FAFSA signature reverting to 'signature needed' after processing - will my daughter's SAI change?

yes this happened 2 us too!! the system is so glitchy this year. my son's fafsa kept bouncing back and forth between processed and needing signatures. we just kept signing everytime it asked and eventually it stuck lol

This is actually a known issue with the FAFSA system this year. When they do certain backend updates or maintenance, sometimes the signature status temporarily reverts to "signature needed" even though it was previously completed. I would suggest having your husband sign it again just to be safe, but in most cases, once an SAI has been issued, it won't change unless you submit a correction or update to the application information. The signature glitch is usually just a display issue, not an indication that they're reassessing the application. However, if you want to be absolutely certain, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center to confirm the status - though be prepared for long wait times.

Try clearing your browser cache and cookies before logging in again. Sometimes the FAFSA portal just displays outdated information. I had something similar happen where it kept asking for my daughter's signature even though she had already signed. After clearing cache, it showed correctly as processed.

If you've already received an SAI and your daughter's side shows as processed, you're probably fine. The FAFSA system this year has been a COMPLETE DISASTER with all these "upgrades" they made!!! My experience as a financial aid counselor is that once an SAI is calculated and sent out, they don't recalculate unless there's an actual correction submitted to the application data itself. A signature glitch shouldn't trigger a recalculation. But honestly, with how unpredictable the system has been this year, I'd recommend both having your husband re-sign AND calling FSA to confirm everything is truly finalized. Better safe than sorry!

When they sent the SAI, did you get an official email notification or just saw it in the portal? Because sometimes the portal shows the preliminary SAI before everything is fully processed. My daughter's changed three times before we got the final number!

I dealt with this exact issue last month! After spending literally HOURS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid with no luck, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an actual FAFSA agent in about 10 minutes who confirmed that the signature glitch was just a display issue and my daughter's SAI wouldn't change. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ It saved me days of stress and uncertainty. The agent also put a note in our file about the signature issue so we wouldn't have any problems with verification later.

The same thing happened to me, except it was MY signature that disappeared after processing. I called FSA and waited for 3 HOURS only to be told it was a "known system issue" and to just sign again. The most frustrating part was they couldn't tell me for sure if signing again would change my daughter's SAI or not!! The whole system is a complete mess this year.

Quick update on this issue - the Department of Education actually released a statement about this signature glitch last week. They confirmed it's a display issue affecting approximately 15% of FAFSA applications. They specifically stated that once an SAI has been calculated and communicated to the student, re-signing does NOT trigger a recalculation unless other information in the application changes. So you should be fine, but having your husband sign again will resolve the display error. Also, take screenshots of everything just in case you need documentation later.

One other thing to check - when you login, make sure you're looking at the 2025-2026 FAFSA and not accidentally viewing last year's application. The portal sometimes switches between years and causes confusion. If you're certain you're viewing the correct year's application, then follow the advice above about having your husband sign again. The signature status bug is definitely not uncommon this year.

My son's FAFSA did the same thing but his SAI ended up increasing by almost $1500 after we resigned!! We never found out why. The whole system is broken this year.