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
My daughter went through something similar!!! The financial aid office at her school actually helped create a payment plan for the balance she owed from the previous mistake. Most schools have some kind of option for that. Good luck!
I'm in a very similar boat! I'm 22, work full-time, and pay all my own expenses but still have to file as dependent because I don't meet any of the independence criteria. It's frustrating but I learned the hard way that it's better to follow the rules exactly than risk owing money back. One thing that helped me was scheduling an appointment with my school's financial aid office BEFORE submitting my FAFSA. They walked me through the dependency questions and helped me understand what documents I'd need from my parents. Even though my parents were hesitant about sharing their info, having the financial aid counselor explain why it was necessary made the conversation easier. Also, don't let that old balance at LaGuardia stress you out too much - most schools are willing to work with students on payment plans, especially when the debt was caused by confusion during COVID. Call them and explain what happened. You might be surprised how understanding they can be!
This is really helpful advice! I never thought about scheduling an appointment with the financial aid office BEFORE submitting the FAFSA. That's such a good idea - having someone walk through it with me would definitely make me feel more confident about getting it right this time. I'm going to call both my current school and LaGuardia next week to set up appointments. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Join the conversation
One more important thing about Fresh Start that no one mentioned yet - if you have wage garnishment or tax refund offsets happening now, those stop immediately when you enter the program. For me, that was the biggest immediate benefit since they were taking 15% of each paycheck. After Fresh Start, that stopped, and then with my income-driven payment being much lower, it made a huge difference in my monthly budget. Also, entering Fresh Start doesn't restart the clock on forgiveness options. If you've made qualifying payments before defaulting, those still count toward the 20/25 year forgiveness timeline under income-driven plans.
That's really good to know - they've been threatening garnishment in their collection letters. I think I'm going to move forward with Fresh Start and then immediately apply for the SAVE plan. Thanks everyone for helping me understand what this program actually does versus what the misleading letter implied!
Just wanted to add that when you do Fresh Start, make sure to keep detailed records of everything - save copies of all forms you submit, confirmation numbers, and dates of phone calls. I've seen cases where people had to resubmit paperwork because the servicer "lost" it or claimed they never received it. Also, once you're in the program, don't ignore any communications from your servicer. They'll send you forms to complete the process and if you miss deadlines, you could get kicked out of Fresh Start and go back to default status. The whole process took about 6-8 weeks for most people I know who've done it. Good luck with getting this sorted out! The fact that you're asking the right questions and doing research shows you're approaching this smart.
This is really helpful advice about keeping records - I've learned the hard way with other government programs that documentation is everything. I'm definitely going to create a dedicated folder for all the Fresh Start paperwork and keep a log of every interaction. The 6-8 week timeline is good to know too, so I can plan accordingly. Thanks for taking the time to share these practical tips!
Join the conversation
As someone who just went through the medical school application process with my daughter, I can confirm that filing separately was beneficial for us since I was the custodial parent with lower income. However, I'd strongly recommend getting professional tax advice first - we almost lost out on some education tax credits that would have saved us more than the potential FAFSA benefit. Also, make sure to check each school's net price calculator if they have one. Some schools like Harvard, NYU, and a few others have implemented free tuition programs for families under certain income thresholds, which could make your filing status decision less critical for those particular schools. One thing I wish we'd known earlier: start having conversations with the financial aid offices at your top choice schools now, before applications are due. They can often give you school-specific guidance about their policies regarding divorced parents.
This is really helpful advice! I hadn't thought about reaching out to financial aid offices directly before submitting applications. Do you remember roughly how far in advance you started those conversations? Also, did you find that the schools were willing to give specific guidance about filing status decisions, or were they more general in their advice?
As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful as I'm facing a similar situation with my daughter who's applying to medical school next year. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned yet - does the timing of when the divorce was finalized matter for FAFSA purposes? My divorce won't be finalized until later this year, but we've been separated since early 2024. I'm wondering if the legal finalization date affects which parent is considered custodial, or if it's purely based on where the student lived during the 12-month period prior to filing. Also, has anyone dealt with schools that have different policies for in-state vs out-of-state students regarding parent financial information requirements? Thanks for all the insights everyone has shared - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's hard to find elsewhere!
Join the conversation
Glad to hear you finally got through! I'm dealing with the same issue right now and this thread has been super helpful. I've been getting the "unavailable" error for the past two days but haven't tried the early morning approach yet. Definitely going to set my alarm for 5:30am tomorrow and give it a shot. Also going to contact my financial aid office today to let them know about the technical difficulties just in case. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and workarounds!
Good luck with the early morning attempt! That seems to be the trick that worked for most people here. I'd also suggest having all your documents ready beforehand so you can move through the application quickly once you get in. And definitely smart to contact your financial aid office proactively - it sounds like most schools are being understanding about these technical issues. Hope you get through tomorrow!
I'm running into this exact same problem! Been trying for 4 days straight and keep getting kicked out right when I'm entering my parent's W-2 information. It's so frustrating because I can see other parts of my application are saving but then I get the "system temporarily unavailable" message. My school's priority deadline is next Friday so I'm getting really stressed. Going to try the 5:30am approach tomorrow - fingers crossed! Has anyone had luck with the mobile app specifically, or is desktop still the way to go once you can actually get connected?
I've been following this thread closely since I'm dealing with the same issues! From what I've read here, it seems like desktop is still the preferred method once you can get connected - several people mentioned mobile can be spotty with the new SAI requirements. The early morning approach (5:30am) seems to be the most successful workaround based on everyone's experiences. Also, definitely take screenshots of your error messages with timestamps like others suggested, just in case you need to show your school's financial aid office that you've been trying. The fact that your application is partially saving is actually a good sign - it means the system is working somewhat. Good luck tomorrow morning!
Owen Devar
He can complete the FAFSA before applying to colleges. When filling out the FAFSA, he'll list all the schools he's considering, and the information will be sent to them. He can add or remove schools later if his plans change. What's most important is getting that application in early, especially with his special circumstances.
0 coins
Micah Franklin
•dont forget he needs his own FSA ID to sign the fafsa application. that can take a few days to process so have him create it now even if hes not filling out the fafsa yet. my kid waited til last minute and couldnt submit on time bc of this
0 coins
Yuki Ito
As a financial aid officer, I want to emphasize that dependency overrides are absolutely possible in your situation, but documentation is key. In addition to what others have mentioned, consider getting a letter from your grandson's pediatrician or any healthcare provider who has treated him over the years - they can verify the long-term care relationship. Also, if there are any school records showing you listed as the emergency contact or guardian over the years, those help establish the pattern of care. The fact that you've raised him for 17+ years with zero parental contact is actually a very strong case for independence. Don't let the temporary custody aspect discourage you - courts recognize these arrangements as valid care situations.
0 coins
Grace Johnson
•This is incredibly reassuring to hear from someone who works in financial aid! I never thought about getting documentation from his pediatrician - that's brilliant since they've seen us together at every appointment for years. And yes, I'm listed as his emergency contact at school and have been the one signing all his forms. It sounds like we have more documentation than I initially realized. Thank you so much for the encouragement about the temporary custody not being a barrier!
0 coins