Filed wrong FAFSA application as parent - can't change it or reach anyone by phone!

omg the EXACT SAME THING happened to me last month!!! except i submitted my son's info under the parent section or something?? idk but it was all messed up. tried calling like 50 times and never got through. finally had to just delete the whole application and start over. but even that was a nightmare bc the system wouldnt let me delete for like 5 days!!!

This happens more than you'd think this application cycle. The new FAFSA system has been incredibly problematic with these kinds of errors. Here's what you need to do: 1. Don't keep trying to modify - it won't work. You need to withdraw the incorrect application completely. 2. Go to studentaid.gov, log in with YOUR FSA ID (not your daughter's) 3. Navigate to the FAFSA form section 4. Find the submitted application and look for the "withdraw FAFSA form" option 5. Once withdrawn (it may take 1-3 business days to process), you can start a new application Make sure when you restart, your daughter creates/uses her own FSA ID to begin the application, then adds you as a contributor using your FSA ID. This ensures proper roles are assigned.

I work in a college financial aid office and see this situation regularly. A few important points: 1. Don't panic about the deadline yet - most schools understand the FAFSA system issues this year and have some flexibility 2. You absolutely need to withdraw the incorrect application before submitting a new one - two active FAFSAs will cause major problems 3. If the withdraw option isn't available, it's because the system is still processing the original submission. This can take 3-7 business days currently. 4. Document everything - take screenshots of error messages, note dates/times of call attempts 5. Contact your daughter's prospective schools directly to alert them to the situation. Many have institutional forms you can complete in the interim. The most effective method I've seen for actually reaching FSA by phone is using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. One of my students showed me their video demo (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) and it's helped several families get through the current FAFSA chaos.

the new fafsa is a COMPLETE DISASTER!!!! my daughter lost out on $15,000 in aid because of their stupid glitches and errors. we couldn't fix our application and missed the priority deadline at her dream school. now she's going to her safety school instead. NOBODY at the department of education cares either. filed complaints everywhere and got ZERO response. the entire system should be thrown out and rebuilt from scratch.

Have you tried contacting both the school's financial aid office AND your high school counselor? When we had a similar issue (though not identical), our daughter's high school counselor had a direct contact at the Federal Student Aid office who helped push our correction through. Not all counselors have these connections, but it's worth asking. Also, if you can't get the application withdrawn through normal channels, sometimes schools can access a different system to flag problematic applications. They can't change your information, but they can sometimes add notes or trigger a review. Don't give up! The SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation will be completely wrong if you submitted as an independent student rather than with parent information. This could actually work in your favor at some schools and against you at others, but either way it's not the correct information.

I want to clarify something important here - you mentioned filing "the wrong application type." There's actually only one FAFSA application, but with different questions depending on dependency status. It sounds like you may have incorrectly answered the dependency questions, making the system think your daughter is an independent student when she should be a dependent student with parent information included. This is a critical distinction because: 1. If you truly submitted a completely different form (like a Pell Grant-only application instead of FAFSA), the solution is different 2. If you simply answered the dependency questions incorrectly on the standard FAFSA, that requires a different correction process Can you confirm which scenario matches your situation? This will help us provide more accurate guidance.

i used that Claimyr thing someone mentioned above last week when i was locked out of my FSA ID and couldn't fix our FAFSA mistake. actually got through to a real person in about 30 min when i had been trying for days before! the agent was able to unlock our application so we could cancel it and start over. wasn't cheap but saved my sanity lol

Update on withdrawal timing: The FSA office just informed financial aid administrators yesterday that application withdrawals are currently taking 5-7 business days to process due to system backlogs. After withdrawal processes, there's also a 24-48 hour waiting period before you can submit a new application. Given your daughter's priority deadline in 3 weeks, I strongly recommend: 1. Email documentation of your situation to the financial aid offices at all her prospective schools immediately 2. Request a deadline exception due to the FAFSA system issues 3. Ask if they have an institutional verification form you can complete while waiting for the FAFSA correction Most schools are being flexible this year given the widespread FAFSA problems. If you explain the situation proactively, they typically hold your place in line for aid consideration while you sort out the technical issues.

One more thing - when you restart the FAFSA, be extremely careful with the contributor process. This year's system requires the student to start the application and then officially invite parents as contributors. Many families have had problems because: 1. Parents tried to start the application (wrong approach) 2. Students didn't properly send the contributor invitation 3. Parents used the wrong FSA ID when accepting the contributor invitation The correct sequence is: 1. Student creates/uses their FSA ID 2. Student starts 2025-2026 FAFSA application 3. When prompted about parent contributors, student enters parent email 4. Parent receives email invitation 5. Parent uses THEIR OWN FSA ID to accept invitation 6. Parent completes only their portion 7. Student finalizes and submits Follow this exact process to avoid another submission error.

Based on everything you've shared, here's your action plan: 1. Wait for withdrawal option to appear (5-7 business days from original submission) 2. Contact schools now about deadline exceptions (with documentation) 3. Use Claimyr or similar service if you need to speak directly with FSA 4. After withdrawal processes, wait 1-2 days before starting new application 5. Follow the correct student-initiates process for the new application Your daughter will not lose aid eligibility due to this error as long as you communicate proactively with her schools. The most important financial aid deadlines are actually the schools' institutional aid deadlines, which are often different from their FAFSA priority dates. Be sure to check those as well. Hang in there - this year's FAFSA process has been challenging for almost everyone!

I went through something similar last year with my oldest daughter! The stress is absolutely real, but you're getting great advice here. One thing that really helped us was creating a shared Google doc with all the important dates, error messages, and contact attempts - it made communicating with the schools much easier when we had everything documented in one place. Also, don't beat yourself up too much about the mistake. The new FAFSA system is genuinely confusing, and even financial aid professionals are struggling with it this year. My daughter's college told us they've seen a 300% increase in these types of errors compared to previous years. You're definitely not alone, and the schools really are being understanding about it. One tip for when you do the new application: have your daughter sit right next to you when you both go through it step by step. We found it helpful to read each question out loud before answering to make sure we understood what they were asking. Good luck - you've got this! 💪