it FINALLY says 'processed' after submitting it for the second time (first one had errors). But now I'm confused - when I click on the student section, it shows her information correctly, but the summary page shows MY name instead of hers! Is this normal or did I mess something up again? Will colleges get confused about who's actually applying? She needs these scholarships for fall 2025 and I'm worried this name mix-up will cause problems with her aid packages. Should I call FSA to fix this or am I overthinking it?
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Jamal Anderson
this happened to me too! i think its because you're the parent contributor? dont worry about it
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Really? But shouldn't it show HER name since it's HER application? I'm just the parent filling it out. Now I'm even more confused...
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Mei Wong
This is actually normal! The summary shows the name of the person who's logged in to the account (you), while the student section correctly shows your daughter's information. The colleges only see the proper student information, not the account login details. As long as you correctly entered your daughter as the student and yourself as the parent/contributor in the appropriate sections, everything is fine. The FAFSA system just displays the account holder name in the summary header.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Oh thank goodness! That makes sense. So the schools won't be confused about who's applying? That was my biggest worry.
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Mei Wong
•Nope! The schools will definitely see your daughter as the student applicant. They receive the properly formatted data with clear designation of student vs parent information. The display you're seeing is just for the account interface. Your FSA ID and her FSA ID are properly linked in the system.
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QuantumQuasar
OMG THE WHOLE FAFSA SYSTEM IS A NIGHTMARE!!! I had the EXACT SAME ISSUE and spent THREE HOURS trying to get someone on the phone to confirm it wasn't going to cause problems. I kept getting disconnected or put on hold forever. The website is SO confusing and nothing is clearly explained anywhere!!! Why can't they just make this process easier???
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Ugh, that sounds awful. Did you eventually get confirmation that it wasn't a problem? I really don't want to spend hours on hold if I don't have to.
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QuantumQuasar
•Yes but only after trying to call for THREE DAYS! They finally told me it was completely normal and just a display thing. But seriously they need to fix their terrible system or at least explain it better!!
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Liam McGuire
When I filled out my son's FAFSA I noticed the same thing! It showed my name on some screens and his on others. His SAI calculation came through fine and he got all his financial aid packages without any issues, so I'm pretty sure it's just how the system displays things.
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Amara Eze
I work in a college financial aid office, and I can confirm this is completely normal. The studentaid.gov website shows the name of the account holder (you) in the header/summary area, but the actual FAFSA submission data correctly identifies your daughter as the student applicant and you as the parent contributor. Schools receive what's called an ISIR (Institutional Student Information Record) which clearly separates student and parent information. We never see the account login details, only the properly formatted application data. Your daughter's application is processing correctly, and this display quirk won't affect her aid eligibility at all.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Thank you so much for explaining! This is so helpful coming from someone who actually works with these applications. I feel much better now.
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Giovanni Greco
I had to call the Federal Student Aid office about almost the same thing last month. After being on hold for 2+ hours I finally got through to someone who explained it's just how the website works. If you really want confirmation though, try using Claimyr.com to reach them - it drastically reduced my wait time when I had to call again about another issue. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Saved me a ton of frustration!
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Thanks for the tip! I'm feeling better after everyone's responses, but if I have more questions, I'll definitely check that out. The thought of being on hold for hours is so stressful.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
ok so i know everyone is saying its fine but my cousins boyfriends sister had this issue and ended up getting all her loans in her moms name or something? idk the details but just double check everythings right before u submit maybe
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Mei Wong
•This is incorrect. FAFSA doesn't actually issue loans - it just calculates eligibility and sends that information to schools. Parent loans (Parent PLUS) and student loans are completely separate processes after FAFSA completion. Your cousin's boyfriend's sister likely had a different issue altogether, perhaps with the loan acceptance process after receiving her aid package.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Thanks everyone for the responses! I feel so much better knowing this is just how the system displays things and not an actual problem with her application. Her SAI score came through this morning and everything looks correct. I appreciate all the helpful information!
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm going through the exact same thing with my son's FAFSA right now. Seeing my name in the summary instead of his had me panicking that I somehow made him ineligible or that colleges would think I was trying to apply as a student at my age! It's such a relief to know this is just how the system works and that the schools get the correct information. The FAFSA process is stressful enough without these confusing display issues making us second-guess everything.
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