FAFSA signature complete but can't add schools - technical glitch?

I had this exact problem last week with my daughter's application! The school selection section was completely broken. What worked for us was waiting about 24 hours after the electronic signature was processed, then clearing browser cookies completely (not just refreshing). Also make sure you're using the studentaid.gov site directly, not linking from another website. If that doesn't work, try accessing the site during off-peak hours - I finally got through at 5:30am when the system wasn't overloaded.

yes same here my son signed it last friday and couldnt add any schools at all!! the whole system is garbage this year way worse than before

This is a known issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA processing system. When the application signature is processed, there's sometimes a 24-48 hour lag before the school selection module activates properly. Here are some verified steps that work: 1. Wait at least 24 hours after signature verification 2. Clear ALL browser cache and cookies 3. Log out completely and log back in using the FSA ID 4. Try using a different device entirely (some mobile devices work better than desktops) 5. Access the site during off-peak hours (4am-7am ET or 10pm-12am ET) If these steps don't resolve the issue, you'll need to contact FSA directly. Unfortunately, their phone lines are extremely backed up right now with the new system rollout.

This happened to me too!! I couldn't add schools for like 3 days after signing! So annoying. I ended up having to start the whole application over from scratch with a new FSA ID because nothing worked. Lost all my info and had to re-enter everything 😡

I've been calling FSA for three days about this exact issue and can't get through to anyone. The phone just disconnects after 2+ hours on hold. The FAFSA this year is a complete disaster. My son's school financial aid deadline is in two weeks and we're completely stuck. Has anyone successfully reached someone at FSA who could actually fix this?

my college kid is having same issue since monday. tried calling and emailing 100 times NOBODY HELPS!!! what is even the point of having financial aid if nobody can access it????

UPDATE: For those still struggling with this issue, I found another workaround. If you can't add schools after signing, try this: 1. Log in with the PARENT'S FSA ID (not the student's) 2. Go to the "FAFSA Status" section 3. Select the student's application 4. Click "Make Correction" 5. Navigate directly to the School Selection page 6. Add schools there 7. Re-submit with electronic signatures This worked for us when nothing else would. It seems there's a bug specifically in the student view of the application but not in the parent correction pathway. Hope this helps someone!

For anyone still having issues, I want to clarify an important point: if you're working on the 2025-2026 FAFSA and experiencing the school selection bug, this is happening because the new SAI formula implementation is still being optimized. The best approach is: 1. Document the error with screenshots 2. Email the financial aid offices at your target schools explaining the technical issue 3. Most schools are well aware of these problems and have provisional processes in place And remember, even if you do get the application submitted with schools listed, your SAI calculation may still be delayed due to processing backlogs. The good news is most schools have adjusted their internal deadlines to accommodate these widespread system issues.