FAFSA system won't let my daughter fix wrong birthdate - caught in FSA/school loop

omg same thing happn to my son last fall!!! the stupid system wouldnt let him fix it either. after like 3 weeks of back n forth we finally got someone at fafsa who knew what they were doing. u need to ask specifically for a "data correction review" not just talk to the regular people

This is actually a common issue with the FAFSA system. When there's a birthdate error, neither the school nor the standard FSA helpline staff can directly change it because it's tied to your daughter's FSA ID account verification. Here's what you need to do: 1. Your daughter needs to log into her FSA ID account (not the FAFSA application) at studentaid.gov/fsa-id 2. Go to the profile settings and request a "Personal Information Change" 3. She'll need to submit documentation (usually a scan of her birth certificate or driver's license) 4. After verification (usually takes 3-5 business days), she can then go back into her FAFSA and the correct birthdate should be available If the online system still won't allow the change, you need to specifically ask for the "Identity Resolution Group" when you call the Federal Student Aid Information Center. Regular support staff often don't know about this specialized department.

I had an issue where my name was misspelled on my fafsa and neither the school or fafsa people would fix it. Finally got so frustrated I gave up and just used the wrong name all year lol. The whole system is broken

After 3 failed attempts to get through to FSA last month for a similar issue (kept getting disconnected after waiting 1+ hours), I finally tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach someone. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Worked great and I got through to the Identity Resolution Group who fixed my son's SSN mismatch. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once you get through, definitely ask for that specialized department the other commenter mentioned. Regular agents will just send you back to the school.

I work in financial aid, and this is unfortunately a common issue. The birthdate is tied to your daughter's FSA ID identity verification, which is why regular FSA agents and schools can't easily fix it. When there's a discrepancy between the FSA ID information and the FAFSA application, it triggers a verification flag in the system. One important thing others haven't mentioned: while you're waiting for this to be resolved, make sure your daughter contacts her school's financial aid office IN WRITING (email) explaining the situation and requesting they place a note on her file about the pending correction. This can help prevent her from missing priority deadlines for institutional aid and grants, as many schools will make accommodations if they know there's an active FSA ID issue being resolved.

THE EXACT SAME THING happened with my son's FAFSA application!!! His birth year was wrong and no one would fix it. The school said call FAFSA, FAFSA said talk to the school. I ended up writing a formal appeal letter to the FSA correction department (don't remember exactly what it's called) with a copy of his birth certificate. Took FOREVER like 3 weeks but they finally fixed it. This is why the system is so messed up!!! Also make sure when it's finally corrected that you check if your daughter's SAI changed because sometimes these corrections affect the calculation.

have u tried making a complete new fsa id and starting over? might be easier than fixing the old one. just a thought

UPDATE: I finally got through to the Identity Resolution Group this morning! You all were right - I had to specifically ask to be transferred to them. The regular agent initially tried to send me back to the school, but I insisted on speaking with Identity Resolution. They confirmed that birthdate corrections can't be made by schools or regular FSA agents. They've submitted my daughter's correction request and said it will take 3-5 business days to process. They also put a note in her file that this is being resolved so her application won't be rejected. Thank you all for your help! For anyone else with this issue, definitely ask specifically for the Identity Resolution Group - don't take no for an answer when they try to send you back to the school.

So glad you got through to the right department! This thread is going to be so helpful for other parents dealing with this same issue. I'm bookmarking it because I have a feeling we'll run into similar problems when my younger son applies next year. The fact that you have to specifically ask for "Identity Resolution Group" and that regular agents don't mention this department is really frustrating - they should have better training on these common issues. Thanks for updating us with the resolution!

This is such a valuable thread! I'm a new parent going through the FAFSA process for the first time and had no idea about the Identity Resolution Group. The fact that you have to know to ask specifically for this department is really concerning - how many students and families are getting stuck in this same loop without knowing there's a specialized team that can actually help? I'm definitely saving this information for future reference. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to those who work in financial aid for providing the insider knowledge about documenting issues with schools and the FSA ID profile settings. This kind of community support is invaluable when navigating these complex systems!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where my daughter's middle initial is wrong on her FAFSA (shows "M" instead of "N"). We've been getting the same runaround between the school and FSA for the past two weeks. Based on what everyone shared here, I'm going to call tomorrow and specifically ask for the Identity Resolution Group - I had no idea this department even existed! It's so frustrating that regular agents don't mention these specialized teams. Thank you Kristin for sharing your experience and everyone else for the detailed advice. This is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that you can't find in any official documentation. Definitely going to have my daughter email her financial aid office today to document the issue like Hailey suggested.

This entire thread has been a lifesaver! I'm currently dealing with the exact same birthdate issue with my son's FAFSA - he accidentally entered 2005 instead of 2006 and we've been stuck in that same frustrating loop between the school and FSA for over a week now. Reading through everyone's experiences, I had no idea about the Identity Resolution Group or that this was such a common problem. I'm definitely going to try calling tomorrow and asking specifically for that department. It's honestly ridiculous that families have to become detective-level experts just to fix simple data entry mistakes on these forms. Thank you Kristin for the detailed update showing it actually worked, and thanks to everyone else who shared the specific steps and insider knowledge. This is the kind of real help that the official FAFSA support should be providing but clearly isn't. Bookmarking this thread for sure!

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a parent with twins who will both be applying for FAFSA next year, and I had no idea about the Identity Resolution Group or how common these data correction issues are. Reading through everyone's experiences really highlights how broken the communication is between regular FSA agents and families - the fact that you have to know the exact department name to ask for is absurd. I'm definitely saving all this information and will make sure my kids double and triple check every single piece of data before submitting their applications. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and especially to those who provided the step-by-step solutions. This kind of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing is invaluable when the official support system clearly isn't working properly. I'll be referencing this thread when we inevitably run into our own FAFSA issues!

This whole thread has been such a wake-up call for me! I'm a first-time FAFSA parent and had no idea these kinds of data correction issues were so common or that there was a specialized Identity Resolution Group that regular agents don't even mention. It's honestly shocking that families have to become experts in navigating these bureaucratic mazes just to fix simple typos. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and taking notes on all the specific steps everyone shared - especially the tip about documenting everything with the school in writing and keeping a log of all phone calls. It's ridiculous that the system is designed so poorly, but I'm grateful for this community sharing the real solutions that actually work. Thank you Kristin for the detailed updates and everyone else for the insider knowledge - this is going to save so many families from getting stuck in that same frustrating loop!

This thread is exactly what I needed to find! My son is dealing with the same birthdate error issue right now - he entered 2005 instead of 2004 on his FAFSA and we've been stuck in that horrible loop between the school and FSA for almost two weeks. I've called the regular FAFSA number four times and each agent just keeps telling me the school has to fix it, but the school keeps saying it's a federal system issue they can't touch. Reading through everyone's experiences here, I had absolutely no idea there was an Identity Resolution Group or that you had to specifically ask for them by name! It's infuriating that regular support agents don't mention this specialized department exists. I'm calling tomorrow morning armed with all this knowledge from you all. Thank you so much Kristin for sharing your step-by-step resolution and to everyone else who provided the insider tips about documenting with the school and keeping call logs. This community support is literally saving families from these bureaucratic nightmares that the official system should be handling properly in the first place!

This entire thread should be pinned at the top of this community! As a newcomer to the FAFSA process, I'm absolutely floored by how many families are dealing with these data correction issues and how poorly the official support system handles them. The fact that there's a specialized Identity Resolution Group that regular FSA agents apparently don't even know about (or don't mention) is mind-blowing. I'm taking screenshots of all these step-by-step solutions and department names because it's clear that navigating FAFSA successfully requires insider knowledge that isn't available anywhere in the official documentation. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - especially Kristin for the detailed updates showing the actual resolution process, and to the financial aid professionals who provided the behind-the-scenes explanations. This is the kind of real-world guidance that every FAFSA family needs but can't get from the official channels. I'm bookmarking this thread as essential reading for anyone starting this process!