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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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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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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!
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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 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!
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One other thing to consider: if your son is set on attending a school that will require significant loans beyond the federal student limit, have a serious conversation about whether that's the right financial choice. Sometimes a less expensive school with more merit aid can provide an equivalent education without the crushing debt. Speaking from experience - my oldest graduated with $78k in loans and regrets not considering more affordable options.
You make a really good point. We're actually still in the decision phase between a few schools. One is offering a decent merit scholarship that would bring the cost down considerably. I'll definitely have that conversation with him about the long-term implications of the debt. Thank you for sharing your experience.
As someone who just went through this process with my daughter last year, I can confirm that federal unsubsidized loans are available regardless of income! We make about $200k and she still got the full amount. One tip I wish I'd known earlier: even if you think you make "too much" for aid, still submit the FAFSA by the priority deadline. Some schools use it for merit scholarships too, and you might be surprised - we actually qualified for a small need-based grant at one private school despite our income. Also, don't overlook work-study opportunities which can help reduce the loan burden. The key is to explore ALL options before committing to any particular loan type!
This is really encouraging to hear from someone who just went through the process! I hadn't thought about work-study programs as a way to reduce borrowing needs. That's a great point about submitting the FAFSA by priority deadlines even when you think you won't qualify - it sounds like there are more opportunities than I initially realized. Thanks for the practical advice about exploring all options first!
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Wow, reading through this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a first-time FAFSA filer dealing with my own nightmare situation - my application has been "under review" for 6 weeks with zero communication. I had no idea about services like Claimyr or that congressional representatives could help with federal program issues. This community is amazing for sharing real solutions instead of just venting (though the venting is totally justified too!). Going to try both the Claimyr service and reaching out to my rep's office. Thanks everyone for being so generous with your advice and experiences!
Welcome to the FAFSA struggle club! 😅 Six weeks under review with no communication sounds absolutely maddening. I'm pretty new to all this financial aid stuff myself, but this thread has been such a goldmine of practical advice. The congressional representative tip especially blew my mind - I had no clue that was even an option! Really hoping both Claimyr and your rep's office can help break through that bureaucratic wall. Keep us posted on what ends up working for you - sounds like we're all learning from each other's experiences here!
As someone who just went through the FAFSA nightmare myself, I can't stress enough how valuable this thread is! I had a different issue (verification documents kept getting "lost" in their system) but the patterns are so similar - endless hold times, sudden disconnections, and zero helpful communication. What finally worked for me was a combination of the early morning calling strategy (thanks Avery!) and documenting absolutely everything for my school's financial aid office. They were able to work with incomplete FAFSA data while I kept fighting the system. For anyone still struggling - don't give up, and definitely lean on your school's financial aid counselors. They've seen it all and often have workarounds that aren't obvious to us students. This community sharing real solutions is honestly a lifesaver when the official channels fail us!
This is exactly what I needed to hear as someone just starting this whole process! I'm honestly terrified about potentially running into these same issues, but seeing how everyone here has found creative solutions gives me so much confidence. The documentation tip is brilliant - I'm going to start keeping detailed records from day one just in case. It's incredible how much real-world knowledge is shared in threads like this compared to the official FAFSA resources. Really appreciate everyone being so open about what worked and what didn't work for them!
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This thread is incredibly valuable! As a newcomer to the FAFSA process with my first child applying next year, I'm honestly shocked at how broken the system seems to be. The fact that @Olivia Clark had to try 8 different times and couldn't even get through to customer support is mind-blowing. I'm definitely saving all these troubleshooting tips - especially the 24-hour wait trick and using desktop Firefox instead of mobile. It's ridiculous that parents have to become tech support experts just to sign a financial aid form, but at least this community is sharing real solutions that actually work!
Welcome to the FAFSA chaos club! 😅 As someone who just went through this nightmare, I can confirm that having a community like this to turn to is absolutely essential. The official support channels are basically non-existent right now. One thing I'd add to the troubleshooting list - make sure you're logging in through studentaid.gov directly rather than clicking any email links, as @Connor O'Brien mentioned. Those email links seem to cause additional glitches. Also, don't be afraid to try the paper signature option if all else fails - sometimes the old-school method is more reliable than their "simplified" digital system!
As another parent just starting this process, I'm genuinely terrified after reading all of this! My daughter is a junior now so we'll be dealing with FAFSA next year. The fact that the "simplified" system is causing more problems than the old one is so typical of government tech rollouts. I'm already planning to create our FSA IDs early and make sure we have completely separate email addresses. Question for those who've been through this - is there any particular time of day that seems to work better for the electronic signature? Like are the servers less overloaded at certain hours?
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New to this community but going through the exact same stress! My daughter's SAI jumped to $27,800 from last year's EFC of $14,200, but she also got Work-Study eligibility. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm feeling much more optimistic. It sounds like the Work-Study is actually a promising sign that she still has demonstrated need, and that we shouldn't panic until we see the actual aid packages from her schools. The whole SAI vs EFC comparison seems to be throwing everyone off - apparently they're just completely different calculations. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to FSA and ask about the jump in our numbers. Thank you all for sharing your situations - it's such a relief to know we're not the only family confused by this new system!
Welcome! Your story sounds so familiar - that SAI jump is really jarring when you first see it. I'm glad this discussion has been helpful for you too. It's amazing how many families are dealing with these exact same numbers and concerns. The Work-Study eligibility really does seem to be the common thread among all of us, which gives me hope that our kids will still get meaningful aid packages. Definitely try Claimyr - several people here have mentioned success with it. It's so much better than sitting on hold for hours! Here's to hoping we all get some pleasant surprises when those financial aid offers start rolling in.
I'm new to this community but facing the exact same situation! My son's SAI came out to $30,150 (up from an EFC of $17,800 last year) and he also received Work-Study eligibility. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like the Work-Study eligibility is actually a positive sign that there's still demonstrated need, even with these shocking SAI numbers. The consensus seems to be that the new SAI formula is producing much higher numbers across the board, but that doesn't necessarily mean less aid when you factor in institutional grants from individual colleges. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to FSA and understand why our calculation jumped so dramatically. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's such a relief to know we're all navigating this confusing new system together and that there's still hope for meaningful financial aid packages!
Welcome to the community, Chloe! Your numbers are right in line with what so many of us are experiencing - that jump from $17,800 EFC to $30,150 SAI is definitely shocking at first glance. But after reading through all the advice here, I'm feeling much more hopeful too. The Work-Study eligibility really does seem to be the key indicator that our kids still have demonstrated need under the new system. It's such a relief to find this community where we can all share our experiences and realize we're not alone in this confusing transition. Definitely give Claimyr a try - it sounds like it's been a game-changer for actually getting through to FSA. Here's hoping we all get some good news when those aid packages start arriving!
Aiden Rodríguez
Update on this? Did you get it resolved? My nephew is going through something similar and I want to tell my sister what worked for you
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Sophia Nguyen
•Yes! Finally got it resolved yesterday. The key was: 1) Speaking directly with a financial aid counselor (not just the front desk), 2) Getting them to approve a conditional aid package while waiting for FAFSA, and 3) Using Claimyr to reach FAFSA directly to expedite the citizenship verification update. Tell your sister not to wait - be proactive and document everything!
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Natasha Petrova
I'm dealing with something similar but for my adopted daughter from South Korea. She's been a US citizen since she was 2, but FAFSA keeps flagging her for additional documentation. The most frustrating part is how the system treats adoptees differently even when they've had citizenship for decades! It's like the database can't handle the complexity of international adoptions. Have you tried reaching out to your congressperson's office? Sometimes they can help expedite federal agency issues like this. Also document every phone call - date, time, who you spoke with, what they said. It might help if you need to escalate later.
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Connor Murphy
•That's such a good point about contacting a congressperson's office! I never would have thought of that but it makes sense since this is a federal agency issue. And you're absolutely right about documenting everything - I wish I had started doing that from the beginning. It's so frustrating that adoptees who have been citizens their whole lives still get flagged like this. The system definitely needs to be updated to handle these situations better.
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