FAFSA website error 'Unknown error has occurred' preventing login since January - anyone else?

I've been getting this exact error!!! It's so ANNOYING!! Been trying since February and the stupid website just won't load. :( I have a scholarship that needs my FAFSA info by next week and I'm starting to PANIC!!!

This is a known issue with their verification system. Sometimes it shows your email/phone as verified but the internal system doesn't properly register it. Two things that helped some students I work with: 1. Wait 24 hours after verification before trying to log in again 2. Use the account recovery option instead of regular login 3. Make sure your browser allows third-party cookies (studentaid.gov uses these) If those don't work, you need to contact FSA directly to have them manually verify your account. Their system rollout this year has been extremely problematic.

lol welcome to the wonderful world of FAFSA where nothing works right and we all suffer. i had this error and eventually it just randomly started working again after like 3 weeks. no idea why. government websites are the WORST.

After dealing with this same error for almost a month, I finally got it resolved! The key was actually speaking to a human being at FSA. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an agent is available. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through, the agent explained that my account had been locked due to "multiple verification attempts" (which was just me trying to get in!). They were able to unlock it immediately. My SAI score was actually calculated and waiting for me once I could log in.

The financial aid office at my college said they're getting tons of calls about this error. Apparently it has something to do with the new FAFSA system rollout this year. They told me schools have been given extensions on some deadlines because of all the technical problems.

For anyone still experiencing this error, the Department of Education released a statement yesterday acknowledging the widespread login issues. They recommend: 1. Clearing your browser cache completely 2. Ensuring your FSA ID credentials are up-to-date 3. Trying during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) 4. Using the mobile app instead of the website if possible They've also extended many institutional deadlines because of these technical difficulties. I recommend contacting your school's financial aid office to see if they've adjusted their deadlines.

I'm dealing with this same exact issue! Been locked out since late January with that same "unknown error" message. What's really frustrating is that I can see my verification is complete, but then it just crashes when trying to access my actual FAFSA. I tried the mobile app suggestion from @Grace Patel and it actually got me one step further than the website, but still ultimately failed. Has anyone had success with the account recovery option? I'm worried about making it worse by trying too many different methods. Really hoping the Claimyr service @Isabella Russo mentioned works because I'm running out of options here!

I've been lurking here for weeks dealing with this same nightmare! Finally got through to FSA yesterday using the Claimyr service @Isabella Russo mentioned - it's legit and totally worth the small fee. Turns out my account was flagged for "suspicious activity" just because I tried logging in from different devices (my laptop, phone, library computer). The agent cleared it in about 5 minutes once I proved my identity. For anyone still stuck: they told me this error is affecting about 15% of users and they're working on a permanent fix. In the meantime, they recommend only using ONE device/browser to access your account once it's working again. Also confirmed that most schools have gotten deadline extensions through April because of these issues, so don't panic too much about timing!

Just wanted to add my experience to this thread since I literally just resolved this exact same issue this morning! I was getting the "unknown error has occurred" message since early February and tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, waiting 24 hours between attempts, you name it. What finally worked was the Claimyr service that @Isabella Russo and @Nasira Ibanez mentioned. Got connected to an FSA agent in about 30 minutes and they immediately identified that my account was in some kind of verification limbo state. The agent said this is happening because their new system sometimes doesn't properly sync the verification status between different parts of their database. She reset something on her end and boom - I was able to log in immediately after. My SAI was already calculated and waiting! For anyone still dealing with this, definitely try Claimyr - it's worth every penny to actually talk to a human who can fix it instantly rather than banging your head against the website for months.