FAFSA won't accept Parent2 signature after spouse's death - stuck in limbo

Ugh the FAFSA system is BROKEN this year!! I had the same exact problem with my daughter's application - my ex-husband isn't involved in her life at all (not deceased but completely absent) and the system kept demanding his signature. Kept getting stuck in the same loop. The chatbot is completely useless. I finally had to call 17 TIMES before I got through to an actual human.

I work in a financial aid office and we're seeing this issue constantly since the new FAFSA rollout. The system doesn't properly handle special circumstances like yours. Here's what you need to do: 1. Take screenshots of the error you're receiving 2. Call the Federal Student Aid Info Center at 1-800-433-3243 and specifically request a case number for this issue 3. Ask them to mark your application for manual review due to your spouse being deceased 4. Reach out to your son's school's financial aid office and let them know about the situation - they might be able to help push it through on their end The signature issue is a known technical problem they're still fixing. Don't waste more time with the chatbot - it's not programmed to handle these exceptions.

my mom had same thing happen when my dad died right b4 college. she had to send in death certificate to prove it. try uploading document somwhere in the portal or mail it to them. stupid system

I'm so sorry for your loss. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) when I had a similar issue with the FAFSA system this year. It got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. The agent was able to override the signature requirement in the system and mark my application as complete. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ In my case, we were dealing with a special circumstance where my daughter's father is incarcerated, and the regular channels weren't helping at all.

I want to add some important context here that might help you understand what's happening. The redesigned FAFSA has a significant technical flaw in how it handles deceased parents. The system should automatically waive the second signature when you indicate a parent is deceased, but there's a known bug where it still requires both signatures. This is what you should do: 1. Call FSA directly (not the school) and specifically mention "deceased parent signature override" - this is an internal term they use 2. They will need to place a manual override in the system 3. Have your son's Social Security number, your FSA ID, and the date you submitted the initial application ready 4. They may ask for a case ID if you've contacted them before Also, don't worry too much about deadlines - FSA has already announced flexibility for the 2025-2026 cycle because of these widespread system issues. Schools are aware of the problems.

just wondering but did u try making a seperate FSA ID for ur husband? might sound weird but my aunt had to do this for my uncle who passed and then she could sign for him. not saying its right but it worked for them last year

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now!!! The FAFSA system is TERRIBLE this year!!! I finally got through on the phone yesterday after my 5th attempt. The agent told me that for deceased parent situations, they have to manually override the signature requirement on their end. Apparently, the system isn't properly recognizing the deceased status when it gets to the signature portion. The agent said they're getting THOUSANDS of calls about this specific problem. She had to transfer me to a "tier 2" specialist who could actually do the override in the system. The whole process took about 45 minutes once I finally got through. My daughter's application now shows as processed with an SAI score, so it definitely worked.

sorry about your husband. have you tried contacting your sons school financial aid office? sometimes they can help with special circumstances like this. also is your son dependent or independent? if he's over 24 or married he might not need parent info at all

I wanted to follow up since several people have mentioned calling FSA. Getting through to FSA by phone has been extremely difficult this application cycle. The published wait times have been 1-2 hours, but many callers are being disconnected before reaching an agent. After you do connect with an agent, make sure to: 1. Get a case number for your specific issue 2. Ask for the name of the agent you're speaking with 3. Request an email confirmation of any changes they make to your application 4. Find out exactly when you should check back to see if the issue is resolved If they transfer you to a specialist, restart this process with the new agent. Documentation is crucial with these complex cases.