FAFSA shows 'Action Still Needed' after submitting parent sections - what's missing?

This happened to me too! The FAFSA system is so glitchy this year. Double-check that your husband actually clicked the specific signature box at the very end of his section. My spouse thought he completed everything but missed the final electronic signature confirmation. It's easy to think you've signed when you haven't. Also make sure he completed ALL fields - even one missing response can trigger that error message.

That message specifically indicates there are either: 1) required fields with errors or missing information in the parent/contributor section, or 2) the electronic signature wasn't properly submitted. Here's what to do: 1. Have your husband log back in with his FSA ID 2. Look for any highlighted fields or sections marked with red exclamation points 3. Make sure all required fields are completed, even if they seem redundant 4. Most importantly, check that he reached the actual signature page and completed the electronic signature process by checking the certification statement box AND clicking submit The system won't accept the contributor section until every required field is completed and the signature is confirmed. Sometimes it's something small like missing a digit in a Social Security number or failing to check a particular box.

omg the same thing happened w/ my dad!!! turns out he didn't actually finish the signature part even tho he SWORE he did lol. parents just dont get how these online forms work sometimes. have him check the VERY last page and make sure he actually clicked the final submit button after the signature box

Financial aid advisor here - this is an extremely common issue. The most frequent causes I see are: 1. Missing the final electronic signature step (checking the box AND clicking submit) 2. Errors in the tax information section (numbers that don't match IRS records) 3. Contributor skipping required fields they think don't apply to them 4. Browser issues causing the signature not to register properly Have your husband log back in using his FSA ID and carefully review each section. Look specifically for any red text, exclamation marks, or highlighted fields. The system won't let you submit until ALL required fields are properly completed. If you've verified everything is complete and the issue persists, you'll need to contact Federal Student Aid directly, which can be challenging with current call volumes.

I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid last month for almost this exact issue. After being on hold forever and getting disconnected three times, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FAFSA agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent walked me through how to fix the contributor signature issue. Turns out my husband had completed everything properly but there was actually a system glitch that wasn't registering his signature correctly. They had to reset something on their end.

@profile8 Yes, it absolutely worked for me! I was skeptical at first but I was desperate after so many failed attempts. Got connected to a real person who fixed my issue in minutes. Definitely worth it considering I'd already wasted hours trying to get through the regular way.

THE WHOLE FAFSA SYSTEM IS GARBAGE THIS YEAR!!! I've had nothing but problems since day one. First the website crashed, then my daughter's school codes wouldn't save, now my ex-husband can't get his contributor section to work right. We're both marked as contributors but the system keeps saying HE hasn't signed even though we've both done it like 10 times!!! Why did they have to "improve" a system that was working fine before?? 🤬

UPDATE: We figured it out! My husband went back through his section and found that he had put his SSN in wrong (transposed two numbers). He fixed that and then realized he also hadn't actually completed the final electronic signature page - he had checked the box but didn't click the final submit button. Once he fixed both issues, we got the confirmation screen! Thank you all for your help!

One more tip for everyone: Once your FAFSA is fully processed and you receive your SAI (Student Aid Index), make sure to check if you've been selected for verification. About 30% of FAFSA filers get selected, and if you are, you'll need to provide additional documentation to your school's financial aid office. This can delay your aid package if not addressed promptly.

There's no way to know in advance if you'll be selected for verification - it can happen randomly or be triggered by certain patterns in your application. Just monitor your studentaid.gov account and your email for notifications. If selected, respond quickly with the requested documentation to avoid delays in your financial aid package.

Congrats on getting it sorted out! This thread is super helpful - I'm bookmarking it for reference. Just submitted my FAFSA last week and now I'm paranoid I missed something too. The new system definitely has a learning curve. For anyone still struggling, it sounds like the most common issues are: 1) SSN/tax info typos, 2) missing the final submit button after signature, and 3) skipping required fields. Going to double-check mine now just to be safe!

This thread is so reassuring! I'm a first-time FAFSA filer and have been stressing about whether I did everything correctly. Reading about all the common mistakes (SSN typos, missing final submit clicks, incomplete required fields) helps me know what to double-check. The signature process seems particularly tricky - I'm going to make sure my parents actually see the confirmation screen before we consider it done. Has anyone noticed if certain browsers work better than others for the signature part? I've heard some people have issues with Safari vs Chrome.

Adding to the browser discussion - I had similar issues with Safari not properly registering the electronic signature. Chrome definitely seems to work more reliably for the FAFSA system. One thing I'd also recommend is clearing your browser cache before starting the contributor sections, especially if you've had previous login attempts that didn't complete successfully. I've seen cases where cached data from incomplete sessions can cause weird errors. Also, make sure you're not using private/incognito mode as that can sometimes interfere with the FSA ID authentication process. The FAFSA system seems pretty finicky about browser settings this year!

This entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same "Action Still Needed" message for my daughter's FAFSA and was getting so frustrated. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the electronic signature step is definitely the most problematic part of the new system. I'm going to have my husband log back in tonight using Chrome (we were using Safari), clear the cache first, and carefully go through each section looking for any red flags or missing fields. The tip about making sure to actually click the final submit button AFTER checking the signature box seems crucial - I bet that's exactly what happened with us too. It's reassuring to know this is such a common issue and not just us being incompetent! Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions and experiences.