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
Just to clarify something important: your financial aid award isn't automatic after receiving your SAI. Each school creates their own unique financial aid package based on: 1. Your SAI score 2. The school's total cost of attendance 3. Available funding at that specific institution 4. Their particular awarding policies With a -1500 SAI, you'll likely qualify for the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for the 2025-2026 award year), but institutional aid, work-study, and loans will vary by school. Once you've verified your FAFSA is complete and the school has your information, ask about their typical notification timeline and if they need additional documentation from you specifically.
Thank you for clarifying! $7,395 would be a huge help. I'm going to call them tomorrow morning to check on everything.
Hey! I went through this exact same situation last year and totally understand the confusion. Your -1500 SAI is fantastic and definitely means you'll qualify for substantial aid! One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to also check if your school has any priority deadlines for institutional aid that you might be approaching. Some schools have separate deadlines for their own scholarships and grants even after you've submitted your FAFSA. Also, while you're waiting to hear back, it might be worth looking into your state's financial aid programs too. Many states have their own grant programs for residents that use your FAFSA info but require separate applications. Good luck with everything - with that SAI score, you should be in really good shape once everything gets processed! The waiting is definitely the hardest part but it sounds like you're on the right track.
This is really helpful advice, thank you! I hadn't even thought about state aid programs or priority deadlines for institutional scholarships. Do you know where I can find information about my state's programs? And how do I find out about my school's specific deadlines? I definitely don't want to miss out on any opportunities while I'm waiting for the main aid package to come through.
Join the conversation
Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! Just to make sure I've got this 100% clear - for my 2025-26 FAFSA, I'll report the TOTAL child support received during 2023 tax year (Jan-Apr for older child + full year for younger child). I won't try to allocate different amounts to each child's separate FAFSA, since the child support question is in the parent section that applies to the whole household. Is that correct?
That's exactly right! You've got it. The parent section is identical for both of your children's FAFSAs, so the child support amount will be the same on both applications.
Perfect! You've got it figured out now. Just to add one more tip - keep good records of those child support payments (bank statements, payment apps, etc.) in case you need to verify the amounts later. Some schools do request documentation during the verification process. Good luck with your kids' financial aid applications!
That's great advice about keeping records! I learned this the hard way when my daughter's school asked for verification and I had to scramble to find all the payment documentation. Bank statements and any formal payment tracking really saved me. Also, if you use an app like Venmo or Zelle for child support, make sure those transactions are clearly labeled so you can easily identify them later if needed.
Join the conversation
I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My daughter's SAI came through about 10 days ago, and I've been checking her student portals obsessively every day. So far only 2 out of 5 schools have updated their systems to show they received the FAFSA data. The waiting is killing me because we really need to see those aid packages to make our final decision. I called one school yesterday and they said they're running about 2-3 weeks behind their normal timeline this year due to all the FAFSA delays and changes. It's reassuring to know we're all in the same boat, but wow is this stressful when you're trying to plan for such a huge financial commitment!
I totally feel your pain! The obsessive portal checking is so real - I've been doing the exact same thing multiple times a day. It's somehow both comforting and frustrating to know that schools are running behind their normal timelines this year. At least we know it's not just us! The financial planning aspect is what's really getting to me too. How are we supposed to make such a huge decision when we're all getting the aid info at the last minute? Fingers crossed we both start seeing some movement on those portals soon! 🤞
I'm in exactly the same situation! My son's SAI was processed about a week and a half ago, and the waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking. What I've learned from calling a couple of schools is that while they typically receive the FAFSA data within 3-5 days, their internal processing times have been significantly delayed this year due to all the FAFSA changes and the compressed timeline. One admissions counselor told me they're getting a "tsunami" of applications all at once instead of the usual steady flow throughout the year. I've started checking each school's financial aid website for any updates about their specific timelines - a few have posted notices about delays. Also found it helpful to sign up for text alerts from the schools if they offer it, since some are sending updates that way. The uncertainty is definitely the worst part, especially with those May 1st deadlines looming! Hang in there - we're all navigating this together.
Join the conversation
Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar verification issue where my FAFSA has been stuck for 2 weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key is getting to a verification specialist who can do a manual override rather than just regular customer service reps. I have a Jr. suffix in my name which might be causing the formatting mismatch between systems. Going to try the Claimyr service to get through the phone queue and then specifically request a verification specialist using the exact terminology mentioned here. Really appreciate everyone sharing their solutions - this kind of peer support makes dealing with these bureaucratic nightmares so much more manageable!
Yes, the Jr. suffix could definitely be the issue! I had a similar problem with my middle initial causing a mismatch. When you call, make sure to mention that you suspect it's a name formatting issue between the two systems - the verification specialists seem to understand this problem immediately once you frame it that way. Good luck with Claimyr, it really does save you from sitting on hold forever! Keep us posted on how it goes.
I'm so grateful I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same SSA verification loop for about 10 days now and was starting to panic about missing my school's aid deadline. Reading through all these experiences gives me hope that there's actually a solution. I have a double-barreled last name (two last names with no hyphen) which sounds like it could definitely be causing the formatting mismatch between FSA and SSA systems. I'm going to try calling tomorrow and specifically asking for a verification specialist who can do a manual SSA override, using the exact language suggested by PrinceJoe. If that doesn't work, I'll look into the Claimyr service that Owen mentioned - seems like it could save a lot of time and frustration compared to sitting on hold for hours. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions and updates, this community support is invaluable when dealing with these government agency runarounds!
I'm in the exact same boat! Just started dealing with this verification loop issue yesterday and seeing all these success stories gives me so much hope. The double-barreled last name formatting issue makes total sense - I bet that's exactly what's happening with mine too. I'm definitely going to try the approach of asking specifically for a verification specialist and using those exact terms about "manual SSA override." It's so frustrating that we have to become experts in their internal processes just to get our applications processed, but at least now I know there's actually a solution! Thank you for mentioning the exact language to use - I'm writing it down so I don't forget when I call tomorrow. Fingers crossed we both get this resolved quickly!
Rhett Bowman
So glad you got through and got confirmation! This is a great reminder for everyone that paper FAFSA submissions are still valid but require much more follow-up. For future reference, if anyone else needs to submit paper forms, I'd recommend sending them via certified mail with tracking so you have proof of delivery date. That way you can show your school exactly when you submitted if there are any deadline issues. Good luck with your financial aid package!
0 coins
Astrid Bergström
•This is such helpful advice! I wish I had known about certified mail when I sent mine in. I'm definitely going to remember that tip for next year or if I need to send any other important documents. It's crazy how much stress could have been avoided with just a little extra planning. Thanks for sharing that!
0 coins
Lim Wong
As someone who's been through the paper FAFSA process, I'm so relieved to see your update! The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking. One thing I'd add - if your school has a financial aid chat or walk-in hours, definitely take advantage of those too. Sometimes they can give you more specific guidance about your situation or even flag your account for priority review once your FAFSA processes. Also, if you run into any snags during processing, don't hesitate to reach out to your school's financial aid office again - they're usually very understanding about paper submission delays, especially when students can show they submitted on time.
0 coins
Eduardo Silva
•This is such great advice! I had no idea that schools could flag accounts for priority review. I'm definitely going to check if my school has walk-in hours this week - it would be so much better to talk to someone face-to-face about this situation. The whole paper FAFSA process has been way more stressful than I expected, but seeing everyone's helpful responses here gives me hope that it will all work out in the end!
0 coins