is anyone else FURIOUS about this???? like we did everything right, submitted everything on time (even with their delayed launch) and now suddenly there's a "problem" with the IRS data?? I don't trust any of this. They're probably just looking for ways to give us all less money. Every year there's some new excuse.

Just to provide an update: The Department of Education released additional information today. They've confirmed that the reprocessing will begin May 15th and they expect to complete all affected applications by June 10th. They've also established a dedicated hotline for this specific issue: (833) 945-3278 This line is separate from the general Federal Student Aid number and should have shorter wait times for those specifically affected by the IRS data exchange error.

One thing to consider - he may be subconsciously afraid of going to college and this was an avoidance tactic. My brother did something similar ("forgot" to register for housing until all dorms were full). We later learned he was dealing with serious anxiety about leaving home. Might be worth a deeper conversation about if he's actually excited to go or just going through the motions because it's expected.

u should make him pay the late fee from his own money. thats what my parents did when I messed up deadlines and I learned QUICK to pay attention to that stuff lol

One last suggestion - check if your husband has an existing FSA ID by going to https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/recover-username. If the system finds a match with his SSN and DOB, it means he already has an account and just needs to recover the username/password rather than creating a new one. This has resolved the issue for many parents I've worked with.

i mean is it even worth the hassle anymore?? my brother ditched the whole FAFSA thing after trying for weeks and just took out private loans instead. the interest rates suck but at least the application process doesn't make you wanna jump off a cliff lol

We did get selected for verification, but the financial aid office understood the situation. We explained we had to use this workaround because of the system limitations for parents without SSNs. They were fine with it once we provided the actual tax documents. The most important thing was getting the initial application through so they could start processing the aid package.

I'm a financial aid advisor at a community college, and I see this issue frequently. Here's what works consistently: 1. Have your daughter complete the FAFSA again electronically, entering 000-00-0000 for your SSN 2. For the parent without an SSN, you must use the paper signature page instead of creating an FSA ID (which requires an SSN). Have your daughter print the signature page after completing the online FAFSA, sign it manually, and mail it in. 3. Call the school's financial aid office immediately and let them know you've submitted with the signature page due to a parent without SSN. Many schools can work with a preliminary submission while waiting for the signature page to be processed. 4. Request the financial aid office to check if they can see the FAFSA in their system even before it's fully processed. Some schools can see pending FAFSAs and start preparing aid packages. 5. If all else fails, ask the school about emergency aid options or a payment plan while waiting for the official aid package. The good news is that schools understand these issues are common and most have procedures to help students in these situations.

We just lifted the freeze with all three bureaus! Fingers crossed this works. Thank you so much for following up - I'll update here if it solves the problem.

UPDATE: IT WORKED!!! We lifted the credit freeze yesterday afternoon and tried again this morning - went straight through! My husband was able to complete his contributor profile and we're finally moving forward with the application. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help, especially the tip about the credit freeze being the likely culprit.