FAFSA two-step verification codes not arriving - anyone else experiencing delays?

same here!! been trying since yesterday and NOTHING. called the number but got hung up on after waiting for like 45 mins 😡

This is a known issue that started about 48 hours ago. The verification system is experiencing delays due to high volume as we approach priority deadlines for the 2025-2026 application cycle. A few things to try: 1. Check your spam/junk folder if you're using email verification 2. Try switching between email and phone verification if both are on your account 3. Check if your phone has any text blocking services active 4. Clear your browser cache completely and try again 5. Try accessing during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) DON'T create a new account as this will cause problems with your existing application. The Federal Student Aid office is aware of the issue and working on a fix.

I had this problem last week! For me, it was actually my cell carrier blocking the texts because they thought it was spam. I had to call T-Mobile and have them whitelist the FSA number. After that the codes started coming through again.

Listen up everyone - the 2FA system for FAFSA is GARBAGE this year. With all the "improvements" they made to the system for 2025-2026, they broke more than they fixed. I work at a college financial aid office and we're getting DOZENS of calls about this exact issue every day. The system is overloaded and they don't have proper server capacity to handle the verification requests. Your application itself is fine and this won't affect your SAI calculation. The processing happens even if you can't log in to see it. But you NEED to keep trying because some schools require you to view and confirm your SAI before they'll process your aid package.

I struggled with this exact same problem for DAYS last week trying to help my daughter with her fafsa!! we were going CRAZY trying different phones, emails, everything! you know what finally worked? using Claimyr to get through to an actual FSA agent. someone on here recommended it and i was skeptical but desperate. the agent manually pushed through the verification codes and fixed whatever was blocking them. the site is claimyr.com and they have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ beat waiting on hold for hours and getting disconnected! the agent was able to see exactly what was wrong with my daughter's account.

If you're having trouble with the two-factor authentication codes, I highly recommend checking if your phone number is correctly listed in your profile. My daughter had this issue and we discovered her number was entered with the wrong area code. Also, make sure to check your carrier's spam filtering settings as mentioned above. If none of that works, you can also request a temporary bypass of 2FA by submitting an exception request through the help portal. This is only for urgent situations where you have an immediate deadline, but it has worked for several students I've advised who were in similar situations. Your SAI will continue to process regardless of login issues, but you do need access to your account if you receive a verification request or need to make corrections.

my cousin works for fafsa call center and she said their whole system is messed up right now because of some update they did this weekend. she said they're fixing it but might take until wednesday.

UPDATE: The Federal Student Aid office just posted on their social media that the two-factor authentication system is currently experiencing significant delays. They're prioritizing verification codes for accounts with pending verification requests or correction deadlines within the next 72 hours. They recommend: 1. Try again during off-peak hours (before 8am or after 10pm Eastern) 2. Ensure your contact information is correct in your profile 3. If you have an urgent deadline (within 72 hours), use the Contact Us form on StudentAid.gov and select "Account Access Issues" as your topic They expect to have the system fully operational again by Wednesday.