Update: I found my daughter's Student Aid Report on studentaid.gov (no email yet, but it's there in the dashboard). It shows all the information we entered and says processing is complete! It also lists her SAI number. I guess we really are done with the FAFSA portion. Now I'm checking each school's financial aid page to see which ones require the CSS Profile. Thank you all for your help - this community has been amazing!

Congratulations on getting through the FAFSA! It sounds like you figured everything out. Just wanted to add for other parents reading this - when you're checking for CSS Profile requirements, also look for any school-specific financial aid forms. Some colleges have their own supplemental forms in addition to FAFSA/CSS Profile. Also, make sure to note the deadlines for each school since they can vary quite a bit. Priority deadlines are usually earlier than final deadlines, and meeting priority deadlines can make a big difference in aid packages. Good luck to your daughter with her college applications!

To summarize for the OP and anyone else with this question: 1. For married parents filing jointly: Only ONE parent needs an FSA ID and completes the contributor section 2. Either parent can be the contributor regardless of who's listed first on tax returns 3. The parent who creates the FSA ID must be the one to complete the contributor section 4. The system will use your joint tax information regardless of which parent completes it 5. Basic information about the non-contributing parent is still required Hope this helps!

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped us - make sure whoever becomes the contributor keeps their FSA ID login info somewhere safe! You'll need it again next year when you renew the FAFSA, and also if the school requests any additional documentation or if there are any issues with verification. I made the mistake of forgetting mine and had to go through the whole password reset process during a time-sensitive deadline. Also, if you're using the mobile app, the desktop version sometimes works better for complex forms like this. Good luck with your daughter's application!

Just saw your comment about trouble reaching financial aid offices. Yes, they're absolutely swamped right now. This is where being strategic helps. Try calling right when they open in the morning, or in the last hour before they close when call volume sometimes decreases. Also, check if they have virtual appointment scheduling - many schools now offer 15-minute Zoom appointments you can book online, which can be easier than getting through by phone. Don't give up - this is too important for your daughter's future. The financial aid offices want to help; they're just dealing with unprecedented volume this year.

I'm in a very similar situation! My son's FAFSA was processed March 20th and we've only heard from 2 out of 6 schools so far. What's really stressing me out is that the two packages we did receive were SO different - one school offered $18K in grants, the other only $7K with basically the same SAI. It's making me realize how much the aid can vary between schools even when your financial situation is identical. Has anyone else seen huge differences between their aid packages this year? I'm wondering if some schools are being more conservative with their offers because of all the FAFSA chaos, or if this level of variation is normal. Really hoping the remaining schools come through with something reasonable!

I'm having this exact same signature loop issue right now! Been stuck for the past day and getting really stressed about my deadline. Reading through all these solutions is giving me hope though. I'm going to try the combination approach - private browsing mode with ad blockers disabled at around 5-6am tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work, I'll try the mobile app and the full logout/wait/login method that Maggie mentioned. It's honestly ridiculous that we need to jump through all these technical hoops just to submit financial aid applications, but I'm grateful this community exists to share workarounds. The fact that Federal Student Aid acknowledged this as a widespread issue makes me feel less crazy for struggling with it. Will update if I manage to break through!

I just wanted to add another solution that worked for me when I had this signature loop issue a few weeks ago! After trying all the browser-based solutions without success, what finally broke the loop for me was switching to a completely different device. I had been trying on my laptop for days, but when I borrowed my roommate's computer and logged into my FSA ID there, the signature page worked perfectly on the first try. I think sometimes the issue might be related to cached data or settings that are tied to your specific device/browser combination that even private browsing doesn't fully clear. So if you have access to another computer, tablet, or even a different phone, it might be worth giving that a shot! It's frustrating that we have to troubleshoot like this, but at least there are multiple paths to success. Hope this helps someone who's still stuck in the loop!

I went through something similar last year and what ultimately worked was contacting my state's Department of Education office. They have direct contacts at Federal Student Aid and can escalate cases that have been stuck for extended periods. Many states have a student aid ombudsman specifically for these situations. You can usually find your state's contact info by searching "[your state] student aid ombudsman" or calling your state's higher education department. They were able to get my FSA ID issue resolved within 48 hours after I'd been stuck for over a month. Worth trying if the other suggestions don't work!

I work as a financial aid counselor and see this exact issue constantly. Here's what I tell parents in your situation: First, try calling FSA at 8 AM Eastern and immediately say "technical support" when the automated system asks what you need help with - this often gets you to someone who can actually fix account issues rather than just general customer service. Second, ask your daughter's school about their "Parent PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note" alternative - some schools can process aid packages with just the student signature if the parent completes this separate form. Third, if you're still stuck, file a complaint with the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman at https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/disputes/prepare - they have more authority to resolve stuck accounts. Don't give up - I've seen cases like yours resolved even after months of being stuck!