FAFSA website freezing after first page - stuck in save loop
Is anyone else having technical issues with the FAFSA site today? I can log in fine and get to the first page where I enter all my basic information, but after I hit save, the site completely freezes. I've tried refreshing, closing the browser, even switching from Chrome to Edge, but I keep hitting the same wall. It saves successfully but won't let me continue to the next section. This is my 4th attempt today and I'm starting to panic because my college's priority deadline is next week. Any troubleshooting tips before I lose my mind?
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Sebastian Scott
OMG YES!!!! Been stuck since yesterday with the EXACT same thing. Saves but won't proceed. Called the helpline but gave up after 45 min on hold. So frustrating when they make this process mandatory but then the site doesn't even work right!!
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Sarah Jones
•At least I'm not alone! Did you try using a different device? I'm wondering if it's my laptop or if it's happening to everyone.
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Emily Sanjay
I had this issue last week. For me, it was browser-related. Try these steps: 1. Clear your cache and cookies completely 2. Disable all browser extensions 3. Use incognito/private browsing mode 4. Make sure your browser is fully updated If none of that works, try using a completely different device. The FAFSA site tends to have these issues during peak application periods.
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Sarah Jones
•Thank you! I'll try all these steps right now. I didn't even think about browser extensions possibly causing problems.
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Jordan Walker
mines been doing the same thing i tried on my phone and still freezes after hitting save. something must be wrong with the site but of COURSE they don't put up any notice or anything 🙄
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Natalie Adams
•The FAFSA site has been having intermittent issues all week. They actually did post a notice about it on the studentaid.gov Twitter account, saying they're working on resolving technical difficulties. They recommend trying during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening).
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Elijah O'Reilly
This is a known issue that the Federal Student Aid office is working to fix. It seems to be affecting people who are using certain saved information from previous years. Here are some additional troubleshooting steps: 1. Try accessing at non-peak hours (before 8am or after 10pm) 2. If you're using a saved FAFSA from last year, try starting a new application instead 3. Check if you're getting stuck specifically on the dependency determination section - this has been a common issue point 4. Make sure your browser supports their latest security updates (Firefox and Chrome are generally most reliable) If all else fails, call Federal Student Aid directly. Your school's financial aid office can't fix FAFSA technical issues, unfortunately.
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Sarah Jones
•Thank you for the detailed info! I never thought about the connection to using saved info from previous years. I'll try starting a completely new application tonight after 10pm and see if that helps.
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Amara Torres
If you need to reach FSA by phone, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was stuck in the same situation last month and spent DAYS trying to get through to someone. Claimyr got me connected in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Totally worth it when you're up against a deadline and need to actually speak to someone.
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Sarah Jones
•I've never heard of this service before. Did they actually help resolve your technical issue when you got through? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
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Amara Torres
•Yes! Once I got connected, the agent walked me through clearing some corrupted data in my account, and I was able to complete my application that same day. Much better than just hoping the site eventually starts working.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
Pro tip: Sometimes the FAFSA site has server-side issues that nothing on your end can fix. In these cases, document everything. Take screenshots of the error, note the time/date, and browser you were using. If you miss a school deadline due to FAFSA technical issues, most financial aid offices will grant extensions if you can provide evidence that you were attempting to complete it before the deadline.
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Sarah Jones
•That's really good advice. I just took screenshots of where it's freezing and the error code that eventually pops up. I'll email my school's financial aid office tomorrow if I still can't get through.
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Jordan Walker
i tried all the browser stuff and still nothing. this is the THIRD year ive had major technical issues with fafsa. last year they lost my parents tax info TWICE and i almost missed out on my pell grant. the whole systems a joke
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Emily Sanjay
•That's really frustrating. FAFSA technical issues seem to get worse every year despite them supposedly 'simplifying' the process. Were you ever able to resolve the tax info issue last year? I'm worried about that happening to me this year.
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Sarah Jones
UPDATE: I finally got it working! For anyone else having this issue, here's what worked for me: 1. Waited until 11pm when fewer people were on the site 2. Started a completely fresh application (didn't use any saved info) 3. Used Firefox in private browsing mode with no extensions The system let me complete everything without freezing. Now I'm just worried my SAI calculation will be affected because I couldn't transfer my tax information directly from the IRS...hopefully not!
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Elijah O'Reilly
•Great news! The SAI calculation shouldn't be affected as long as you input the same tax information manually. Just double-check all the AGI, untaxed income, and tax paid figures match exactly what's on your tax return. The direct transfer is more about convenience and reducing errors, but manual entry works fine if the numbers are correct.
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Sarah Jones
•Thank you! That's a huge relief. I was able to enter all my tax info directly from my returns, so hopefully everything will process correctly.
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Carmen Sanchez
I'm having the exact same issue! Been trying since this morning and it's so frustrating. I'm glad to see Sarah got it working with the late-night/fresh application approach. I'm going to try that tonight. Has anyone else noticed if certain sections of the FAFSA are more prone to freezing than others? I'm wondering if there's a pattern to when these technical issues occur during the application process.
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Aisha Rahman
•From what I've seen in this thread and my own experience, the freezing seems to happen most often right after the basic information section and around the dependency determination part. @19f72f83fd18 mentioned that earlier too. I think it might be related to the site trying to pull or save data from previous years. The late-night approach definitely seems to be the key - I'm planning to try around midnight tonight with a completely fresh start like @e08769462bbb did. Fingers crossed!
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