FAFSA signature rejection letter - do we need to redo entire form or just mail signature page?
I'm totally frustrated right now. My son just got this letter from FAFSA saying they're rejecting his application because they don't accept our electronic signatures that we submitted. Nothing was wrong when we submitted it online last month, but now they're saying we have to sign it again? The letter doesn't clearly state if we need to complete the ENTIRE application again or if we can just print and mail the signature page. Has anyone dealt with this signature rejection issue before? I don't want to waste time redoing the whole thing if we just need to mail in one page. We're already cutting it close for his priority deadline at State University. Any advice would be super appreciated!
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Yuki Tanaka
omg this happened to us too!! so annoying. we just printed the signature page from the website and mailed it in. took like 3 weeks to process after that but worked fine
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CaptainAwesome
•Thanks for the response! Did you have to login to studentaid.gov to print just the signature page? I don't see that option anywhere in the portal.
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Esmeralda Gómez
This is a common issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA form. The electronic signature validation system has been glitchy since the October rollout. You do NOT need to complete the entire form again. Log into studentaid.gov, go to your application, and select the "Print Signature Page" option in the menu. Both student and parent need to physically sign this page and mail it to the address shown on the rejection letter. Make sure to include the student's FSA ID number on the top of the page too.
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CaptainAwesome
•Thank you for such a detailed response! I found the signature page option. Sending it off tomorrow. Fingers crossed it processes quickly!
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Klaus Schmidt
Be careful! We mailed in JUST the signature page like the letter said but then got ANOTHER rejection letter 4 weeks later saying we needed to include the cover sheet too!!! Had to start all over and my daughter almost missed her deadline for the Pell Grant. The whole system is a mess with the new SAI calculations and form changes.
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CaptainAwesome
•Oh no, that's concerning. Did your letter specifically mention a cover sheet? Mine doesn't say anything about that.
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Aisha Patel
•The first letter never says anything about the cover sheet, thats the problem! But u def need it. Print the cover AND signature page both. And send certified mail so u have proof they got it!!!
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LilMama23
Financial aid counselor here. The signature rejection issue is fairly common, especially with the new FAFSA simplification changes. Here's what you need to do: 1. Print the signature page AND application summary page 2. Both parent and student physically sign in ink 3. Include your confirmation number on all pages 4. Mail to the address on your rejection letter 5. Keep copies of everything you send Important: If you're close to a school deadline, I recommend also contacting your school's financial aid office directly. They can often put a hold on your file while waiting for the corrected FAFSA to process.
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CaptainAwesome
•Thank you SO much for this detailed breakdown! I was able to print both pages and we'll mail them tomorrow. Should we expect another confirmation email once they process the signatures?
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LilMama23
•Yes, you should receive an email confirmation once it's processed, but it can take 2-3 weeks currently. I suggest checking your status on studentaid.gov every few days. If you don't see movement after 2 weeks, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center.
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Dmitri Volkov
Has anyone actually gotten through on the Federal Student Aid phone number?? I've been calling for THREE DAYS and either get disconnected or told the wait is over 2 hours. This is ridiculous when deadlines are coming up!!
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Gabrielle Dubois
•I had the same issue trying to reach someone about my daughter's verification flag! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me so much frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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Yuki Tanaka
my cousins app got rejected 3 TIMES for signature issues!! first electronic then paper then they said the signatures didn't match?!?! what does that even mean lol. financial aid office at his school finally had to help. maybe try that if the mail thing doesn't work
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Klaus Schmidt
•The signature verification system is a COMPLETE JOKE. My daughter and I had to submit FOUR TIMES because they kept saying our signatures "didn't match" their records. What records?? I've never given them my signature before this FAFSA! The whole system is designed to make it harder for deserving students to get aid.
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Aisha Patel
just wonderin if u ever got this fixed?? im having same problem now and need to know how long before they approved yours after you mailed signatures???
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CaptainAwesome
•Update: We mailed in both the signature page and application summary with tracking. It took exactly 11 days before we got the email confirmation that everything was processed. My son's SAI score is now showing in his account. So much stress for something that should be simple!
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Aisha Patel
•thx!! gonna mail mine tomorrow!!
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