FAFSA signature section 5 won't let me sign - everything else is complete

same thing happend to me last month!! so frustrating. did u check if you answered all the household questions? theres a weird bug where it says section is complete but actually theres a question not answered on page 3 of that section. look at each page carefully

Thanks for the suggestion! I went back through every page of section 3 (household) and you were right - there was a question about my parent's retirement accounts that didn't have a response even though it showed the section was complete. Fixed it and now I can sign! Why wouldn't they just tell you exactly what's missing??

This is actually a common issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The signature section (Section 5) won't activate if there are any inconsistencies in your application, even if the system shows green checkmarks. The most frequent culprits are:\n\n1. Mismatched parent/student tax information\n2. Incomplete college selection (minimum of one required)\n3. Unresolved SAI calculation conflicts\n4. Missing parent contributor information\n\nStart by downloading your FAFSA PDF draft and review all sections carefully. Look for any yellow caution symbols or inconsistent answers between related questions.

Thank you for the detailed response! I'm going to download the PDF right now and check for inconsistencies. The weird thing is I don't see any yellow caution symbols anywhere, everything looks green. I'll pay special attention to the tax information since that's where I was most confused.

Are you signing with your FSA ID? A lot of people forget you need to use the SAME email address that you created your FSA ID with. If you're using a different email address to log in vs what you registered with, the signature function won't work. Double check that first before going crazy checking all the other sections!

That's a good point about the FSA ID! I did create mine years ago for my older brother's application that I helped with, so maybe there's some confusion there. I'll check my FSA ID email right now.

i literally just had this EXACT issue two days ago and almost missed my school's priority deadline!!! after spending HOURS trying to figure it out and getting nowhere, I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a FAFSA agent right away instead of waiting on hold forever. The agent remotely unlocked my signature section after finding a glitch in my parent contribution section. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me so much stress!

does that actually work?? i've been on hold with fafsa for like 2 hours and keep getting disconnected lol

yeah it actually does! i was skeptical but i was desperate cuz my deadline was the next day. got through to someone in like 10 minutes instead of being on hold forever.

Before you try calling FAFSA (which is always a headache), check these specific things that often cause the signature section to appear broken:\n\n1. Verify your browser has JavaScript enabled and cookies allowed for studentaid.gov\n2. Make sure your FSA ID has been verified (check your email for verification links)\n3. Try clearing your browser cache completely\n4. Check for ANY incomplete questions - sometimes questions that depend on earlier answers can appear/disappear based on what you selected\n5. Ensure your SSN and DOB match exactly between your FSA ID and FAFSA application\n\nIf none of these work, download the PDF version of your application and review it carefully. The PDF often shows errors that aren't visible in the online interface.

Thank you for such a comprehensive list! I've checked all of these now. My FSA ID is definitely verified (I can log in fine), and I've cleared my cache. I found the problem was actually an incomplete question in the household section that was showing as complete. Fixed now!

THE NEW FAFSA IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!! Been helping students with financial aid for 15 years and this new

That's really concerning to hear from someone with your experience. Is there anything specific you recommend doing to prevent issues with my application after I submit it? Should I be calling my schools to make sure they received it properly?

YES - absolutely call your schools to confirm receipt! Screenshot EVERYTHING as you go through the process, especially the confirmation page. And check your SAI calculation when you get it - we've seen several cases where the number was wrong and students had to file corrections.

one more thing to check - did u create ur FSA ID same day ur trying to submit? cuz u have to wait like 3 days for it to activate sometimes before u can use it to sign. happened to my roommate

Thanks for bringing that up! My FSA ID is actually a few years old so that shouldn't be the issue. But good reminder for new applicants!

dont feel bad i got stuck on that screen for like a week lol. turned out i needed to click some tiny box that said 'i authorize' something about the irs verification but it was super easy to miss. double check all those little checkboxes

Thank you! I'm going through and checking all the little boxes now. There are so many of them scattered throughout different sections!

UPDATE: I finally got it to work! It was actually two separate issues - there was one incomplete question in the household section that didn't show as missing (thanks @user7), AND I had to clear all my browser cookies/cache and restart my computer. Just submitted my FAFSA and got my confirmation email. Thanks everyone for your help! For anyone else having this issue, definitely check every single question in each section even if it shows complete.

Great news! Make sure to save your confirmation number and keep an eye on your email for any requests for verification. About 30% of applications get selected for verification, so don't be alarmed if you receive a request from your school's financial aid office within the next few weeks.

MAKE SURE you log back in next week and check that your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation appears correctly! There have been issues with SAI not generating properly even after successful submission.

Just wanted to add another troubleshooting tip for future students who might find this thread - if you're still stuck after checking all the suggestions above, try logging out completely and logging back in with your FSA ID. Sometimes there's a session timeout issue that isn't obvious, and a fresh login can resolve signature problems. Also, if you're using a school computer or public WiFi, try switching to your home internet or mobile data - some networks have security settings that interfere with the FAFSA submission process. Good luck to everyone dealing with these technical issues!

As someone who just went through this exact nightmare last semester, I feel your pain! One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're a dependent student, make sure your parent also has their own verified FSA ID and that THEY can log in successfully. Even if your sections show complete, the signature section won't work if there's any issue with the parent contributor's FSA ID status. I spent hours troubleshooting my own account when the real problem was my mom's FSA ID had expired and needed to be renewed. Also, try submitting during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) - the system definitely gets overloaded during busy times and can cause weird glitches like this. Hope you get it sorted before your deadline!