Student login issues with FAFSA account - parent completed but student locked out

omg same issue here!!! my son's login works on the mobile app but not the website? makes NO sense. been stuck since february.

That happened with my daughter's FAFSA too. The problem was that we created an FSA ID for her years ago for some scholarship thing and completely forgot about it. When we called (after like 8 attempts), they told us her old email was still linked to the account - one she hadn't used since high school! Try using the account recovery option but select "I don't have access to my email or phone" and they'll ask verification questions instead.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN BY DESIGN!!! I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get my son's account working only to be told they had TWO accounts with slightly different names (one with his middle initial, one without). The system is DELIBERATELY CONFUSING so they can deny aid to more people. My son almost missed scholarships because of this garbage.

After dealing with this exact issue for many families (I'm a college counselor), I've found a few solutions: 1. Try using a completely different browser - sometimes cached data causes these login loops 2. If your daughter set up her FSA ID while at school/using school email, try contacting their IT department to see if they still have access 3. Check if there's a slight name variation in the system (middle name vs middle initial) 4. For the verification questions route someone mentioned, make sure to have her SSN, exact DOB, and the address used when the account was created If none of these work, getting through to a live FSA agent is your best bet. Unfortunately their phone lines are always jammed.

The system is sooooo frustrating!! My niece had a similar issue and they had to contact her high school counselor who helped her find the original email address she used for her first FSA ID. turned out it was from like 9th grade and she hadn't used it in years!!

I went through a similar nightmare with my son's FAFSA login. After days of trying to get through on the Federal Student Aid phone line, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to a real person in about 10 minutes. The agent was able to verify his identity and restore access to his account - turns out he had created an FSA ID for a summer program years ago that was blocking the new account creation. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - definitely saved us weeks of frustration during the verification process.

Beyond the login issue, make sure your daughter has all her tax documents ready once you get in. Nothing worse than finally accessing the account only to realize you're missing W-2s or 1099s. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they're using 2023 tax information, which confused a lot of families I know.

have u tried contacting ur daughters school financial aid office? sometimes they have special contacts at fafsa who can help with login issues faster than the regular helpline

If you've tried everything else, there's actually a specific unit at FSA called the FSA ID Resolution Center - they handle these complex login issues specifically. Their number is different from the main helpline: 1-800-433-3243, but ask specifically for the ID Resolution team when you get through. However, be aware they're also extremely backed up, especially now during peak application season.

My daughter had this exact problem!!! We finally fixed it by going to studentaid.gov/fsa-id/recovery and selecting "Forgot Username". When it asked for email, we tried EVERY email address she's EVER had (school, gmail, old accounts, etc) until one finally worked. The system is horrible.

After you get this sorted out, make SURE you check her SAI calculation when it comes through. My daughter had a similar login issue that took forever to fix, and when we finally submitted, her SAI was calculated incorrectly because of how late we submitted and some fields defaulted to incorrect values. We had to go through a whole separate correction process that nearly made her miss priority aid at her top school. Document EVERYTHING in case you need to appeal later.