FAFSA website glitch preventing parent financial information entry - can't complete 2025-2026 application

YES!! I'm having the EXACT same problem with my daughter's FAFSA! The stupid savings/investments fields keep resetting to zero even though I've entered the information correctly like 8 times. I also tried different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) and even my phone but nothing works. This new system is garbage. I miss the old one so much.

I'm a financial aid counselor, and we've been seeing this issue frequently with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. There appears to be a bug in the parent financial section that affects users during high-traffic periods. Two potential workarounds: 1. Try completing the form very early morning (4-6am) or late night (after 11pm) when server load is lower 2. If a field won't accept data, try entering a value that's $1 less than your actual amount, then go back later to correct it during verification Also, document everything with screenshots showing the errors. This will help if you need to request a professional judgment review later due to these technical issues.

my son got his fafsa done but took 3 weeks bcuz the website kept crashing. he almost missed priority deadline for his state grant..... why did they change everything???? my daughter is applying next year and im dreading it

If you're struggling with the FAFSA parent financial section glitch, this seems to be affecting thousands of families this year. After working with several students facing this issue, I've found that in addition to trying during off-peak hours, clearing cache/cookies and restarting your browser can help. Also, a technical note: the FAFSA system is pulling data from IRS records differently this year, which sometimes conflicts with manual entries. If you received child support, make sure it's correctly reported on your tax return, as the system is trying to match these values. For the checking/savings fields, try entering whole numbers only (no decimal places) if you haven't already.

I was having the same nightmare with my twins' FAFSA applications. Spent weeks trying to get through on the phone with no luck. Then I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual FAFSA representative in about 15 minutes. The rep was able to manually note our application and provided steps to bypass the glitchy parent financial section. They have a video demo explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Seriously, after three weeks of frustration, I finally got both applications completed thanks to speaking with an actual human who could help.

The new FAFSA is completely BROKEN. I work in college admissions and we've seen a 40% DROP in completed FAFSAs compared to last year because of these technical issues. It's a disaster affecting low-income students the most. Don't even get me started on the botched rollout and delayed processing times. The Department of Education should be ashamed of this mess!

has anyone had the issue where it keeps saying "account locked" after you enter all the information? this happened to my nephew and they had to create a whole new FSA ID which is ridiculous. just wondering if its related to all these other glitches

Good news - the Department of Education just released a patch yesterday that's supposed to fix the parent financial information glitch. If you're still experiencing the issue, try these steps: 1. Clear your browser cache completely 2. Log out of your FAFSA account 3. Wait 30 minutes (this is important - the system needs time to reset your session) 4. Log back in with your FSA ID 5. Try completing the parent financial section again I've had several students report success with this method since the patch was implemented. Also, if you're approaching important deadlines, reach out directly to the financial aid offices at your children's schools. Many are offering extensions specifically due to these FAFSA technical difficulties.

UPDATE: Success! I finally got both applications completed and submitted! For anyone still struggling, here's what worked for me: 1. I used the Claimyr service mentioned above to speak with an actual FAFSA representative who documented our case 2. Applied the patch fix that was suggested (clearing cache, waiting 30 min, etc.) 3. Completed the form at 5:30am when server traffic was minimal The representative also told me they're prioritizing applications that have documented technical issues, so hopefully our SAI calculations won't be too delayed. Thank you all for your help and suggestions! This community saved my sanity.

I'm so glad to see there's finally some good news in this thread! As a parent who went through this nightmare last year with my oldest, I can't stress enough how important it is to document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of error messages, save email confirmations, and keep notes of who you spoke with and when. One thing I learned the hard way - even after you successfully submit, keep checking your student aid report (SAR) regularly. The system glitches can sometimes cause processing delays or require additional verification steps that aren't clearly communicated. My daughter's aid package was delayed by 6 weeks because we didn't realize additional documents were needed due to a processing error. Also, for families with multiple kids applying - consider staggering your submissions by a few days if possible. The system seems to handle single applications better than when you're trying to manage multiple at once. Wishing everyone patience and success with this frustrating process!