FAFSA website down? Can't access student portal since yesterday

same here. tried all morning. keeps loading then timing out. prob system maintenance or smthing

I just checked and was able to get in, but it's running SUPER slow. Try these steps that worked for me: 1. Use incognito/private browsing mode 2. Clear ALL browsing data (not just cookies) 3. Try very early morning (like 5-6am) when traffic is lower Also, you can call your school's financial aid office directly - they can often access your SAI and tell you if the FAFSA is fully processed without you needing to get into the site. They've probably been getting tons of calls about this today.

UGH the FAFSA site is THE WORST!! This happens literally EVERY YEAR during peak season. My son couldn't log in for THREE DAYS last week. Then magically on Saturday morning it worked perfectly. The whole system is broken and nobody seems to care that students' futures depend on this garbage website. If Amazon or Netflix went down for even an hour people would lose their minds, but FAFSA can be down for days and it's just "oh well, try again later" 🤬

i got in just now but took like 10 mins of refreshing. site feels like its from 2003 lol

There is actually a scheduled maintenance period happening right now according to the FSA Twitter account. It's supposed to end by tomorrow morning at 8am Eastern. For anyone facing deadlines soon, you should email your school's financial aid office explaining the situation. Most schools are aware of the ongoing FAFSA issues this cycle and have been flexible with deadlines. If you absolutely need to speak with someone at Federal Student Aid directly about your application status, I've had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They'll hold your place in line and call you back when an agent is available - saved me hours of waiting on hold. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

I work at a university financial aid office, and yes, there's a scheduled maintenance happening right now. But even when there isn't maintenance, the site has been experiencing intermittent issues since the FAFSA Simplification rollout. Most schools are well aware of these technical problems and have been instructed to be flexible with deadlines when FAFSA processing issues are involved. I would recommend: 1. Email your financial aid office immediately explaining you can't access the portal 2. Take screenshots of any error messages you receive 3. Ask specifically for an extension on your acceptance deadline Don't panic - your daughter won't lose her financial aid package because of technical issues on the Federal Student Aid side. Just make sure to document your attempts to access the information.

My daughter had the same issue last week! I ended up calling her school and they extended her deadline by 10 days because so many people were having problems. definitely worth asking about! good luck!!

Just an update - the site appears to be working normally now. I was able to log in and access everything without any delays. Might want to try again when you have a chance!