FAFSA spouse invitation stuck in limbo - need help before January classes start!

I had this exact same issue with my wife as a contributor! What fixed it for us was having her log out completely, clear her browser cache, and then instead of clicking the email link again, go directly to studentaid.gov and log in fresh. For some reason, the system wasn't connecting her FSA ID to your invitation properly. After she logged in directly, there was a notification at the top of her dashboard about pending FAFSA contributions. Also double-check that the email you used to invite him matches exactly with the one he used for his FSA ID.

omg the FAFSA site is sooo buggy this year with the new system. my mom had to try like 5 different browsers before her part would even load. maybe try having ur husband use a different device?

There have been several technical issues with the new FAFSA system, especially with the contributor invitations for international contributors. Here's what I recommend: 1. Make sure your husband is logging in with the exact FSA ID that's associated with the email you used for the invitation. 2. If that doesn't work, have him check his spam/junk folder for a follow-up email (sometimes there's a second confirmation email). 3. Try having him go directly to the "Apply for Aid" section after logging in, rather than relying on dashboard notifications. 4. If all else fails, you may need to submit a case to FSA. The most efficient way to do this is to call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. Also, contact your school's financial aid office immediately. Explain the situation and ask if they can provide any temporary accommodations while you sort this out. Many schools have contingency processes for FAFSA technical issues.

This happened to me & my husband!! So annoying!!! The problem was he was clicking the link in the email instead of just going to the website directly. When he went to studentaid.gov and logged in, there was a notification banner at the top with the invitation. The emails in the system have to match EXACTLY too.

Have you double-checked that your FAFSA actually shows as "submitted" on your end? I thought mine was done but it was actually sitting in some weird pending status because I missed an electronic signature somewhere. Maybe your husband can't see anything because your submission isn't actually complete?

When I was trying to reach FSA about a similar contributor issue, I was getting disconnected after waiting for hours too. I discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me actually get through to a Federal Student Aid agent without the wait. Basically, it holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me so much frustration! Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ I ended up finding out that my partner's invitation had an issue because we had moved recently and our addresses didn't match in the system. Might be especially relevant in your case since your husband is international!

THE ENTIRE FAFSA SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I've been dealing with this nightmare for WEEKS and still can't get it resolved. My daughter's SAI calculation is completely wrong because her father's information isn't properly linked. We've called 12 TIMES and every single time we either get disconnected or get told different information. One agent even told us to just "wait until February" which would be AFTER classes start!!! This is affecting millions of students and the Department of Education just keeps pretending everything is fine! RIDICULOUS!!

UPDATE: You all are amazing! We finally got it working! What fixed it for us: 1) My husband cleared his browser cache and cookies, 2) He went directly to studentaid.gov instead of using the email link, 3) After logging in, he clicked on the "Apply for Aid" section (not the dashboard), and there was the invitation! Now we're just waiting for the SAI calculation. Thank you everyone for your help - especially the tip about contacting my school's financial aid office. They told me they can process my aid package with just my info for now as long as my husband's part is completed by mid-December.

my cousin had this problem too and IT TOOK FOREVR to fix. glad u got it working!!! the new FAFSA is such a mess lol

So glad you got it resolved! This is such a common issue this year - I'm a financial aid counselor and we've been seeing this exact problem with contributor invitations constantly. The browser cache clearing + going directly to the site instead of using email links seems to fix it about 80% of the time. For anyone else reading this thread, another tip is to make sure the contributor's personal information (name, SSN, etc.) in their FSA ID profile exactly matches what the student put on their FAFSA - even small differences can cause the invitation to not show up properly. Thanks for posting the update, it'll definitely help other students dealing with this frustrating issue!