Why doesn't my son's completed FAFSA show my financial information?

The exact same thing happened with my daughter's application! The student part can show as "complete" separately from your parent/contributor section. It's confusing because they use the same status word for different parts. Did your son add you as a contributor properly? You should have received a separate email invitation to complete your part.

This is a common issue - the FAFSA separates the student section from the contributor section. When your son received the "complete" notification, it meant HIS portion was finished, not the entire application. You need to log in separately with your own FSA ID (not your son's) at studentaid.gov. Then go to the "FAFSA Form" section and look for "Start or Continue 2025-2026 FAFSA Form" - it should show you if your section is incomplete or not submitted.

omg the new FAFSA is the WORST!!! I had to do mine like 3 times because it kept saying "submitted" but then my kid's college said they never got it! So annoying!

I had this exact issue last month. The problem is that the "complete" status refers only to your son's portion, not the entire application. The system is poorly designed. You need to log in with YOUR OWN FSA ID (not your son's) to complete your section. On your dashboard, it should show if your contributor section is complete or still in progress. One thing to watch for: sometimes the contributor section LOOKS complete but there's actually a final "submit" button at the very end that's easy to miss. Many parents fill everything out but miss that final confirmation step. If you're sure you completed everything but it's still not showing up, I'd recommend calling Federal Student Aid directly to check your status.

As a financial aid advisor, I can tell you this confusion happens all the time with the new FAFSA. Here's what's likely happening: 1. Your son completed HIS portion of the FAFSA (the student section) 2. The system automatically sent him a "completion" email for HIS part 3. Your contributor section is either incomplete or unsubmitted To check your status: - Log in with YOUR FSA ID at studentaid.gov - Go to the FAFSA form section - Check if your contributor section shows "Completed" or "In Progress" If it shows "In Progress," you need to finish and submit. If it shows "Completed" but your son's SAI calculation doesn't reflect your information, there might be a processing delay (which can take 3-5 business days) or a technical issue requiring FSA contact. Remember: The application isn't truly complete until ALL contributor sections are submitted AND processed.

I work in our college financial aid office and see this confusion constantly. The new FAFSA system sends out misleading "complete" emails that only refer to the student portion. Your son's application is NOT complete until all required contributor sections are submitted. Here's what to check: 1. Log in with YOUR FSA ID (not your son's) 2. Click on the FAFSA application section 3. Look for any sections marked "In Progress" or "Not Started" 4. Complete all required fields 5. Make sure to click the FINAL SUBMIT button (many people miss this) 6. Look for a confirmation number and "Submitted" status After submission, it takes 3-5 days for processing and for your financial information to be incorporated into your son's SAI calculation. If you're certain you completed everything but the information still isn't showing up after 5 business days, there may be a data transfer issue and you should contact FSA directly.

Any update? Were you able to finish your section?

Great to hear you got it sorted out, Lindsey! This is such a common issue - I went through the exact same confusion with my daughter's FAFSA last year. The system really needs better messaging to clarify when just the student portion is complete versus the entire application. For anyone else reading this thread, one tip that helped me: after you submit your contributor section, screenshot the confirmation page with your confirmation number. It's good to have that record in case there are any processing issues later. Fingers crossed your son gets his aid package quickly once everything processes!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with my daughter's FAFSA! Reading through this thread has been incredibly helpful. I thought I had completed everything weeks ago, but after seeing all these responses, I went back and checked my FSA ID account. Sure enough, my contributor section was still showing "In Progress" - I had filled out most of it but apparently never hit that final submit button everyone mentioned. It's so frustrating how the system doesn't make it clear that there are multiple steps and confirmations needed. I'm going to finish mine tonight and take that screenshot tip seriously. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know this confusion is normal and not just user error on my part!