FAFSA status stuck at 'form started' despite signing - can't get through to support

There's definitely a final submission step that sometimes confuses people. After both parties sign, there should be a prominent 'SUBMIT FAFSA FORM' button on the confirmation page. If you don't click that, the form stays in 'started' status even though it's completely filled out and signed. Try logging back in, go to the FAFSA form in progress, and look for that button at the very end after the signatures section.

same thing happened to me!!! the website is SO confusing. there's like 3 different "confirmation" pages but only the very last one actually submits it. my son's counselor had to help us figure it out

I see this issue frequently in my work with first-gen college families. There's actually a difference between completing all sections (which shows green checkmarks on everything) and officially submitting the form. After the last signature is applied, you need to navigate to the very final review page where there's a SUBMIT button. Also worth noting: After you submit, the confirmation page will show your calculated SAI (Student Aid Index, which replaced the old EFC). Make sure to save/print that page as proof of submission. Your SAI determines your Pell Grant eligibility and other need-based aid, so it's important to have record of it.

THE FAFSA WEBSITE IS TRASH!!! I spent 3 hrs trying to submit my sons form and kept getting errors! Called that stupid number a million times and they hang up on you! This whole system is designed to keep kids from getting aid IMO

I was having the exact same issue last month trying to submit my FAFSA for grad school. After wasting days trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid with no luck, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this service that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you back when an actual human is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with walked me through the final submission steps and confirmed my application was properly submitted. Apparently a lot of people get stuck at the same spot we did with the confusion between signing and submitting.

I'm a college financial aid counselor and just want to add a few important notes: 1) Don't panic about the priority deadline - most schools understand the FAFSA issues this year and are being flexible 2) Email the financial aid office at your daughter's school explaining the situation - they can often mark your file as "FAFSA pending" so you don't lose priority consideration 3) Once you do get the form submitted, you'll need to wait for processing (typically 3-5 business days) before schools can download your information 4) If you've already signed, you shouldn't need to re-sign. Just find the final submit button after the signatures page 5) The 2025-2026 FAFSA has been particularly problematic with these user interface issues

my daughter had this problem too and we realized she put a wrong answer on the drug conviction question which prevented submission but didnt tell us why!!! check all your answers maybe theres something flagged

UPDATE: Problem solved! Thanks to everyone's advice, I logged back in and carefully went through every page. Turns out, we HAD completed and signed everything correctly, but there was indeed a final "SUBMIT FAFSA FORM" button on a confirmation page AFTER the signatures that we somehow missed. It wasn't very obvious! Clicked it, got our confirmation and SAI number, and emailed the financial aid offices at her top schools to let them know about the delay. Relief!!! This forum saved us from missing her financial aid deadlines!

So happy to hear you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always tell families to look for that final submit button after signatures - it's such a common stumbling block. The FAFSA interface really needs to be clearer about that final step. Your experience will definitely help other parents who run into the same issue. Wishing your daughter the best with her college applications and financial aid!

Welcome to the FAFSA journey, Dylan! You're smart to be reading through these experiences ahead of time. A few tips that might help when you get there: 1) Take screenshots at each major step, especially after signing, 2) Don't rush through that final confirmation area - look carefully for any submit buttons, 3) Keep your FSA ID info handy in case you need to log back in, and 4) If you get stuck, don't hesitate to reach out here or contact your school's financial aid office directly. The process can definitely feel overwhelming at first, but you've got this! Having this community knowledge beforehand puts you way ahead of where most of us started.

This is such a valuable thread! I'm a parent who went through this exact same nightmare last year with my oldest son's FAFSA. The confusion between "completed" and "submitted" is so real - we also got stuck at that final step and didn't realize there was another button to click after signatures. What made it worse was that the status page kept saying "form started" even though we'd spent hours filling everything out perfectly. I ended up having to drive to his high school and ask the guidance counselor to walk through it with us on their computer. Turned out we missed that final submit button too! For anyone reading this who hasn't started yet: budget extra time for this process and don't assume you're done just because you've signed everything. The interface is genuinely confusing and it's not your fault if you get stuck. So glad Keisha got it resolved and shared the solution!