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
UPDATE: I finally submitted my FAFSA! I reported the account balances as assets but did NOT include the VA disability payments as income. Thanks everyone for your help. Now I just have to wait and see what kind of aid I qualify for...
Great job getting it submitted before the deadline! That's the approach I would have taken too. If you want to double-check anything, you can always log back in and make corrections within the next few days.
Congrats on getting it submitted on time! You made the right call - VA disability payments are definitely excluded from income reporting, but the account balances still need to be reported as assets. Just wanted to add that if you ever need to make corrections later, you have that option, but it sounds like you handled it correctly. Good luck with your aid package!
Thanks for the confirmation! It's reassuring to hear from multiple people that I handled it the right way. The whole process was pretty stressful, especially with the deadline looming, but this community really helped clear up my confusion. Fingers crossed for a good aid package!
Join the conversation
I'm in the exact same boat! Submitted my FAFSA 6 days ago and have been obsessively checking studentaid.gov thinking I was missing something. This thread has been SO helpful - I had no idea that schools are the ones who actually send out the Pell Grant awards, not the FAFSA site directly. The whole process is way more confusing than it needs to be. I'm definitely going to try calling my top choice schools directly like some of you suggested, especially since I also have that May 1st deadline approaching fast. It's such a relief to know that 1-3 weeks is totally normal and I'm not behind or doing anything wrong. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - makes me feel so much less alone in this stressful process!
Yes! This thread has been a lifesaver - I was starting to panic thinking I'd messed something up on my application. It's crazy how they don't explain this whole process better when you submit the FAFSA. I'm definitely going to call my schools this week too since I also have some early deadlines coming up. At least now I know what to expect and that waiting 2-3 weeks is completely normal. Good luck with your applications!
I'm literally going through the exact same thing right now! Submitted my FAFSA 4 days ago and have been checking studentaid.gov multiple times a day expecting to see my Pell Grant status. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful - I had absolutely no clue that the schools are the ones who actually determine and send out the Pell Grant awards based on your SAI, not the FAFSA website itself. The whole system seems so backwards - why don't they explain this clearly when you submit your application? I've been stressing out thinking I did something wrong or that my application got lost. Now I know to be patient and wait for my SAI to appear, then check with my individual schools. Definitely going to try that Federal Student Aid Estimator tool while I wait. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences - makes this whole confusing process feel way less overwhelming!
I'm so glad this thread exists! I'm also new to this whole process and was getting really anxious about not seeing anything on my FAFSA account yet. It's such a relief to know that checking studentaid.gov obsessively isn't going to show me Pell Grant amounts - I was doing the same thing! The fact that schools handle the actual awards makes so much more sense now. I'm definitely going to try that estimator tool too while I wait for my SAI. It's crazy how many of us are going through this exact same confusion at the same time. Thanks for posting - knowing I'm not alone in this stress really helps!
Join the conversation
This whole thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm in almost the exact same boat! My SAI went from -800 last year to 22,000 this year with literally no changes to our family's financial situation. My mom makes the same salary, we have the same modest savings, and I'm still the only kid in college. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the new FAFSA formula is just brutal for families like ours. I had no idea about the asset protection changes and income protection decreases that Isabella mentioned. That explains so much! I'm definitely going to follow Alexis's lead and contact my school's financial aid office for a professional judgment review. Has anyone had luck with appeals at state schools versus private colleges? I'm wondering if one type is more flexible with these situations. Also, thanks to Max for mentioning Claimyr - I've been dreading calling the FSA hotline but that service sounds like a lifesaver if I need to go that route too.
I'm new here but going through the exact same nightmare! My SAI jumped from around 1,200 to 19,800 and I was completely panicking thinking I'd somehow messed up my FAFSA. Reading through this thread has been such a relief - at least now I know it's the formula changes and not just me being an idiot. From what I'm seeing, it sounds like the professional judgment route is really the way to go. I'm at a state school and planning to call their financial aid office first thing Monday morning. Hopefully they'll be understanding about these formula issues. It's honestly insane that the Department of Education rolled out these changes without better communication about how dramatically they'd impact aid eligibility for so many families. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when you're trying to navigate this mess!
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress, especially with your deadline coming up so soon! As someone who went through a similar SAI shock this year, I completely understand the panic. One thing that helped me was creating a simple comparison document showing my previous year's FAFSA data side-by-side with this year's to bring to my financial aid office. It made it really clear that nothing had changed on our end, which seemed to help them understand the situation faster. Also, don't wait until the last minute to reach out - financial aid offices are swamped right now with similar cases, so the earlier you can get in their queue for a professional judgment review, the better. Some schools are even proactively reviewing cases where they see these dramatic SAI increases. Hang in there - from what I'm reading in this thread, schools seem to be understanding about these formula issues and many are willing to work with students. You've got this!
This is such great advice about creating a side-by-side comparison document! I wish I had thought of that when I first contacted my financial aid office. It would have saved so much time explaining the situation. For anyone else reading this who's about to reach out to their school, definitely take this suggestion - having a clear visual showing that literally nothing changed in your financial situation makes it so much easier for them to understand why you're appealing. I ended up having to send multiple emails back and forth explaining the same information that could have been communicated much more clearly with a simple comparison chart. Thanks for sharing this tip!
Join the conversation
Welcome to the community! This thread has been an absolute goldmine of information. I'm a veteran who's been putting off going back to school partly because I was worried about navigating all the financial aid complexities, but seeing how this community comes together to share knowledge and support each other is really encouraging. The systematic nature of this problem is shocking - it sounds like financial aid software across the country hasn't been properly updated to comply with the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act. What's even more concerning is that many financial aid officers seem unaware of these regulations, which means veterans are having to educate the very people who should be helping them. I'm saving all the legal references and documentation strategies that have been shared here. The advice about asking schools to show exactly how they code GI Bill benefits in their system seems like it could prevent a lot of headaches by catching errors early in the process. Has anyone found that certain types of schools (public vs. private, large vs. small) are more likely to make these errors, or does it seem pretty random across all institutions? I'm trying to decide where to apply and wondering if this might be a factor to consider when choosing schools. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and legal expertise - this is exactly why veteran communities are so valuable!
Welcome to the community, Nora! Your question about whether certain types of schools are more prone to these errors is really interesting. From what I've observed in this thread and other discussions, it seems pretty random across institution types - both large state schools and smaller private colleges have made these same coding mistakes with GI Bill benefits. I think the issue is more about how widespread the software and training problems are rather than institutional characteristics. The financial aid systems that schools use apparently haven't been properly updated to reflect the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act requirements, regardless of whether it's a big university or small college. That said, you might want to consider reaching out to the veteran services offices at schools you're considering. Schools with strong veteran support programs might be more likely to have financial aid staff who are properly trained on VA benefit regulations. Some schools even have dedicated veteran financial aid counselors who specialize in these issues. The good news is that armed with all the legal references and strategies shared in this thread, you'll be well-prepared to advocate for yourself regardless of which school you choose. The key seems to be catching the error early and having the documentation ready to show them exactly what the law requires. Don't let these potential issues discourage you from pursuing your education - this community has shown that these problems are definitely solvable with the right preparation!
As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by the wealth of knowledge and support shared in this thread! I'm a veteran who's been hesitant to pursue higher education partly because I was intimidated by the financial aid process, but reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly educational and empowering. It's shocking to learn how widespread this issue is - the fact that schools nationwide are systematically miscoding GI Bill benefits suggests there's a fundamental problem with either the financial aid software systems or training protocols (or both). What's particularly frustrating is that veterans are being forced to become legal experts just to access benefits we've rightfully earned through our service. I'm definitely saving all the legal citations that have been shared here (38 U.S.C. § 3679, HEA section 480(c)(2), and the Federal Student Aid Handbook references) as well as the strategic advice about requesting to see exactly how schools code benefits in their systems. The tip about getting written confirmation of any changes seems crucial too - I never would have thought about the possibility that schools might verbally agree to fix issues but then not follow through on processing the actual corrections. For those who successfully resolved this issue, did you find that having these legal references made financial aid offices more responsive, or did you still face resistance even with proper documentation? I'm trying to gauge whether this is typically a quick fix once you show them the law, or if it often requires escalation to higher levels of administration. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this is exactly why veteran communities are so valuable for helping each other navigate these complex bureaucratic systems!
Welcome to the community, Eli! Your question about how responsive financial aid offices are when presented with the proper legal documentation is really important for setting expectations. From what I've gathered reading through this thread, it seems like the response varies quite a bit depending on the individual staff member's knowledge and the school's internal processes. Some people like @a8d15d3ee628 and @ac6aa00d494c had relatively quick resolutions once they showed the relevant laws and regulations - it sounds like their schools were willing to admit the error and fix it within a week or two. But others like @c293784e7a45 faced months of resistance and had to escalate all the way to congressional involvement. The key seems to be getting to the right person - several people mentioned that front desk staff often don't have the authority or knowledge to make these corrections, so asking to speak with a senior financial aid officer or director is crucial. Having the specific USC codes and Federal Student Aid Handbook references appears to make a big difference in being taken seriously. I think the advice about being persistent but professional really resonates - most financial aid staff genuinely want to help but may not be familiar with these specific veteran benefit regulations. Coming prepared with documentation shows you know what you're talking about and makes it harder for them to dismiss your concerns. Don't let the potential for pushback discourage you from pursuing your education though - the law is clearly on our side, and this community has shown that these issues are definitely solvable with proper preparation!
Isabella Ferreira
This thread has been so reassuring! I'm a first-time FAFSA filer and was completely panicked when I didn't see the usual income fields. It's amazing how much simpler this new process is compared to what my older siblings went through. One thing I'm curious about - does anyone know if there are any specific situations where the automatic retrieval might not work? Like if your parents are divorced or if you have complex tax situations? I want to make sure I'm prepared in case anything goes wrong with the data transfer.
0 coins
Freya Thomsen
•Great question! From what I've learned, there are a few situations where the automatic retrieval might have hiccups. If your parents are divorced, each parent who needs to complete the FAFSA will need to give separate consent for their own tax data retrieval. Complex tax situations like having foreign income, filing separate returns when married, or having significant business income might require additional manual entry or verification. Also, if there's a mismatch between the SSN on your FAFSA and your tax return, that could cause issues. The system is pretty robust though - if there are problems with the automatic retrieval, you'll usually get notified and given the option to enter information manually or through verification with your school's financial aid office.
0 coins
Tyler Lefleur
As someone who works in financial aid, I can confirm that this new automatic retrieval system is working well for most families! The key thing to remember is that you still need to give explicit consent during the FAFSA process for the Department of Education to access your IRS data. If you skipped that step or didn't complete it properly, that's when you might run into issues. The system pulls data from your 2023 tax return (the "prior-prior year" for 2025-26 FAFSA), and it includes not just your AGI but also other relevant tax information like untaxed portions of IRA distributions, tax-exempt interest, etc. One tip: if you're ever unsure whether the data transferred correctly, most schools can run a preliminary aid estimate for you once they receive your FAFSA data, even before you get your official SAR. Don't hesitate to reach out to your school's financial aid office if you have concerns!
0 coins