FAFSA signature verification loop - emails conflict with completion status

Same thing happened to my daughter! It was saying her dad's signature was missing even tho he signed twice. We had to try on a different browser (Chrome instead of Safari) and that somehow fixed it. Try using a different device or browser and go through the signature steps again.

This is a known issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The system sometimes fails to register parent signatures even when properly submitted. Here's what you need to do: 1. Take screenshots of your "completed" confirmation page 2. Clear your browser cache and cookies completely 3. Log in again using a different browser 4. Go to "My FAFSA" and check if there's a "Sign & Submit" button still active 5. If there is, have your parent sign again using their FSA ID 6. If not, wait 72 hours for the system to process (the completion emails are sometimes delayed) If this doesn't resolve it, you may need to contact your school's financial aid office directly. They can often see the status more accurately than what's showing in your account.

lol the FAFSA website is such garbage this year. my brother had the EXACT same problem but with his dad's signature. ended up working after he deleted the entire application and started over. total waste of time but at least it went through.

The signature verification issue is actually related to a database synchronization problem between the submission system and the notification system. I've helped several students with this issue. Before you do anything drastic like starting over, check these things: 1. Look at the actual status in your FAFSA portal - not just the emails 2. Verify if your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation appears anywhere in your account 3. Check if your parent used the CORRECT FSA ID when signing (this is the #1 cause) 4. Make sure your parent's FSA ID is properly verified with their SSN in the system If your FAFSA shows "Processed" or "Completed" in the actual portal, ignore the emails. The notification system often sends outdated status emails days after issues are resolved. If you still see "Signature required" or "Action needed" in the portal itself, then you need to resolve the signature issue.

I had this exact issue last month - SO FRUSTRATING! After wasting hours trying to fix it myself, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at Federal Student Aid. They patched me through in about 10 minutes when I'd spent days trying to get through on my own. The agent was able to see that my parent's signature wasn't properly processed due to a system glitch and fixed it on their end immediately. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Might be worth trying if you're still stuck in this signature loop hell after trying the browser fixes.

What type of financial aid are you trying to get? I'm asking because if you're only applying for federal loans or grants, you actually have more time than you think. The FAFSA 'preferred' deadline isn't the same as the absolute deadline. If you're going for state aid or school-specific scholarships though, those deadlines are more strict.

OMG THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY COUSIN!!!! she ended up having to go IN PERSON to her college financial aid office and they did some kind of override thing. apparently lots of people are having this issue with the parent signature part. its because of all the changes they made to the system for 2025-26. try calling your school instead of the FAFSA people!!!

did u check if your moms email is verified in her FSA ID account? my husband had to reverify his email before the signature would stick. go to the FSA ID site (not the FAFSA site) and check if theres any yellow warnings

After your mom verifies her email, wait about 24 hours and then both of you should log in together and check the status. If it still shows the signature issue, have her sign again while you're watching to make sure it goes through correctly. Also, take screenshots of EVERYTHING - the confirmation pages, any error messages, the email verification, etc. If you do end up needing to contact your school's financial aid office, having documentation of all the steps you've taken will help them assist you better. The new FAFSA system is having so many technical issues this year. You're definitely not alone in this frustration!