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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!
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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!
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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.
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I just went through this nightmare last week! Another thing that might help - if you're still getting locked out even after finding the backup code option, try waiting at least 30 minutes before attempting to log in again. I kept trying immediately after getting locked out and it seems like there's some kind of temporary lockout period that resets after waiting. Also, make sure you're typing the backup codes exactly as they appear (including any dashes or spaces) - I was removing the dashes thinking they were just formatting and that was causing them to be rejected. The whole system is definitely poorly designed but once you know these little quirks it becomes manageable. Good luck to anyone still dealing with this!
This is super helpful advice! I wish I had known about the 30-minute lockout period earlier - I definitely made the mistake of trying to log in repeatedly right after getting locked out, which probably made things worse. The tip about keeping the dashes in backup codes is also really important. It's so frustrating that these little details aren't explained anywhere on the site itself. Thanks for sharing what you learned from your experience!
Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact same issue a few months ago! I was completely panicking because I couldn't access my FAFSA right before my school's deadline. The backup code option is seriously hidden - I think the government websites are designed by people who have never actually used them lol. What ended up working for me was following the steps that @Giovanni Moretti shared (thank you SO much for that detailed breakdown!). But I also want to add that if you're still having trouble, try using an incognito/private browsing window. Sometimes stored cookies and cache can interfere with the login process. Also, for anyone else reading this - DEFINITELY save those backup codes in multiple places when you first set up your account. I learned this the hard way. I now have them saved in my phone's notes app, written down on paper, AND saved in my password manager. The stress of being locked out right before a financial aid deadline is something I never want to experience again! Glad you got it sorted out @Jamal Carter - that SAI score sounds promising! 🎉
Thanks for sharing your experience and all the extra tips! The incognito browsing window suggestion is brilliant - I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense that cached data could interfere with the login process. And you're absolutely right about saving backup codes in multiple places. I'm definitely going to do that once I get my account fully sorted out. It's crazy how stressful these technical issues become when there are important deadlines involved. Really appreciate everyone in this thread sharing their solutions - this community is so helpful for navigating all the FAFSA chaos! 🙏
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Hi! I'm new to this community and going through the exact same FAFSA confusion with my daughter who's starting college this fall. I'm divorced and have been trying to figure out which parent should complete the contributor section - my ex-husband makes significantly more than I do, but our daughter lives with me about 60% of the time. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea that it's based on where the student lives more rather than income levels. It's actually reassuring to know that my lower income might help her qualify for better financial aid. Thank you to everyone who explained the rules so clearly, especially about reporting child support and keeping documentation organized. This community is such a great resource for navigating these complicated federal aid requirements!
Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and just went through this exact same confusion with my son's FAFSA application. Your 60% custody situation makes it clear that you're the right parent to complete the contributor section. It's such a relief to find other divorced parents dealing with the same assumptions about income vs. custody time! This thread has been invaluable for understanding how the system actually works. The fact that your lower income could help your daughter qualify for more aid is definitely a silver lining to an otherwise stressful process. Good luck with the application - you've got this!
Hi! I'm new to this community and dealing with the exact same FAFSA confusion as many of you. I'm divorced and my son will be starting college next year. We have joint custody but he lives with me about 55% of the time, and his father earns roughly $18k more than I do annually. When I got that contributor invitation email from studentaid.gov, I immediately thought his dad should handle it since he's the higher earner. Reading through this entire thread has been such a relief - I had no clue that it's purely based on where the student lives more, not income! It's actually encouraging to know that my lower income might help my son qualify for better financial aid. Thank you to everyone who explained these rules so clearly, especially the details about child support reporting and documentation. This community is amazing for helping confused parents like me navigate what feels like an overly complicated system!
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This is such a frustrating situation that so many blended families face! I went through something similar when my partner and I got married mid-year. The FAFSA system really doesn't handle these life transitions well. One thing that helped us was creating a detailed timeline showing when we got married vs. the tax year in question, plus documentation of our separate household expenses during 2023. When we met with the financial aid office, having all that paperwork ready made it easier for them to understand our situation. Also, don't forget that your household size increased when you got married - that can sometimes help offset some of the income impact on your SAI calculation. Hang in there, it's worth pushing through the frustration to get your daughter's aid sorted out!
This is really helpful advice, thank you! I hadn't thought about documenting our separate household expenses from 2023. That's a great idea to show the financial aid office that we weren't actually supporting each other during that tax year. I'll definitely put together a timeline and gather all that documentation before meeting with them. It gives me hope that there might be some flexibility in the system after all!
I'm a financial aid administrator and want to add one more important tip - when you submit your FAFSA with your husband's 2023 tax info, make sure to check the "unusual circumstances" box if your school's application has one, or mention in any additional information sections that your marriage occurred after the tax year. This flags your application for potential review. Also, keep copies of your marriage certificate and both of your 2023 tax returns handy - you'll likely need these when speaking with financial aid offices. The good news is that most aid administrators are familiar with this scenario and have processes in place to help families navigate it. Don't let the initial shock of the higher SAI discourage you from exploring all your options!
This is exactly the kind of insider knowledge we need more of! Thank you for explaining about the "unusual circumstances" box - I had no idea that existed. It's reassuring to hear from someone who works in financial aid that this situation is common and there are actual processes to help. I'll definitely mention our post-tax-year marriage in any additional information sections and have all those documents ready. It's been such a stressful process not knowing if there was any flexibility in the system, so knowing that aid administrators are familiar with this gives me a lot of hope!
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Welcome to everyone who's new to this process! As someone who just went through this with my son last year for an electrical apprenticeship program, I can't stress enough how worth it the FAFSA application is. Even if you think your income is too high, APPLY ANYWAY! One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - many community colleges offer technical programs that are often cheaper than standalone technical institutes, and they usually have more established financial aid offices to help you navigate the process. My son ended up doing his electrical program through our local community college and saved thousands compared to the private technical school he was originally considering. Also, don't overlook work-study opportunities! My son got a work-study position helping maintain the college's facilities while learning electrical work - it was basically paid practice time that reinforced what he was learning in class. The skilled trades desperately need workers right now, so there are often more scholarship opportunities available than people realize. Your kids are choosing careers with incredible job security and earning potential. The FAFSA process might seem daunting, but it's absolutely worth doing to help them start their careers with less debt!
Thank you for sharing your son's success story! The community college route is something I definitely need to explore more - I hadn't really considered that option but it makes total sense that they might be more affordable and have better established financial aid support. The work-study opportunity your son got sounds perfect, especially for hands-on learners who benefit from practical application while they're studying. I'm curious - when you were comparing costs between the community college program and the private technical school, was it a significant difference? Also, did the community college program have the same kind of industry connections and job placement support as the private schools? I want to make sure we're looking at all our options before making a decision. Thanks again for the encouragement about applying for FAFSA regardless of income - that seems to be the consistent message from everyone here!
Hi everyone! I'm a newcomer to this community and found this thread incredibly helpful - thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences! I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter who's interested in pharmacy technician certification. After reading through all these responses, I feel so much more confident about the FAFSA process. I had no idea that technical programs could qualify for federal aid, and hearing about actual Pell Grant amounts and success stories has been eye-opening. A couple of questions for the group: Does anyone have experience with healthcare-related technical programs specifically? I'm wondering if there are any industry-specific scholarships or grants we should be looking into beyond the standard FAFSA. Also, I noticed several people mentioned checking multiple schools - is it common for financial aid packages to vary significantly between different technical institutes for similar programs? I'm definitely going to verify accreditation, check the College Scorecard website, and contact our state's workforce development office based on all the great advice here. This community has been such a valuable resource for understanding that trade and technical education have just as many financial aid opportunities as traditional college paths. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment for families navigating these decisions!
Keisha Williams
I just checked with mom and she definitely gets SSDI, not SSI. She says she can log into her Social Security account to get the information. Thank you so much for all the help! I feel much better about starting my FAFSA application now.
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Liam O'Connor
Great to hear you're feeling more confident about the process! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you're filling out the FAFSA, take your time with the disability income section and double-check the numbers against your mom's SSA-1099. Also, if you run into any technical issues with the FAFSA website (which happens more often than it should), don't panic - you can always save your progress and come back to it later. The system saves automatically as you go. Good luck with your application, and remember that having parents on disability often means you'll qualify for good aid packages!
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Nina Fitzgerald
•This is such helpful advice! I'm also a first-time FAFSA applicant and my situation is similar - my mom receives disability benefits. It's really encouraging to see how supportive this community is. I was wondering, does anyone know if there are any deadlines I should be especially aware of when applying with disability income documentation? I want to make sure I don't miss anything important like the person mentioned earlier about their sister almost missing the priority deadline.
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