FAFSA website keeps stuck downloading - technical glitch or my computer?
Is anyone else having major technical issues with the studentaid.gov website today? I've been trying to complete my daughter's 2025-2026 FAFSA application for the past 2 hours, and the site keeps getting stuck in this endless downloading/loading cycle. The progress bar moves about halfway and then just sits there forever! I've tried refreshing, using different browsers (Chrome and Edge), and even restarted our home router. Nothing seems to help. I'm worried we'll miss the priority deadline for her school (Feb 15th) if I can't get this fixed. Is this a known issue with the FAFSA site right now, or should I be looking at something wrong with our internet/computer setup? Has anyone found a workaround that actually works?
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Clarissa Flair
same here!! been trying since yesterday and keeps doing that stupid loading thing. tried on my laptop AND phone. definitely their website not u
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Eve Freeman
•That's actually a relief to hear it's not just me. Have you found any times of day when it works better? I'm wondering if maybe trying really early morning might help...
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Caden Turner
The FAFSA website is probably experiencing high traffic volume right now with the priority deadlines approaching. I'd recommend trying during off-peak hours - like early morning (5-7am) or late night (after 11pm). That's when I was finally able to submit mine last week after having similar issues.
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McKenzie Shade
•Great suggestion! Also worth clearing browser cache completely. The FAFSA site uses a lot of temporary data storage that can get corrupted. For Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Clear browsing data → select "Cached images and files" → Clear data. Then restart the browser before trying again.
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Harmony Love
THIS WEBSITE IS A DISASTER EVERY SINGLE YEAR!!! I've been dealing with FAFSA for 3 kids over 7 years and EVERY TIME there's some technical nightmare. Last year it was the verification process that broke, year before it was the parent signature section. The Dept of Education gets BILLIONS of dollars but can't make a website that actually WORKS when people need it?!?! I'm so sick of this garbage system!!!
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Rudy Cenizo
•Yuuuup. And then they have the nerve to put these crazy early deadlines but their own system doesn't work half the time. My son almost lost his financial aid package last year because the SAI calculation was delayed for weeks. Called their help line like 20 times and never got through to anyone.
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Natalie Khan
I was having the same problem yesterday but I found out they're doing system maintenance. It's mentioned in small text at the bottom of their homepage that they're doing updates every day this week from 2-4pm EST. Maybe you're trying during those times? Their Twitter account (@FAFSA) also posted about temporary slowdowns due to high volume.
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Eve Freeman
•Oh! I didn't even think to check their social media or the homepage notices. You're right, I was trying right around 3pm yesterday. I'll try to avoid those maintenance windows. Thank you!
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Daryl Bright
I had this exact problem last week trying to submit my FAFSA. After nothing worked, I finally tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an actual FSA agent. They got me through to someone in about 15 minutes who confirmed they were having server issues but walked me through an alternative submission method that worked. They have a video demo if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Much better than waiting on hold for hours!
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Clarissa Flair
•does that really work? i tried calling fafsa like 5 times and always get disconnected after waiting forever
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McKenzie Shade
Just to clarify a technical point - what you're experiencing is likely related to the new SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation system that replaced the old EFC this year. The servers are processing much more complex calculations now and sometimes time out during high volume periods. A few technical workarounds that have helped others: 1. Try a completely different device (if you tried computer and phone, maybe try a tablet or a different computer) 2. Use incognito/private browsing mode 3. Disable browser extensions completely 4. Try a wired internet connection instead of WiFi 5. If you get to a point where it saves partial progress, take note of exactly which page it freezes on And remember, if you've made a good faith effort to submit by the priority deadline but technical issues prevented completion, most financial aid offices will accept documentation of your attempts (screenshots, etc.) for deadline extension purposes.
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Eve Freeman
•Thank you so much for these detailed suggestions! I didn't realize the SAI system was causing these issues. I'll try the incognito mode tonight and see if that helps. And great point about documenting the attempts - I'll start taking screenshots in case I need them for an extension request.
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Rudy Cenizo
my daughters roomate had this problem too and what worked was logging in super early in the morning like 5am when nobody else is on there. she said it worked perfect no loading issues at all when all the regular people arent on there trying at same time
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Harmony Love
•This shouldn't be necessary though!!! Federal system should be able to handle the volume. Not everyone can wake up at 5am just because the government can't build decent technology. What about working parents with multiple jobs? So frustrating.
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Eve Freeman
UPDATE: Finally got through! For anyone else having this issue, here's what worked for me: 1. Tried at 5:30am this morning as suggested (thanks everyone!) 2. Used incognito mode in Chrome with all extensions disabled 3. Made sure to save after completing EACH section The site was much faster and I didn't get the downloading loop even once. Our SAI calculation completed immediately too. Thanks for all your help everyone!
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Caden Turner
•That's great news! Smart move trying early morning. Just remember to check your email frequently for the next few weeks - sometimes they send verification requests that have short deadlines.
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Mateo Lopez
So glad you got it working! I'm dealing with the same issue right now for my twin sons' applications. Going to try the early morning approach tomorrow. Quick question - when you say "save after completing EACH section," do you mean there's a specific save button, or does it auto-save? I want to make sure I don't lose progress if it crashes again. Also, did your daughter's school accept the application right away or is there usually a delay before they confirm receipt?
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CyberSamurai
•Great question about the saving! There are actually "Save and Continue" buttons at the bottom of each major section (like after you complete Student Demographics, Parent Information, etc.). Don't rely on auto-save - definitely click those buttons! I learned this the hard way last year with my older kid's FAFSA. As for school confirmation, it usually takes 3-5 business days for the school to receive the processed FAFSA from the federal system. You'll get an email confirmation from studentaid.gov first (within 24-48 hours), then the school will send their own confirmation once they've received and reviewed it. Some schools are faster than others. Good luck with the twins' applications!
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Alfredo Lugo
Thanks for creating this thread - I was starting to think my computer was dying! I've been having the exact same loading issues for the past three days. What's really frustrating is that I got about 80% through my son's application on Tuesday, but then it froze during the parent financial information section and now I can't even get back to where I was. Has anyone else lost partial progress like this? I'm worried I'll have to start completely over. Also seeing lots of great advice here about trying early morning hours - definitely going to set my alarm for 5am tomorrow and give it another shot with incognito mode. Fingers crossed!
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Olivia Harris
•Oh no, that's so frustrating to lose progress when you were almost done! I had a similar experience last year - got about 75% through and then it crashed. The good news is that the FAFSA system usually saves some of your information even if it doesn't seem like it. When you log back in, try going through the sections again - you might find that some of your data is still there, just not all of it. Also, if you remember roughly what information you entered, it'll go much faster the second time through. Definitely try that early morning approach - seems like that's the magic solution everyone is having success with!
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