I'm experiencing this exact same issue with my son's FAFSA parent invitation! He sent it to me 4 days ago and I've been stuck at that acceptance screen where the Continue button is completely unresponsive. I've tried multiple browsers, cleared cache, restarted my computer, even tried on different devices - nothing works! It's so frustrating when you're trying to help your child meet their deadline and the system just won't cooperate. Reading through all these solutions is incredibly reassuring though - at least I know it's not just me going crazy clicking a broken button! I'm definitely going to try Kyle's proven method tonight: Chrome incognito mode, all extensions disabled, pop-up blocker turned off, and accessing during off-peak hours around midnight. If that doesn't work, I'll have my son cancel and resend the invitation since that seems to be a crucial step for many people here. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and workarounds - this community support is amazing for stressed parents navigating this technical disaster! I'll update everyone once I hopefully get it working.

I'm having this exact same issue and it's been driving me absolutely crazy! My daughter sent me the parent invitation 3 days ago and that Continue button is completely dead - I've probably clicked it 200 times at this point. I was starting to think I was losing my mind or that my computer was broken, so finding this thread is such a massive relief! It's incredibly frustrating when you're trying to help your kid meet their financial aid deadline and the system just refuses to work. I'm definitely going to try Kyle's proven method tonight - Chrome incognito mode, all extensions disabled, pop-up blocker turned off, and accessing during those late night hours when traffic is lower. If that doesn't work, I'll have my daughter cancel and resend the invitation since that seems to be a crucial step for so many people here. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is a lifesaver for stressed parents dealing with this technical nightmare! I'll report back once I hopefully get it working. Fingers crossed!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm also navigating this for the first time with my daughter. One thing I'm curious about - for families who own small businesses or have rental properties, how much more complicated does the CSS Profile get compared to FAFSA? I keep seeing mentions that it asks for "detailed business information" but I'm not sure what that actually means in practice. Does anyone have experience with this specific situation? I'm worried we might need to hire someone to help us fill it out correctly if it's too complex.

As someone new to this community and the college financial aid process, I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences! This conversation has been incredibly informative. I'm currently helping my nephew navigate the FAFSA and CSS Profile requirements, and I was initially confused about whether completing both forms might somehow conflict with each other or reduce his aid eligibility. Reading through all these responses has clarified that they're completely separate systems serving different purposes. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) Check each school's specific requirements, 2) Pay attention to different deadlines, 3) The CSS Profile fee might be worth it for the potential institutional aid, and 4) Start gathering documents early. One follow-up question - for families where parents are divorced, does the CSS Profile handle that situation differently than FAFSA? I know FAFSA has specific rules about which parent's information to include, but I'm wondering if CSS Profile asks for both parents' financial information regardless of custody arrangements.

I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter at UC Berkeley and my son who just got accepted to UCLA! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and gives me hope that appeals can actually work. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from our financial aid counselor - make sure to check if your family qualifies for any fee waivers or payment plans that might not be obvious. Some UCs offer monthly payment plans that can help spread out the costs, and there are sometimes additional fee waivers for things like application fees for graduate school or study abroad programs that can add up over time. Also, I've found that timing your phone calls right when the financial aid offices open (usually 8 AM) gives you the best chance of getting through quickly. I was able to speak with someone at UC Berkeley within 10 minutes using this approach, whereas calling later in the day meant 45+ minute hold times. For documentation, I created a simple checklist for each school with their specific requirements so I didn't miss anything. Happy to share the template if anyone wants it - just having everything organized made the whole process feel much more manageable. Keep pushing forward everyone - the appeals process really can make a difference for families with multiple kids in college!

I'm just starting this journey with my son who got accepted to UC Santa Barbara while my daughter is finishing her sophomore year at UC Davis. The financial reality of having two kids in the UC system is hitting hard, and reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and motivating! What I'm taking away from all this incredible advice is that I need to be proactive and organized. I'm planning to start calling both financial aid offices tomorrow morning right at 8 AM (thanks for that timing tip!). I've also started gathering all our financial documentation and creating a spreadsheet to track expenses like several of you suggested. One question I have - for those who successfully appealed, did you submit identical appeal letters to both schools, or did you customize them for each UC? I'm wondering if there are specific things each campus looks for or if a general "multiple children in college" approach works across the system. Also, has anyone dealt with the situation where one child is already a continuing student versus a new incoming student? I'm curious if that affects the appeal process at all, since my daughter at UC Davis has already established her financial aid history there. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this thread is giving me hope that we can make this work financially without completely derailing our retirement plans!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful I found this discussion! I'm in almost the exact same situation with my daughter planning a gap year before starting college in Fall 2026. I was also completely confused about whether to file the FAFSA now or wait, and all the responses here have been incredibly helpful and reassuring. The consensus is crystal clear - wait until December 2025 to file the 2026-2027 FAFSA when she'll actually be enrolling. I really appreciate all the practical tips everyone has shared, especially about setting up FSA IDs early, keeping tax documents organized, and checking with specific schools about their gap year policies. One thing that really stands out to me is how many parents seem to face this same confusion, yet it's so hard to find clear guidance about gap year scenarios on official websites. This community has been more helpful than hours of searching government sites! I'm definitely going to follow the advice about using the gap year time for scholarship applications and maybe even some of those financial literacy courses. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive space for navigating these complex financial aid questions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful I found this thread! I was in the exact same boat as Ashley - completely confused about FAFSA timing with my son's gap year plans. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening and reassuring. The advice is crystal clear: wait until December 2025 to file the 2026-2027 FAFSA when students will actually be enrolling in Fall 2026. What really strikes me is how this seems to be such a universal source of confusion for parents, yet the official resources don't address gap year scenarios very clearly. I'm taking notes on all the practical tips shared here - setting up FSA IDs early, organizing tax documents ahead of time, contacting specific schools about their gap year policies, and even using the gap year for scholarship applications and financial literacy preparation. The insight about Pell Grant semester limits and some state programs counting applications rather than just usage was completely new information to me. This community has been more helpful than countless hours trying to navigate government websites! Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and creating such a supportive environment for parents trying to figure out these complex financial aid processes.

I'm new to the FAFSA process and this whole thread has been incredibly educational! My daughter is a junior and I'm starting to research the financial aid process now. Can I ask - is there a way to preview the FAFSA questions before actually filling it out? I want to make sure I understand everything properly and avoid making similar mistakes when it's our turn next year. Also, are there any other common errors parents make that I should watch out for?

As a parent who went through this exact same nightmare two years ago, I completely understand your panic! I accidentally checked that box while trying to rush through my son's FAFSA at 11 PM the night before the deadline - definitely not my finest parenting moment. Here's what worked for us: I called the financial aid office at his school first thing the next morning, explained the situation with complete honesty, and they were incredibly understanding. They said this happens more often than you'd think, especially with the new FAFSA format changes that have confused a lot of parents. The correction process was actually much smoother than I expected. They had me email a brief statement explaining it was an accidental selection, along with our tax documents. Within a week, everything was corrected and his aid package was recalculated properly. One thing that really helped calm my nerves - the financial aid counselor told me that intent matters. Since you're actively trying to fix the mistake and have all your financial information ready to provide, there's absolutely no fraud concern. The Department of Education understands that the FAFSA can be confusing and mistakes happen. Your daughter is fortunate to have such a conscientious parent advocating for her! This will be resolved soon and you'll both feel so much better.