Why does FAFSA say 'At Least One Required Signature Is Missing' after we all signed?

I think i know what happened!!! The same thing hit me last month. When it says "Sign and Exit" that doesn't actually SUBMIT anything. You have to click "Submit" after the parent signs. At least that's what fixed it for me. One parent signs, then clicks Submit (not Sign and Exit), then the next parent logs in with their own FSA ID and does the same thing.

calm down its probly just a browser issue. clear your cookies and cache, then restart the browser. happens all the time with govt sites. also make sure popup blockers are turned off when your doing fafsa stuff

This is a common issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The system requires specific order of signatures and full submission from each contributor. Here's what's happening: 1. When you click "Sign and Exit," the signature is saved but not submitted 2. Every contributor needs to separately sign in with their FSA ID and click "Submit" (not just Sign and Exit) 3. The student must be the LAST person to sign and submit Here's how to fix it without starting over: - Each parent should log in with their FSA ID - Navigate to the signature page - Click "Submit" instead of "Sign and Exit" - After all parents have done this, the student logs in last - Student completes their signature and clicks "Submit" This sequence is critical for the new FAFSA.

Ran into this nightmare twice!!! The FAFSA system is GARBAGE this year. They should just scrap it and go back to the old system. First they delay it by MONTHS and now it doesn't even work right. My son almost missed his scholarship deadline because of this exact problem!! And the FSA customer service is absolutely worthless - 3 hour waits just to get disconnected.

For the 2025-2026 FAFSA specifically, there's another possible cause: if any contributor used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, it requires you to separately verify that data was retrieved correctly before the signature counts. Check if there's a yellow warning icon anywhere on the signature page or a notification about IRS data confirmation.

after fixing the signature issue make sure u double check if your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation looks right - sometimes even when all signatures go through, the system can mess up ur financial info. happened to my daughter and we had to do a correction after submission because it didn't count my income right. don't just trust the system lol

UPDATE: IT WORKED!! I had my husband log back in and he realized he HAD clicked "Sign and Exit" instead of "Submit." He went back in, clicked Submit properly, then I logged in and did the same thing. Then my daughter went last and clicked Submit and FINALLY the whole application went through! We just got the confirmation email with her SAI. THANK YOU ALL for the help - this forum saved our sanity!!!

Glad it worked out! For anyone else encountering this problem, remember these key points about the 2025-2026 FAFSA: 1. Contributors must use "Submit" not "Sign and Exit" 2. Parent/contributor signatures must be completed before the student signs 3. Each person needs their own FSA ID to sign their section 4. If using IRS Data Retrieval, verify the imported data before signing 5. Check for the confirmation email with your SAI number The Department of Education has acknowledged these signature issues and is working on clearer instructions, but these workarounds should help in the meantime.

As someone who just went through this exact same nightmare with my twin daughters' FAFSAs, I can't stress enough how important it is to screenshot EVERYTHING as you go through the process. Save screenshots of each signature confirmation page, the final submission page, and definitely that confirmation email with the SAI numbers. Also, pro tip for anyone still struggling: if you're getting signature errors even after following the Submit vs Sign and Exit advice, try logging out completely and clearing your browser data between each person's signature. The FAFSA system seems to get confused when multiple FSA IDs are used on the same device/browser session. We had to do this dance three times before it finally worked, but having those screenshots saved us from having to re-enter financial data when we had to restart. Congrats Charlotte on getting it sorted! The stress of these deadlines is no joke.