FAFSA system freezing after adding parent's spouse info and IRS consent - can't access anything now

This happened to me three weeks ago after adding my mom's boyfriend as a contributor. The system is super buggy this year with the new format. Try these three things: 1. Clear your browser cache and cookies completely 2. Try using a different browser altogether (I switched from Chrome to Firefox and it worked) 3. Wait 24 hours - sometimes their system just needs time to process everything If none of that works, you'll need to call Federal Student Aid directly, but be prepared to wait on hold FOREVER.

omg same thing happen to me!! added my stepmom then everything broke

The FAFSA system is GARBAGE this year. I've been having nothing but problems since they rolled out this "new and improved" version. Sometimes it works for a few steps then completely freezes. Other times I can't even log in. Then magically it works fine the next day. No rhyme or reason to any of it.

This is actually a known issue when adding contributors, especially when the IRS data retrieval is activated in the same session. The FAFSA system has trouble processing multiple authorizations simultaneously. Here's what you need to do: 1. Wait at least 24-48 hours (this is important - the system needs time to fully process both the contributor addition AND the IRS consent) 2. Try logging in using a private/incognito browser window 3. If that doesn't work, you'll need to contact Federal Student Aid directly to have them manually reset your application access The issue is related to how the system handles the contributor permissions and IRS verification requests when they occur close together. It's a technical limitation they're aware of but haven't fixed yet.

If you do end up needing to call Federal Student Aid, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent faster. I was in a similar situation last month and spent hours trying to get through before discovering their service. They basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent is ready. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ They got me through to someone who fixed my locked account in about 10 minutes. The agent told me this contributor-IRS bug has been happening a lot with the new system.

Just wanted to add - make sure when you try again that you're using the exact same spelling of names and same email addresses as before. I've seen cases where people get locked out, try again with slight variations in their information, and it creates duplicate profiles in the system which causes even more problems.

UPDATE: It finally worked! After waiting about 30 hours, I tried logging in with an incognito window like suggested, and everything loaded properly. We were able to finish the parent contribution section and submit the whole application. The SAI score showed up instantly which was a relief. Thanks everyone for your help!