New FAFSA form not recognizing my dependent - stuck with 'No' greyed out

This is a MAJOR issue in the new FAFSA that's been driving people crazy. The system is supposed to automatically detect dependent status based on your family size and household information. When you listed your daughter in the household section, did you specifically identify her relationship to you as 'child'? That's the trigger that should change the dependent indicator. Also, make sure you've completed the 'Support' questions correctly. There should be questions asking if you provide more than 50% support for any household members. Answering yes there should activate the dependent flag. If you've done all that and it still shows 'No', you might need to contact FSA directly to fix it - but good luck with that given their current wait times.

OMG same problem here!!!! I've been fighting with this stupid form for DAYS trying to get it to recognize my two kids as dependents. The FAFSA website keeps crashing too which makes everything 1000x worse. My brothers financial aid advisor told him this is causing HUGE problems for parents all over the country. Apparently the dependent status directly effects your SAI calculation by like thousands of dollars so this isnt a minor glitch!!!!

I'm a financial aid counselor, and this is unfortunately a widespread issue with the redesigned FAFSA. The dependency section is supposed to automatically update based on other information you provide, but there's clearly a bug in the system. Here's what we're telling our students: 1. Complete and submit the FAFSA even with this error 2. Take screenshots of all relevant sections showing your child's information 3. Immediately after submitting, use the correction feature to attempt to update the dependent status 4. If the correction feature doesn't work, contact your school's financial aid office with your documentation Schools have been given some guidance on how to handle these system errors during processing. The important thing is to get your application submitted, then work on fixing the errors. Just make sure you document everything thoroughly.

when i did mine i had to go all the way back to the household section and make sure i selected that i support my kid more than 50%. then i had to go through each section again (super annoying) but then it finally updated on the review page. doesnt make any sense how they organized this form!

After battling this same issue for days, I finally got through to a FAFSA agent by using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this service that basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of hold time. The agent confirmed this is a known system bug they're working to fix. They told me to submit anyway and then file a correction. They said schools are being notified about this issue so they can adjust during review. You can see their video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ to see how it works. Honestly wish I'd known about this service weeks ago instead of burning up my cell minutes on hold.

I was having the EXACT SAME ISSUE with my son's FAFSA application (I'm helping him complete it as a parent contributor). What FINALLY worked for us - and this is bizarre - was completing the form using the FAFSA mobile app instead of the website. For some reason, the app properly recognized my dependents when the website wouldn't. The whole redesign is a disaster. I've been filing FAFSA forms for years (have older kids too) and this is by far the worst implementation I've seen. The old form was straightforward - it just ASKED if you had dependents and you said yes or no!

Has anyone noticed that even when you fix this dependents issue the SAI calculation still seems wrong? My friend and I have almost identical financial situations (both single parents with one kid) and she got an SAI about $3000 lower than mine even though I actually make less money! I think the whole system is just broken. They should just go back to the old EFC system witch wasn't perfect but at least it WORKED!!

UPDATE: I tried the mobile app suggestion and IT WORKED! The app let me clearly indicate my dependent status, and when I logged back into the website, the review page now correctly shows 'Yes' under dependents. I have no idea why the website and app would behave differently, but I'm just relieved to have it fixed. I'm going to finish and submit now, but will definitely take screenshots of everything just in case. Thanks everyone for your help with this frustrating situation!

This is such a relief to see that the mobile app solution worked for you! I'm a new parent going through the FAFSA process for the first time and this thread has been incredibly helpful. I was starting to panic thinking I'd mess up my daughter's financial aid chances because of this glitch. It's really concerning that there's such a significant difference between the website and mobile app functionality - you'd think they'd be synchronized! I'm definitely going to start with the mobile app based on everyone's experiences here. For other newcomers like me who might be reading this: it sounds like the key takeaways are 1) try the mobile app first, 2) document everything with screenshots, 3) submit even if there are errors and then use corrections, and 4) contact your school's financial aid office if problems persist. Thanks to everyone who shared their troubleshooting steps!

As someone who just discovered this community while desperately searching for FAFSA help, I can't thank you all enough for sharing these solutions! I've been stuck on this exact same dependent recognition issue for my twin daughters' applications. Reading through this thread has been like finding a goldmine of practical advice. I'm definitely going to try the mobile app approach first based on everyone's success stories. It's honestly ridiculous that a government form would work differently on mobile vs desktop - makes you wonder what other bugs are lurking in this system. One question for those who successfully used the mobile app: did you complete the entire application on mobile, or just the problematic sections? I'm wondering if I should start fresh on the app or try to fix my existing applications there. Also wanted to mention that this thread should probably be pinned or something - I bet this issue is going to keep coming up for months as more families work through their FAFSA applications!

As a newcomer to this community who just stumbled across this thread while battling the exact same FAFSA dependent issue, I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for sharing your solutions and experiences! I've been pulling my hair out for the past week trying to get the system to recognize my son as my dependent. Like @4d137c0c837a, I kept seeing that frustrating greyed-out "No" on the review page despite clearly indicating I have a dependent child in the household section. Based on all the advice here, I'm going to try the mobile app approach that worked for several of you. It's absolutely mind-boggling that a federal form would have such different functionality between the website and mobile app - this feels like something that should have been caught in basic testing! I'm also taking everyone's advice about documenting everything with screenshots before submitting. The tip from @fd25f15df928 about submitting even with errors and then using corrections is really helpful too - I was worried about submitting an incorrect form, but it sounds like that might actually be the best path forward given all these system bugs. This redesigned FAFSA has been such a nightmare compared to what I expected. At least knowing I'm not alone in this struggle makes it slightly less frustrating!

This thread has been a lifesaver! I'm a first-time FAFSA filer (my oldest just started college applications) and I was completely panicking when I hit this exact same dependent recognition issue. The system kept showing "No" for dependents even though I clearly have two kids I support. Reading through everyone's troubleshooting experiences gave me hope that this wasn't just user error on my part. I tried the mobile app solution that @4d137c0c837a and @4872b70225b9 recommended, and it worked like a charm! Completed the whole application fresh on the mobile app and it properly recognized both of my dependents. It's honestly shocking that such a critical federal form would have these kinds of basic functionality differences between platforms. Makes you wonder what other issues are lurking in this system that we haven't discovered yet. For anyone else finding this thread: definitely try the mobile app first, take screenshots of EVERYTHING, and don't be afraid to submit even if something seems off - you can always make corrections later. The collective wisdom in this community has been invaluable for navigating this broken system!

As another newcomer who just joined this community while desperately searching for help with this exact FAFSA dependent issue, I cannot express how grateful I am to have found this thread! I've been stuck for over a week with that same infuriating greyed-out "No" showing up on the review page despite clearly indicating I have a dependent child. Like so many others here, I was starting to panic about how this would affect my daughter's financial aid eligibility. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both reassuring (knowing I'm not alone or doing something wrong) and incredibly helpful. I'm definitely going to try the mobile app solution that worked for @4d137c0c837a, @4872b70225b9, and several others. It's absolutely baffling that a federal government form would have such different functionality between the website and mobile app, but at this point I'll take whatever workaround gets the job done! I'm also taking everyone's advice about documenting everything thoroughly with screenshots and being prepared to submit even with errors if necessary. The tip from @fd25f15df928 about schools being aware of this widespread issue is particularly reassuring. This thread really should be pinned or highlighted somehow - I bet we're going to see this same issue affect thousands of families as the FAFSA season continues. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and making this stressful process a little less overwhelming for newcomers like me!

As someone who just discovered this community while frantically googling "FAFSA dependent status not working," I am SO relieved to find this thread! I've been battling this exact same issue for days - that awful greyed-out "No" under dependents despite having clearly indicated my son in the household section. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both validating (I'm not crazy!) and incredibly helpful. The mobile app solution that worked for @4d137c0c837a, @4872b70225b9, and others gives me real hope. It's absolutely ridiculous that a federal form would work so differently between platforms, but I'll gladly try whatever gets this fixed. I'm also taking all the advice about screenshots and documentation to heart. The guidance from @fd25f15df928 about submitting even with errors and then making corrections is particularly valuable - I was so worried about submitting an "incorrect" form that I've been stuck in analysis paralysis. This redesigned FAFSA has been such a nightmare compared to what I expected. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and making this less isolating - knowing there's a community of people fighting the same battles makes this whole process feel less overwhelming!

Just joining this community as another parent completely frustrated with this FAFSA dependent issue! I've been stuck for over a week with that same greyed-out "No" problem despite clearly listing my two kids in the household section. Reading through this entire thread has been such a relief - I was starting to think I was losing my mind or doing something fundamentally wrong. The mobile app solution that worked for so many of you gives me real hope, and I'm definitely going to try that approach next. What really strikes me is how this thread has become like a support group for all of us dealing with these system failures. The collective troubleshooting wisdom here is incredible - from the mobile app workaround to the documentation tips to @fd25f15df928's professional insight about schools being aware of these issues. It's honestly appalling that a federal form this critical would have such basic functionality problems, but I'm grateful to have found this community where people are actually sharing real solutions instead of just complaining. Going to try the mobile app approach tomorrow and will report back with my results. Thanks to everyone for making this nightmare a little more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community who just found this thread while desperately searching for FAFSA help, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing these solutions! I've been stuck on this exact dependent recognition issue for my daughter's application - that infuriating greyed-out "No" despite clearly indicating I have a dependent. Reading through all of your experiences has been both incredibly reassuring (knowing I'm not alone or making some basic error) and genuinely helpful. The mobile app workaround that worked for @4d137c0c837a, @4872b70225b9, and several others gives me real hope that there's actually a solution to this nightmare. I'm definitely going to try the mobile app approach based on everyone's success stories, and I'm taking all the advice about documentation seriously - screenshots of everything, starting fresh rather than editing existing applications, and being prepared to submit even with errors if necessary. This thread really demonstrates the power of community problem-solving when official support systems fail us. The collective troubleshooting wisdom here is invaluable, especially @fd25f15df928's professional insights about how schools are handling these known system bugs. It's honestly shocking that a federal form this critical would have such basic functionality differences between platforms, but I'm grateful to have found practical solutions here instead of just getting stuck in endless hold queues! Will definitely report back on how the mobile app approach works for me. Thank you all for making this stressful process feel less isolating!

As someone completely new to this community and the FAFSA process in general, I cannot express how grateful I am to have stumbled across this thread! I've been banging my head against the wall for the past few days trying to figure out why my FAFSA application keeps showing "No" for dependents when I clearly have a child I support. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - I was starting to think I was just completely incompetent at filling out forms! The mobile app solution that worked for @4d137c0c837a, @4872b70225b9, and so many others here gives me real hope that there's actually a way to fix this mess. I'm definitely going to try the mobile app approach tomorrow, and I'm taking all the documentation advice to heart. It's mind-blowing that a federal form would work so differently between the website and mobile app, but at this point I'll try anything that actually works. This community has been like finding an oasis in the desert of FAFSA frustration. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and making this feel less like an impossible puzzle. I'll report back on whether the mobile app works for me too - fingers crossed! 🤞