FAFSA signature keeps rejecting - can't get through on phone line for help

omg same thing happened to me last month!!! the signature part is SUCH a mess. i kept getting stuck in that stupid loop too. have u tried using a different browser? that worked for me when Chrome kept glitching

There are a few common reasons the parent signature gets rejected: 1. Your FSA ID information doesn't exactly match what's in your Social Security records 2. The parent email/phone used for verification is different from what's on the application 3. Browser cache issues (as mentioned above) 4. You're accessing via mobile device which sometimes has compatibility issues I recommend clearing your browser cache, using a desktop computer with Chrome or Firefox, and double-checking that all your personal information exactly matches your SSA records. Also make sure you've waited at least 3 days since creating your FSA ID, as it needs time to validate with the Social Security Administration.

The electronic signature system has been particularly glitchy this application cycle. Beyond the browser suggestions, here's what worked for one of my clients: 1. Log out completely and clear cookies/cache 2. Wait 24 hours (this seems to reset something in their system) 3. Log in using a computer (not mobile) 4. Access the FAFSA through studentaid.gov directly (not through any email links) 5. When you get to the signature page, do NOT use any autofill features If that still doesn't work, you might need to use the non-electronic signature option. You can print the signature page, sign it, and mail it in. It's slower but 100% effective.

i just went thru this nightmare with my sons application!! the FAFSA hotline is absolutely impossible to get through to. i literally called 15+ times and kept getting that stupid message. finally i found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual human at FAFSA in like 20 mins. they fixed my signature issue over the phone. if ur desperate check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ seriously saved me hours of frustration

The FAFSA system is COMPLETE GARBAGE this year!!! They had all these delays launching the "simplified" version and now nothing works right. My daughter missed out on a $3000 scholarship because her SAI score wasn't processed in time thanks to these stupid signature problems. The whole department needs to be fired and replaced with people who actually know how to build working software. I've never seen such incompetence in my LIFE.

Just to add another potential solution - I work in college admissions and we've seen this signature issue a lot this cycle. Sometimes it's because parents are trying to use the same email address as the student on the FSA ID. Each person (student and parent) needs their own unique email address linked to their FSA ID. Also, check if your FSA ID might be locked due to too many failed attempts. You can unlock it at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/unlock-aid or create a new FSA ID if needed. If all else fails, you can request a paper signature page by calling... oh wait, you can't get through by phone. That's where the real problem is! The system wasn't designed to handle the volume of issues this cycle.

btw has anyone else noticed the financial aid packages are way lower this year?? my son got like $5k less than my daughter did 2 years ago even tho our income hasnt changed much. i wonder if all these system problems are affecting the actual aid calculations too

UPDATE: I FINALLY got it to work! For anyone else having this problem, here's what worked for me: 1. I waited 24 hours as suggested 2. Used Firefox on my desktop computer (not mobile) 3. Cleared cache/cookies first 4. Checked that my FSA ID wasn't locked (it wasn't) 5. Made sure my email and phone matched exactly on both the application and my FSA ID The signature went through on the first try after doing all this! No more error loops. Now it shows "Processing" on my daughter's application status. And thank you all for the suggestions - this forum has been more helpful than all my attempts to contact official support!

So glad you got it working @Olivia Clark! This thread is going to be super helpful for other parents dealing with the same signature nightmare. I'm bookmarking this for future reference since I have a younger kid who'll be applying in a couple years. Really hope they fix these system issues by then, but at least now I know the workarounds if they don't. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This thread is incredibly valuable! As a newcomer to the FAFSA process with my first child applying next year, I'm honestly shocked at how broken the system seems to be. The fact that @Olivia Clark had to try 8 different times and couldn't even get through to customer support is mind-blowing. I'm definitely saving all these troubleshooting tips - especially the 24-hour wait trick and using desktop Firefox instead of mobile. It's ridiculous that parents have to become tech support experts just to sign a financial aid form, but at least this community is sharing real solutions that actually work!

As another parent just starting this process, I'm genuinely terrified after reading all of this! My daughter is a junior now so we'll be dealing with FAFSA next year. The fact that the "simplified" system is causing more problems than the old one is so typical of government tech rollouts. I'm already planning to create our FSA IDs early and make sure we have completely separate email addresses. Question for those who've been through this - is there any particular time of day that seems to work better for the electronic signature? Like are the servers less overloaded at certain hours?