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
Welcome to the community! I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress right before the semester starts. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm dealing with a similar situation where my son's aid was reduced by $1,800 with no explanation. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like checking the student portal for verification requests and comparing FAFSA/CSS Profile information are the first steps. Has anyone had success with the appeal process mentioned by Luca? I'm wondering how long those typically take to process since we're running out of time before tuition is due.
Hi Andre! Welcome to the community - sorry you're going through this too. I can share that appeals can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks depending on the school, which I know isn't helpful when tuition deadlines are looming. Some schools will allow you to register for classes while the appeal is pending if you can show documentation that it's been submitted. I'd recommend calling the financial aid office directly (not just emailing) and explaining the time crunch - they may be able to expedite or at least give you a payment extension. Also ask about emergency/short-term loans that might bridge the gap while waiting for the appeal decision. The verification portal check that others mentioned really seems to be the key first step for most people here!
Welcome to the community! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with a very similar situation - my daughter's Pell Grant was suddenly reduced by $2,100 last week with absolutely no explanation. Reading through this thread has been so helpful, especially the advice about checking the student portal for verification requests (which seems to be a common culprit). I'm also going to try that Claimyr service that Aisha mentioned since I've been on hold with FSA for hours with no luck. It's really reassuring to know we're not alone in this - the new FAFSA system really seems to have created chaos for so many families. Has anyone found that certain times of day are better for getting through to financial aid offices? I'm wondering if calling first thing in the morning might be more successful than afternoons.
Welcome Henrietta! I'm new here too and going through the exact same thing. From what I've read in other forums, early morning (8-9 AM) seems to be the best time to call financial aid offices - right when they open before the phone lines get jammed. Also, if your daughter's school has multiple campuses, sometimes calling the main campus financial aid line can get you through faster than the branch campus numbers. The Claimyr service does sound promising - let me know how it works out if you try it! It's definitely comforting to know this isn't just happening to our families. Keeping my fingers crossed that we all get this sorted out before tuition deadlines hit.
Join the conversation
Just wanted to add another tip for anyone still struggling with this - if you're having trouble finding the college download status section, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser entirely. I had the same issue where certain sections of the StudentAid.gov site weren't loading properly in Chrome, but worked fine in Firefox. Also, keep in mind that some colleges batch-download FAFSA data only once or twice a week rather than daily, so don't panic if a school hasn't accessed it immediately after your SAI was calculated. But definitely follow the advice others gave about calling if you're getting close to priority deadlines!
That's a great point about the browser cache! I've been having similar issues with other government websites lately. Quick question - when you say colleges batch-download only once or twice a week, do you know if there's a typical pattern to when they do this? Like do most schools pull data on specific days of the week? Just trying to figure out the best time to check for updates.
I went through this exact same frustration last month! After trying all the different methods mentioned here, I found that the most reliable approach is actually a combination. First, check the FAFSA portal using the steps Grace outlined (View FAFSA Status > View Processing Information > College Release Status), but then also call the financial aid offices directly for any schools showing as "not downloaded" within 10 days of your SAI being calculated. I learned the hard way that some schools have delays in their systems, and waiting too long can put you at risk for missing priority deadlines. Also, make sure to check if any of your daughter's colleges require additional forms beyond the FAFSA - some schools need CSS Profile or their own institutional aid applications, which have separate deadlines that might be even earlier than the FAFSA priority dates. One more tip: screenshot or print the college release status page when you find it, so you don't have to hunt through all those menus again!
This is such helpful advice! The screenshot tip is genius - I'm definitely going to do that once I finally locate the right section. I'm also realizing I should probably check if any of her schools need the CSS Profile too. Do you happen to know if there's an easy way to find out which schools require additional forms beyond the FAFSA? I feel like I'm constantly discovering new requirements and deadlines I didn't know about!
Join the conversation
I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with my son - his father has been completely absent since he was 5 and we have no way to contact him safely. What I learned from our financial aid advisor is that you absolutely need to complete your portion first as the custodial parent, then each school will handle the missing parent information differently. Some schools have been really understanding and just needed a brief letter explaining the situation, while others wanted more formal documentation. The most important thing is getting that FAFSA submitted with YOUR information - don't let the missing father's info delay the whole application. You can always provide additional context to schools after submission, but you can't get financial aid if you miss the deadline entirely.
This is exactly what I needed to hear! It's so stressful when you're worried about doing the wrong thing and potentially hurting your child's chances at financial aid. I'm going to complete my portion today and then reach out to each school individually. It sounds like having that FAFSA submitted with at least one parent's information is the most critical first step, and then we can work with each school's financial aid office on the specifics. Thank you for sharing your experience - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this situation.
I work in financial aid and see this situation regularly. You're absolutely correct - complete your portion as the custodial parent immediately. The FAFSA system is designed so that divorced/separated parents only provide information from the parent the student lives with most. Your daughter's counselor may have confused this with the much rarer dependency override process, which happens AFTER FAFSA submission and has very strict criteria. The protective order actually strengthens your case for professional judgment reviews at individual schools, but first you need that FAFSA completed with YOUR financial information. Don't let this delay her application - schools are much more understanding about these situations than people think, especially with proper documentation.
Join the conversation
One more thing to keep in mind - since your daughter is graduating early in December, make sure to coordinate with her high school counselor about sending her final transcript to the college. Sometimes there can be delays with mid-year graduates getting their transcripts processed, and the college will need that official final transcript before they can finalize her financial aid package. Also, if she's planning to work part-time while in college, look into whether her school participates in Federal Work-Study - it's often easier to find on-campus jobs through work-study, and since she's starting spring semester, there might actually be more openings available than typical since some fall work-study students graduate or leave mid-year!
That's a really good point about the transcript timing! I hadn't even thought about potential delays with December graduation processing. I'll definitely reach out to her guidance counselor this week to make sure we're on top of that. And thanks for the tip about work-study opportunities - I actually hadn't considered that there might be more openings available for spring students since some positions open up mid-year. That could be a real advantage for her! You all have thought of so many details I never would have considered on my own.
Just wanted to chime in as another parent who went through this exact situation! My daughter also graduated early (December 2022) and started college in Spring 2023. One thing that really helped us was creating a checklist with all the deadlines - not just FAFSA, but also housing deposits, orientation dates, course registration, etc. Spring admits often have compressed timelines for everything. Also, don't forget to ask about summer financial aid eligibility when you submit that 2024-25 FAFSA - many students don't realize they can use their aid for summer courses too, which can help her get ahead or catch up to the traditional fall cohort. The summer semester aid is often underutilized so there may be good opportunities there!
This is such a comprehensive and thoughtful response! I love the idea of creating a master checklist with all the different deadlines - you're so right that spring admits probably have much tighter timelines for everything since they're starting mid-year. I hadn't even thought about summer semester possibilities, but that makes total sense as a way for her to potentially catch up with her cohort or get ahead. Do you remember if summer aid was processed automatically with the same FAFSA, or did you have to specifically request it from the college? And thank you for sharing your experience - it's so reassuring to hear from someone who successfully navigated this exact situation!
For summer aid, it was automatically included when we submitted the FAFSA since summer is part of that same award year (2024-25 FAFSA covers fall, spring, AND summer). However, you do need to specifically tell the college you plan to attend summer sessions when you enroll, and some schools require a separate summer aid application or have you indicate summer enrollment intent. The key thing is that summer aid comes out of the same annual limits - so if your daughter maxes out her Pell Grant in fall/spring, there won't be additional for summer. But if she's only doing spring/summer in that first year, she'll have her full annual award to split between those two semesters. Definitely ask the financial aid office about their summer aid process when you call!
CyberNinja
Welcome to the community! I'm in a very similar boat - my divorce was finalized in December but we also filed jointly for 2024. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially hearing from the financial aid counselor and parents who've been through this exact situation. One thing I wanted to add that might help - I just discovered that some schools have specific worksheets for divorced parents who filed jointly. When I called my daughter's top choice school directly, they actually emailed me a simple form that walks you through separating your income from the joint return. It might be worth reaching out to your son's schools directly to see if they have similar resources. Also, I've been keeping a detailed folder with our divorce decree, both W-2s, and a breakdown of how we're splitting any joint income. Even though it feels like overkill, reading everyone's verification experiences makes me think being over-prepared is definitely the way to go! It sounds like you're absolutely doing the right thing reporting as divorced with just your income. The timing is tough, but at least your son should benefit from a much better aid calculation. Good luck with the submission tonight!
0 coins
Callum Savage
•Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing such practical advice! The idea about schools having specific worksheets for divorced parents who filed jointly is really smart - I hadn't thought to reach out directly to the schools yet, but that makes so much sense. I'm definitely going to call them tomorrow to see what resources they have available. Your detailed folder approach is exactly what I need to do too. I've been collecting documents but haven't organized them properly yet. It's so helpful to hear from someone going through this at the same time - makes me feel less alone in figuring all this out! Thanks for the encouragement about submitting tonight. Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much more confidence that we're making the right choice.
0 coins
Grace Patel
As someone who's been through a very similar situation with my daughter's FAFSA last year, I wanted to jump in and reassure you that you're absolutely on the right track! My divorce was finalized in early January too, but we had also filed taxes jointly for the previous year - the exact same timing issue you're facing. The key thing I learned (after way too many stressful phone calls) is that FAFSA really does go by your marital status on the day you submit, not how you filed taxes. Since your divorce was final on January 10th, you should definitely select "divorced/separated" and only report your income. What helped me most was creating a simple breakdown showing exactly how I separated my income from our joint return - basically my W-2 plus my documented share of any joint investment income according to our divorce decree. When we got selected for verification (which we did), having that ready made everything so much smoother. The best news? My daughter's aid package was significantly better using just my income instead of both parents combined. Your son should see the same benefit! Don't let the joint tax return stress you out - verification officers see this situation constantly and know exactly how to handle it. You've got this! Take a deep breath and submit with confidence knowing you're following the rules correctly.
0 coins
Avery Flores
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's such a relief to hear from someone who went through the exact same timing situation and came out successfully on the other side. Your advice about creating a breakdown document is really helpful - I'm definitely going to do that before submitting tonight. It gives me so much confidence knowing that your daughter got a better aid package in the end, which is exactly what I'm hoping for my son. The reassurance about verification officers being familiar with this situation really helps calm my nerves too. I was so worried we'd get flagged as doing something wrong, but it sounds like this is more common than I thought. Thank you for the encouragement - I really needed to hear that we're following the rules correctly!
0 coins