Can't reach FAFSA? Claimyr connects you to a live FAFSA agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the FAFSA
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the FAFSA drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
New member here and this thread has been a lifesaver! We're facing almost the identical situation - SAI of $27k but my daughter's top choice school costs $60k with only $7k in federal loans offered. I've been frantically researching for days thinking I fundamentally misunderstood how financial aid works. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both incredibly helpful and sobering. The explanation that SAI is just what the government calculates we can theoretically pay (not what schools are required to cover) was a major eye-opener. I had assumed schools would bridge that gap with grants or institutional aid. I'm definitely going to pursue the appeals process and professional judgment review based on all the great advice shared here. We have some eldercare expenses for my father that weren't captured on the FAFSA, plus my husband had a temporary job loss last year that affected our savings. For those who've been through appeals - how detailed should the documentation be? Should I include bank statements showing the eldercare costs, or is a summary letter sufficient? Also, we're still waiting to hear from two other schools that supposedly have better need-based aid policies. Would it be worth mentioning that we're comparing offers even if I don't have the other packages yet? Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and making this terrifying process feel more manageable. It's both comforting and frustrating to know so many middle-class families are trapped in this same impossible gap!
Welcome to the community, Evelyn! Your situation sounds exactly like what so many of us have been going through - it's both reassuring and frustrating to realize how common these massive financial aid gaps are for middle-class families. This thread has been incredibly educational for all of us who initially thought we were missing something obvious about how the system works. The eldercare expenses and job loss you mentioned sound like exactly the kind of special circumstances that could really help with a professional judgment review. From what I've learned reading through everyone's experiences here, detailed documentation tends to be more effective than just summary letters. Bank statements showing the eldercare costs, documentation of the job loss and its impact on your finances - all of that could strengthen your case significantly. As for mentioning you're comparing offers even without having the other packages yet, I think that could actually work in your favor. It shows the school that they're competing for your daughter and that your decision will partly depend on the financial package. Just be honest that you're still waiting to hear from other schools with strong need-based aid programs. This whole process is so overwhelming, but this community has made it feel much more manageable. The fact that we're all dealing with similar gaps really highlights how broken the system is for middle-class families. Best of luck with your appeals - hopefully you'll get some better news that makes this decision more feasible!
I'm new to this community and unfortunately dealing with the exact same situation! Our SAI is $28k but my son's preferred school costs $59k with only $5.5k in federal loans offered. Like so many others here, I initially thought the SAI meant that's what we'd pay and the school would somehow cover the rest. This thread has been incredibly enlightening and reassuring - I had no idea that schools aren't actually required to meet the gap between SAI and their costs. The middle-class squeeze is so real! We make too much for significant need-based aid but nowhere near enough to actually afford these astronomical costs. I'm definitely going to try the appeals process and professional judgment review based on all the excellent advice shared here. We have some home repair expenses from storm damage that weren't captured on our FAFSA, plus I'm supporting my elderly mother financially. One quick question for those who've been through this - when you contacted the financial aid office, did you find it better to be very detailed about your circumstances upfront, or to start with a general request for reconsideration and then provide details as they ask for them? Thank you all for sharing your experiences and making this overwhelming process feel less isolating. It's both comforting and concerning to know so many families are stuck in this impossible gap!
Welcome to the community, Santiago! Your situation is unfortunately very similar to what so many of us are experiencing. This thread has been such an eye-opener about how the financial aid system actually works versus what we initially expected. The storm damage home repairs and support for your elderly mother sound like exactly the kind of special circumstances that could help with a professional judgment review. Those are real financial obligations that impact your ability to pay for college, even if they weren't reflected in the FAFSA calculations. Regarding your question about contacting the financial aid office - from what I've gathered from everyone's experiences here, starting with a general request for reconsideration and then providing details as they ask seems to work well. That way you can understand their specific process and what documentation they prefer to see, rather than overwhelming them initially. @Andre Dupont mentioned that contacting the financial aid office directly is often worth it, and it gives you a chance to explain your circumstances clearly. The support you re'providing for your mother is definitely worth documenting - any ongoing financial obligations that reduce your actual ability to contribute to college costs should be brought to their attention. This whole process is so stressful, but at least we re'all navigating it together and sharing what we learn. Best of luck with your appeals - hopefully you ll'get a more manageable package!
Join the conversation
This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation with my adopted daughter and have been stressed about the FAFSA for months. It's reassuring to see that multiple people have confirmed adoption subsidies don't count as income. The fact that you got official confirmation from FSA makes me feel much more confident about leaving those payments off our form. Thanks for sharing your experience and the resolution!
I'm so glad this thread was helpful for you too! When I first started filling out the FAFSA, I was completely overwhelmed by all the different types of income and benefits questions. It's such a relief to know that adoption subsidies are treated consistently across different families. The hardest part was just getting that official confirmation - once I had that, the rest of the application felt much more manageable. Best of luck with your daughter's college applications!
This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! I'm a newcomer to this community and currently navigating the FAFSA process for the first time with my adopted son. I had no idea that adoption subsidies were treated differently from regular income - I was about to include the monthly payments we receive and potentially mess up our SAI calculation. Reading through everyone's experiences and seeing that you got official confirmation from FSA gives me so much confidence. I'll definitely look into that Claimyr service if I need to call with questions. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and making this less intimidating for families like mine!
Welcome to the community! I'm so glad you found this discussion before potentially making that mistake on your FAFSA. It's exactly why I love this forum - real families helping each other navigate these confusing processes. The adoption subsidy question seems to come up fairly regularly, so you're definitely not alone in being unsure about it. Since you're new to FAFSA, one tip I'd add is to keep good records of any official answers you get from FSA, just in case you ever get selected for verification. Having that documentation can save you headaches later. Good luck with your son's college journey!
Join the conversation
As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm starting my FAFSA research early since my daughter is only a sophomore, but seeing how that "no aid" message can cause so much unnecessary panic is really valuable to know ahead of time. It's clear that the federal aid system has some serious communication issues if so many families are experiencing this same confusion. The advice about calling schools directly, looking into state aid programs, and not panicking until you see the actual award letters seems like golden wisdom that I'll definitely remember when our time comes. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so reassuring to know there's a supportive community here for parents navigating this complex process!
Welcome to the community! It's so smart of you to start researching this early with a sophomore - I wish I had been as proactive! You're absolutely right that the federal aid system has major communication problems. That "no aid" message has clearly traumatized countless families unnecessarily. One additional tip I'd add from reading through everyone's experiences: don't be afraid to ask questions, whether it's here in the community or directly to school financial aid offices. Everyone seems so willing to help, and the financial aid officers deal with confused parents all the time. Starting your research now will definitely pay off when you're going through the actual process in a couple years!
As someone who just went through this whole process with my oldest last year, I can't stress enough how much that "no aid" message freaked me out too! It's honestly criminal how poorly designed that messaging is - it should clearly state "no federal need-based grants" instead of just "no aid" which makes everyone think they're getting absolutely nothing. Your SAI of 18650 is actually pretty typical for middle-income families, and your son will definitely still qualify for federal student loans. The unsubsidized loans alone ($5,500 for freshmen) can make a real difference. Also, don't forget to ask each school about their institutional aid and merit scholarships when those award letters come - many schools have their own funding that's completely separate from what FAFSA shows. I was amazed at how different the aid packages were between schools even with the same FAFSA results. Hang in there, and definitely call the financial aid offices if you have questions - they're usually super helpful and way clearer than the federal websites!
Join the conversation
wait so if ur an independent student is that better or worse for getting financial aid? i'm confused
Generally, independent student status is advantageous for financial aid because only your income and assets (and your spouse's if married) are considered - not your parents'. This typically results in a lower Student Aid Index (SAI) and potentially more need-based aid. However, independent students also lose access to certain types of aid like Parent PLUS loans, so there are trade-offs.
This is such a common concern and I'm glad you asked! Based on everything shared here, you should be fine. The consensus is correct - direct payments from your grandmother to the school for qualified educational expenses like meal plans won't affect your independent status or count as income on next year's FAFSA. I'd definitely echo what others said about getting confirmation from your financial aid office in writing, especially given PixelPrincess's experience with miscoding. Also make sure your grandmother specifies it's a "third-party payment" when she makes the payment. One small thing to add: keep records of these payments for your own files too, just in case you need to reference them later. It sounds like your grandmother is being really generous and you shouldn't have to worry about it hurting your aid eligibility!
NeonNebula
Congrats on getting that sorted out! $12,000 is a huge reduction - that's going to save you so much money in the long run. Parent PLUS loans have such high interest rates that every dollar you don't borrow is money saved. Smart move figuring this out before disbursement too. Your future self will definitely thank you for this decision!
0 coins
Andre Lefebvre
•That's awesome news! I'm so glad you were able to get it reduced before disbursement. $12,000 is a substantial amount - you probably saved yourself thousands in interest over the life of the loan. It's crazy how much those Parent PLUS loan interest rates can add up over time. Hope your campus job works out well and helps cover those expenses!
0 coins
Giovanni Mancini
That's fantastic news, Connor! You made a really smart financial decision there. Reducing by $12,000 is going to save your family a significant amount - not just in interest over the years, but also in origination fees right off the bat. Parent PLUS loans can really add up with that 6.84% interest rate, so every dollar you don't borrow is money in your pocket. It's great that you caught this before disbursement too - makes the whole process so much cleaner. Best of luck with your campus job at the rec center!
0 coins
AstroAlpha
•That's such great news! You definitely made the right call reducing it by that much. I'm actually in a similar situation - my parents took out a Parent PLUS loan for way more than we probably need. Reading through this thread has been super helpful. Did you have to provide any documentation about your campus job income when you requested the reduction, or was it pretty straightforward once you filled out the form?
0 coins