How to completely delete FAFSA application and restart from scratch?

pretty sure you cant delete it completely. once its in there system its in there. you have to do the corrections thing

You actually cannot completely delete a submitted FAFSA application. Once it's been processed in the Federal Student Aid system, you're limited to the corrections option. However, there are a few things you can do to essentially "reset" most of the information: 1. Use the corrections feature to systematically go through EVERY section, even ones you think are correct 2. Print out a blank FAFSA worksheet first, fill it out correctly on paper, then transfer all that information to the corrections form 3. Contact your daughter's college financial aid office - they can sometimes help reset certain portions on their end 4. Make sure you're using the correct FSA ID (yours vs. your daughter's) when making corrections The SAI changing makes sense if you're adjusting income figures. Each correction recalculates the entire formula.

omg i had the same thing happen last year with my son's application!! it was a nightmare! we kept correcting things and it kept getting worse. turns out we were using my FSA ID when we should have been using his for some sections and mine for others. so confusing!!!!

While you can't technically delete a FAFSA application, here's what I had to do in a similar situation with my twins last year: 1. Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-433-3243) directly and explain the situation. They can sometimes help "reset" certain sections if you explain why. 2. Unfortunately, I spent 3 HOURS on hold trying to reach them. After multiple disconnected calls, I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual human at FSA in under 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ 3. Once I reached someone, they walked me through exactly which corrections needed to be made and how to properly do it without creating more errors. The phone support was actually really helpful once I finally got through to them!

Financial aid counselor here. You definitely cannot delete a FAFSA once it's been submitted, but there are a few important things to know: 1. Colleges only see the most recent version of your FAFSA data, not all your correction attempts 2. For investment accounts, double-check if they should be reported at all - many retirement accounts are EXCLUDED from FAFSA reporting (like 401k, IRA, pensions) 3. For the summer job income, make sure you're entering it in the correct tax year section 4. The SAI changes are normal with corrections - it's recalculating based on new information Most importantly, contact your daughter's school's financial aid office DIRECTLY. They deal with these issues constantly and can often help walk you through the exact corrections needed for their systems. They want to help you get this right!

This entire FAFSA system is RIDICULOUS!! They completely redesigned it this year and it's a TOTAL DISASTER. My daughter and I have been stuck in the same corrections nightmare for weeks. The help section is useless and the phone lines never connect to actual humans. I'm convinced the whole thing is designed to be so frustrating that people just give up on getting financial aid. Why can't they make a system that actually WORKS?? And why is there no simple "start over" button?? EVERY other website in existence has this basic functionality!! Sorry for the rant, but I'm just as frustrated as you are. This system is broken.

Following up on my earlier comment - here's a systematic approach that has worked for many families I've helped: 1. First, gather ALL the correct documentation before starting corrections: - Tax returns from the correct year (2024-2025 FAFSA uses 2022 taxes) - W-2 forms for all jobs - Current bank statements - Investment account statements (excluding retirement accounts) - Records of untaxed income if applicable 2. Set aside at least 2 hours of uninterrupted time to make ALL corrections at once 3. Use both parent and student FSA IDs correctly: - Parent sections must be signed with parent FSA ID - Student sections must be signed with student FSA ID 4. Go through EVERY screen, even if you think it's correct 5. Save frequently as you go Doing it all at once in a systematic way minimizes the chance of creating new errors while fixing others.

im having a similar issue but with my own fafsa. i accidentally put my step dads info instead of my real dad, but now i cant change the contributor information at all! the system wont let me delete anything just "correct" which doesnt help when the whole contributor section is wrong. has anyone figured out how to change contributor information after submitting?

UPDATE: We followed the advice here and it worked! We: 1. Printed out a blank FAFSA worksheet and filled it out correctly first 2. Called the college's financial aid office (they were super helpful!) 3. Set aside a full afternoon to make ALL corrections at once 4. Double-checked which FSA ID to use for each section The SAI score actually improved after we fixed everything properly. It took some work, but her application is now completely accurate. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

Congratulations on getting it sorted out! Your success story is really encouraging for others dealing with the same frustration. The systematic approach you described - especially printing out the worksheet first and getting the college involved - seems to be the key. For anyone else reading this thread, it's worth noting that Evelyn's experience shows that even when the FAFSA corrections process feels impossible, persistence and the right strategy can work. The college financial aid offices really are your best ally in this process since they deal with these issues daily and have direct communication channels with the federal processors. Thanks for coming back to share your success - it helps the whole community!

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where we made errors on my son's FAFSA (incorrectly reported some scholarship money and mixed up tax year information). Reading through everyone's experiences, especially @Evelyn Rivera's success story, gives me hope that we can get this fixed. I'm definitely going to try the systematic approach that @Arjun Patel outlined - printing the worksheet first and setting aside dedicated time to do all corrections at once. And @Yara Campbell's point about contacting the school's financial aid office directly is something I hadn't considered but makes total sense. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. It's reassuring to know this is a common problem and that there are ways to work through it, even if the system doesn't make it easy!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a parent going through the exact same nightmare with my daughter's FAFSA. We submitted it back in January and realized we made several mistakes with asset reporting and forgot to include some income from a part-time job she had over the summer. Like many of you, I was desperately looking for a way to just delete everything and start fresh, but it sounds like that's not possible. Reading through all the advice here, especially @Evelyn Rivera's success story and @Arjun Patel's systematic approach, gives me hope that we can get this sorted out. I'm definitely going to try the strategy of printing out a blank worksheet first and organizing all our documents before attempting corrections again. And calling our school's financial aid office is something I should have done weeks ago instead of struggling with this alone. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know this is a common problem and that there are solutions, even if the system makes it unnecessarily difficult!

As someone who just went through this exact same ordeal with my twin daughters' FAFSAs, I can't stress enough how much the advice in this thread would have saved me weeks of frustration! What finally worked for us was a combination of several strategies mentioned here: we contacted both schools' financial aid offices (they were incredibly patient and helpful), used the systematic approach of organizing ALL documents first, and most importantly - we stopped trying to rush through corrections. One thing I'd add is to take screenshots of each screen as you complete the corrections. We had an issue where the system timed out during our final submission and we lost some changes. Having screenshots helped us quickly re-enter the correct information without having to start over completely. Also, don't be afraid to call the FSA help line multiple times if needed. I got different levels of helpfulness from different representatives, but eventually found someone who really knew their stuff and walked me through some tricky sections. The FAFSA system is definitely frustrating, but seeing @Evelyn Rivera's success story and knowing that so many families eventually get through this gives hope to anyone still struggling with corrections!

I'm just starting the FAFSA process for my son and honestly, after reading through this entire thread, I'm terrified of making mistakes! It sounds like the correction process is such a nightmare that I really want to get everything right the first time. Based on all the helpful advice shared here, I'm planning to: 1. Print out the worksheet and gather ALL documents first (tax returns, W-2s, bank statements, etc.) 2. Double-check which investment accounts should actually be reported 3. Make sure I understand when to use my FSA ID vs. my son's 4. Have the school's financial aid office phone number ready just in case @Evelyn Rivera @Arjun Patel @Yara Campbell - thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and detailed strategies. This thread is like a masterclass in FAFSA survival! Are there any other common mistakes I should watch out for to avoid ending up in correction hell?

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a newcomer to this community and currently dealing with my own FAFSA correction nightmare with my daughter's application. We accidentally included some retirement account balances that shouldn't have been reported and put down the wrong tax year information initially. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially @Evelyn Rivera's success story, gives me so much hope that this can actually be resolved! The systematic approach that @Arjun Patel outlined makes perfect sense - I think our mistake was trying to make corrections piecemeal without having all our documentation organized first. I'm definitely going to follow the strategy of printing out a blank worksheet, gathering all the correct documents, and setting aside dedicated time to make all corrections at once. And @Yara Campbell's advice about contacting the school's financial aid office directly is something I should have done weeks ago instead of struggling alone with the online system. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community around what feels like an impossible process. It's reassuring to know that even though you can't delete a FAFSA application, there are proven ways to get through the corrections successfully!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly valuable this entire thread has been! I'm currently in the middle of my own FAFSA correction nightmare with my son's application - we made several mistakes with asset reporting and mixed up some income figures from his part-time job. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially seeing @Evelyn Rivera's successful resolution and the detailed systematic approach shared by @Arjun Patel, gives me so much hope that this can actually be fixed! I was also desperately looking for a way to just delete everything and start over, but now I understand that the corrections process can work if approached properly. The advice about printing out a blank worksheet first, organizing ALL documents before starting, and contacting the school's financial aid office directly are exactly the strategies I needed to hear. I've been trying to make corrections piecemeal and clearly that's not working. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and solutions - this community is such a lifeline for parents navigating this confusing process. I'm going to follow the systematic approach this weekend and will hopefully have a success story to share soon too!

I'm new to this community and currently going through the exact same FAFSA correction nightmare with my daughter's application! We made some significant errors with investment account reporting and incorrectly entered some scholarship information, and like many of you, I was desperately hoping to find a way to just delete everything and start fresh. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and strategies! @Evelyn Rivera, your success story gives me so much hope, and @Arjun Patel, your systematic approach is exactly what I needed to hear. I think my biggest mistake was trying to rush through corrections without proper organization. I'm definitely going to follow the proven strategy outlined here: print the blank worksheet, gather ALL documents first, contact our school's financial aid office, and set aside dedicated time to make all corrections systematically. @Yara Campbell's point about schools only seeing the final version is such a relief too! It's incredibly reassuring to know that even though the FAFSA system doesn't allow deletions, there are proven ways to successfully navigate the corrections process. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community around what initially felt like an impossible situation!

I'm brand new to this community and currently dealing with my own FAFSA correction crisis! My twin daughters both submitted their applications, and we made errors on both - mixed up some asset information and incorrectly reported income from their shared tutoring business. I was also desperately searching for a way to delete and restart, so this thread has been incredibly enlightening! Reading through everyone's experiences, especially @Evelyn Rivera's successful resolution, gives me real hope that we can get through this. The systematic approach outlined by @Arjun Patel makes so much sense - I think we were making the same mistake of trying to fix things piecemeal instead of organizing everything first. What I found particularly helpful was @Yara Campbell's point about retirement accounts being excluded from FAFSA reporting - we definitely included some accounts that shouldn't have been there. And @Daniel Price's tip about taking screenshots is brilliant - we actually lost progress during one of our correction attempts! I'm planning to tackle both girls' corrections this weekend using the proven strategy from this thread. It's such a relief to find a community where people actually share solutions instead of just complaining about the system. Thank you all for the detailed guidance!

I'm new to this community and currently struggling with my own FAFSA correction nightmare! My son's application has multiple errors - we accidentally reported some 529 plan values incorrectly and mixed up tax years for his summer job income. Like so many others here, I was desperately hoping to find a "delete and restart" option, but this thread has been incredibly educational about why that's not possible. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially @Evelyn Rivera's success story, gives me real hope that this can be resolved! The systematic approach shared by @Arjun Patel is exactly what I needed to see - clearly my mistake was trying to rush through corrections without proper preparation. I'm definitely going to follow the proven strategy outlined here: print out the blank worksheet first, organize ALL documents, contact our school's financial aid office, and set aside dedicated time to do everything systematically. @Yara Campbell's reassurance that schools only see the final version is such a relief, and @Daniel Price's screenshot tip is brilliant - I actually lost progress during my last attempt! Thank you all for creating such a supportive and solution-focused community. It's amazing how much less overwhelming this feels when you know you're not alone and there are actual proven strategies that work!

I'm new to this community and found this thread while desperately searching for help with my daughter's FAFSA corrections! We're dealing with similar issues - accidentally included some investment accounts that shouldn't have been reported and made errors with her work-study income reporting. This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! @Evelyn Rivera, your success story gives me so much hope, and @Arjun Patel, the systematic approach you outlined is exactly what I needed to see. I think my biggest mistake was trying to make corrections hastily without having everything organized first. I'm definitely going to follow the proven strategy everyone has shared: print the blank worksheet, gather all correct documentation, contact our financial aid office directly, and set aside proper time to do all corrections systematically. @Yara Campbell's insight about schools only seeing the final version is such a huge relief! It's so reassuring to know that even though you can't delete a FAFSA application, there are actual proven methods to successfully navigate the corrections process. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community around what initially felt like an impossible situation!

I'm brand new to this community and currently dealing with my own FAFSA correction nightmare! My daughter and I submitted her application back in February, but we made several critical errors - incorrectly reported some of my business income, included retirement accounts that shouldn't have been there, and mixed up tax year information for her part-time job. Like so many others here, I was desperately searching for a way to completely delete the application and start fresh, but this thread has been absolutely invaluable in explaining why that's not possible and what actually works instead! @Evelyn Rivera, your success story gives me real hope that this can be resolved, and @Arjun Patel, your systematic approach is exactly the roadmap I needed. I think my biggest mistake was trying to make corrections in a rush without proper organization - clearly that just creates more problems. I'm definitely going to follow the proven strategy outlined here: print out the blank worksheet first, gather ALL correct documentation, contact our school's financial aid office directly, and dedicate proper uninterrupted time to make all corrections systematically. @Yara Campbell's reassurance that schools only see the final version is such a huge relief, and @Daniel Price's screenshot tip is brilliant! Thank you all for creating such a supportive and solution-focused community. It's amazing how much more manageable this feels knowing there are actual proven strategies that work, even when the system seems impossible to navigate!