FAFSA signature nightmare - keeps saying complete then incomplete again

Same thing happened to me last month! It's a known glitch in the new FAFSA system. Here's what worked for me: 1. Don't just re-sign electronically - call the Federal Student Aid office and have them note in your file that you're experiencing the signature loop bug 2. After signing again, take screenshots of the confirmation page (with date/time visible) 3. Request they manually review your submission status 4. Ask them to send you a confirmation email that specifically acknowledges the signature issue is resolved The system sometimes doesn't properly register parent signatures even when they appear to go through. It's frustrating but fixable!

omg this exact thing messed up my whole financial aid package last year!!!!! the school didnt get my actual fafsa until like 3 weeks after their deadline bc of this stupid glitch. ended up losing a $3000 grant bc of it. make sure u email ur schools financial aid office too so they know whats going on!!!

This is a recognized issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA processing system. I work in a college financial aid office, and we're seeing this frequently. The signature loop bug typically happens in one of these scenarios: 1. Parent/contributor used a different email than what's in the FAFSA form 2. There's a mismatch between the name format in the FSA ID and the FAFSA form (hyphenated names, suffixes, etc.) 3. The system failed to properly record the signature timestamp To resolve this properly: - Print and mail a physical signature page (yes, old school but effective) - Have BOTH you and your parent/contributor call FSA together on the same call - Request a manual override code for the signature requirement - Document all communication with case numbers Don't give up - this is fixable but requires persistence.

This new FAFSA system is COMPLETE GARBAGE!!! I've had NOTHING but problems since they rolled it out. First the website crashed for weeks, then calculation errors, now these endless signature loops. My daughter's college fund is tied to her getting her aid package and FAFSA is playing games with our future!! I spent 6 HOURS trying to get through to someone who could help. The whole "we're experiencing unusually high call volume" message is just their excuse for a broken system. They've had YEARS to prepare for this rollout and it's been a disaster from day one. The signature issue is just one of many. Even after we fixed it, we then had problems with the SAI calculation being wrong, then tax info disappearing, then verification requests for documents we'd already submitted. The incompetence is staggering.

After dealing with the same frustrating signature loop issue last week, I found a solution that actually worked! I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real FAFSA agent in about 18 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The agent was able to manually verify my signatures and fix the loop in the system. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through to an actual person, they confirmed it was a known issue with the system not properly registering electronic signatures even though the confirmation screen shows up. The agent added notes to my file and gave me a confirmation number I could reference if it happens again. My application status finally shows consistently complete now!

I'm in the EXACT same boat right now, but I think I finally got it fixed. What worked for me was having both me and my dad sign into our FSA ID accounts (separate devices) at the same time, then completing the signature process within minutes of each other. For some reason, the timing seems to matter. Also important - make sure both your and your parent's email addresses EXACTLY match what's in the FAFSA application. My dad had accidentally used his work email for the FSA ID but his personal email on the FAFSA form, and that was causing the signature to look incomplete even though he was getting confirmation screens. Don't rely on the confirmation emails alone - check the actual application status page a few days after signing to confirm it's truly processed correctly. If you see "Processed Successfully" with a date stamp (not just "Submitted"), then you should be good.

my brother had this problem too! ended up having to use his school's financial aid office to intervene. they called fafsa directly and got it fixed. might be worth trying if u have a helpful financial aid office

UPDATE: I tried the Claimyr service someone mentioned above and IT WORKED!! Got connected to a FAFSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of endless hold time. They identified the problem right away - there was a mismatch between how my name was entered in the FSA ID system versus the FAFSA form (middle initial in one, full middle name in the other). The agent fixed it on their end AND flagged my application with a special note so it won't get caught in the signature loop again. They also sent an email to my daughter's schools explaining the delay was due to a system error, not our negligence. Never would have figured this out without getting a real person who could actually see both systems. Worth every penny to not waste another day on hold!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful suggestions! I'm going to try a combination approach: 1. First, I'll use Claimyr to speak with an actual FSA agent (since multiple people had success with this) 2. Request both electronic AND paper signature verification 3. Check for email/name mismatches between FSA ID and FAFSA form 4. Get my school's financial aid office involved as an advocate 5. Document everything with case numbers and confirmation screenshots I'll update this thread once I get it resolved in case anyone else runs into the same issue. This has been so stressful!