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Jamal Brown

FAFSA signature finally went through after weeks - got SAI score!

After 3 incredibly frustrating weeks of trying to get my daughter's FAFSA signature completed, IT FINALLY WENT THROUGH YESTERDAY! The system kept looping me back to the parent contribution page even after I thought it was submitted on 1/12. I was about to give up completely but tried one more time last night and somehow it actually worked! The signature processed correctly and we received our SAI score this morning. For anyone still struggling with the signature loop issue - don't give up! Has anyone else had success recently or am I just lucky?

Congrats! The same thing happened to my family. We tried submitting my son's signature 4 times before it finally went through last week. The system is definitely buggy this year with all the FAFSA Simplification changes. What browser were you using? We had more success with Firefox than Chrome for some reason.

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Thanks! I was using Safari at first which kept failing, then switched to Chrome for the final attempt that worked. Never thought about trying Firefox! Did you get your SAI right away or did it take a few days after the signature went through?

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omg this gives me hope!!! my twins' fafsa has been stuck in signature loop hell for almost a month. did u do anything specific to make it work or just kept trying the exact same thing??

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I literally just kept trying every few days. The only thing I did differently on the successful attempt was clear my browser cache and cookies before starting. Maybe that helped? Also made sure to use the direct link from the confirmation email instead of going through the main portal.

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This is good to hear! For anyone still dealing with the signature loop issue, there are a few technical reasons this happens: 1. Browser cache/cookie conflicts with the FAFSA site 2. Session timeouts during the signature process 3. System-wide processing delays at Federal Student Aid 4. Mismatched information between parent and student sections The SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation should process within 3-5 days after both signatures are properly submitted. If you don't receive it within that timeframe, you should contact Federal Student Aid directly, though getting through to an agent can be challenging during peak season.

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I've been calling the FSA helpline for TWO WEEKS trying to get help with my son's application that's stuck in this exact same loop!!! NOBODY EVER ANSWERS!!! Is the government TRYING to prevent students from getting financial aid??? This process is ridiculous and clearly designed to FAIL!!!

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just going thru this now w/ my daughters application. did u have to fill out the whole thing again or just the signature part? its all so confusing

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Just the signature part! Don't start over from scratch - that might create duplicate applications in their system. When you log in, it should take you to a dashboard that shows the application status. From there, you should see the option to complete the signature if that's what's still pending.

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Wait so is the SAI the same as the EFC from previous years? My nephew is applying and I'm trying to help him figure out if his 4500 SAI means he'll get a Pell Grant. His mom makes about 45k a year as a single parent.

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Yes, the SAI (Student Aid Index) replaced the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) with the FAFSA Simplification Act. They serve a similar purpose but are calculated slightly differently. With an SAI of 4500 and a single parent income of $45k, your nephew will likely qualify for some Pell Grant funding, though not the maximum amount. The full Pell Grant for 2025-2026 is typically awarded to students with an SAI of 0, with partial awards going to those with SAI up to around 6000 (though this can change yearly).

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If anyone is still having trouble with the FAFSA signature issues or getting stuck in loops, I'd recommend trying Claimyr to actually get through to a live Federal Student Aid agent. I was stuck for weeks trying to resolve my daughter's verification issue, calling for hours and never getting through. Used Claimyr.com and got connected to an agent in about 10 minutes who fixed our issue. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - honestly worth it during this chaotic FAFSA season.

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does this actually work?? ive been trying to call for dayssss

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It did for me! The agent was able to see exactly where our application was getting stuck in the system and manually move it forward. Saved me so much frustration after weeks of getting nowhere.

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One important tip for anyone still working on their FAFSA - make sure the student and parent information matches EXACTLY across all sections. My son's middle initial was included in one section but not another, and this caused our submission to fail repeatedly. Names, SSNs, birthdays, and even formatting should be consistent throughout the application. This new FAFSA system is much more sensitive to these discrepancies than in previous years.

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That's such a good point! I wonder if that contributed to our issues too. There might have been a discrepancy between how I entered my name and how my daughter entered it in her section. The system should really be smarter about handling these minor differences.

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I JUST finished my FAFSA yesterday after WEEKS of the same problem!!! The whole system is BROKEN! My daughter got into her dream school but might lose her spot because these technical issues delayed our financial aid application! Does anyone know if schools are being understanding about these FAFSA delays? Should we contact the financial aid office directly??

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Yes, you should absolutely contact your daughter's school's financial aid office directly. Most institutions are well aware of the widespread FAFSA issues this year and many have extended their priority deadlines. When you contact them, provide your FAFSA confirmation number and explain the specific technical difficulties you encountered. Many schools are making accommodations because these problems are affecting so many families.

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just tried again after seeing this post and IT WORKED!!!! FINALLYYYYY!!!! thx for giving me hope lol

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That's amazing!! So happy for you! Now the waiting game begins for your SAI score. Hope you get good news soon!

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