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 wanted to add my experience for anyone still struggling with this! We had the same contributor email issue, and what finally worked for us was having my husband create a completely fresh FSA ID with a different email address. Turns out his original FSA ID had some weird glitch from years ago when he helped with our older daughter's FAFSA. Once he made the new account, I sent a fresh contributor invitation to that new email, and everything worked perfectly - he could see the notification bell right away and complete his portion without any issues. Might be worth trying if all the browser fixes aren't working!
That's really interesting about creating a fresh FSA ID! I wonder if that's because the old FSA ID system had different data structures or something that don't play well with the new FAFSA platform. It makes sense that starting completely fresh would bypass whatever weird glitches might be stuck in the old account. Thanks for sharing that solution - it's definitely something worth trying for people who've exhausted all the browser-based fixes. Did your husband have to verify his identity again with the new FSA ID, or was that process pretty straightforward?
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently dealing with this exact same contributor invitation issue with my husband's FSA account. The email link just takes him to that frustrating "No Activity Found" page. Based on all the helpful suggestions here, I'm going to have him try the Firefox browser + cache clearing + looking for the notification bell approach first. It's really reassuring to see that so many people have figured out workarounds for this problem. The new FAFSA system definitely has some kinks to work out, but at least there's a supportive community here sharing solutions! I'll report back if we get it working.
Join the conversation
After your daughter completes her FAFSA and receives her SAI, make sure she schedules appointments with financial aid counselors at each school she's considering. Be prepared with documentation of her financial independence (lease, utility bills, tax returns, etc.). While this won't change her dependency status for FAFSA, some schools have discretionary funds they can allocate in special circumstances. The key is to start this conversation early in the process, not waiting until aid packages are released.
This is excellent advice - thank you. I'll make sure she prepares all that documentation now so she's ready when the time comes. Should she mention her situation in her applications too, or just wait for the financial aid process?
I'd suggest mentioning it in both places if there's an opportunity. Many applications have sections for additional information or special circumstances where she could briefly explain her financial independence. This helps create a complete picture for admissions and financial aid offices. Just keep it factual and concise - focus on the timeline of her independence and current situation rather than frustration with the system. Having it documented in multiple places can only help when she meets with financial aid counselors later.
I'm going through the exact same situation right now with my son! He's 23, completely self-supporting, hasn't lived at home in 4 years, but still has to use our income on his FAFSA. What's really frustrating is that we literally cannot afford to help him with college costs, but the system assumes we can based on our income. One thing that helped us a little was having him apply to schools that are known for being generous with institutional aid - some private colleges have more flexibility with their own funds even when federal aid is limited. Also, make sure she applies for EVERY scholarship she can find, no matter how small. They add up! The whole dependency system definitely needs reform, but until then we just have to work within the broken system we have.
Join the conversation
Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it's both frustrating and reassuring to know I'm not alone in dealing with this broken system. As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share what I'm taking away from all your advice and ask one follow-up question. It sounds like the key strategies are: 1) Focus on proving the withdrawal was a one-time aberration rather than explaining why it happened, 2) Request specific committees or review boards beyond the standard financial aid office, 3) Be very direct about requesting AGI adjustment by removing the withdrawal amount, and 4) Get professional third-party documentation to validate the unusual circumstances. My question is about timing - for those who had successful appeals, how long after submitting your FAFSA did you wait before starting the appeals process? I'm wondering if I should complete my 2025-2026 FAFSA first and then immediately start gathering all this documentation, or if I should have everything ready to submit the appeal simultaneously with my FAFSA completion. Also, has anyone had experience with schools that require you to accept whatever aid they initially offer before you can appeal? I want to make sure I don't accidentally forfeit my ability to appeal by handling the initial aid offer incorrectly.
Welcome to the community! Your summary of the key strategies is spot-on. Regarding timing, I'd recommend completing your FAFSA first and waiting to receive your initial aid offer before starting the appeal process. Most schools require you to have a completed FAFSA and aid package before they'll consider any adjustments. However, start gathering your documentation NOW - bank statements, tax returns, retirement account letters, etc. - so you're ready to submit immediately after getting your aid offer. On your second question about accepting aid before appealing - this varies by school, but many DO require you to accept or at least acknowledge your initial aid package before processing appeals. The key is to read the fine print carefully. Usually accepting doesn't prevent you from appealing, but declining might. When in doubt, call your financial aid office and ask directly about their specific process. One tip from my experience: create a timeline document tracking all your interactions, dates, and who you spoke with. This helped me tremendously when I had to escalate to higher-level committees. You're already thinking strategically about this - that persistence combined with the right documentation approach will serve you well. Good luck!
As someone new to this community, I'm amazed by how much valuable information and support you've all shared here. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and reassuring - it's clear that this retirement withdrawal issue affects many non-traditional students and the system really isn't designed with us in mind. I'm in a similar situation as Edward - made a one-time retirement withdrawal that's now showing up on my taxes and will likely impact my FAFSA eligibility. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm planning to take a completely different approach than what I originally thought would work. A few key takeaways that really resonated with me: The distinction between Special Circumstances appeals vs Professional Judgment requests, the importance of requesting specific committees beyond the regular financial aid office, and focusing on proving it was a one-time aberration rather than explaining the reasons why. Katherine's success story especially gives me hope that persistence with the right strategy can actually work. I'm curious - for those who had successful appeals, did any of you find that certain schools were more flexible than others? I'm wondering if it's worth researching which institutions in my area might be more responsive to these types of appeals before I transfer (if that becomes necessary). The community college vs 4-year university approaches might be different too. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space to share these experiences. It's incredibly valuable to know we're not alone in navigating this frustrating system.
Join the conversation
UPDATE: For anyone else having this issue, I got through by using a private browsing window on Firefox (Chrome still didn't work for me). The site is definitely slower than usual but I was able to check my aid status. Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions!
Thanks for sharing that tip! Firefox private browsing worked for me too when regular Chrome wouldn't. Weird but I'll take it!
As someone who's been through this process multiple times (helping my kids with FAFSA), I can confirm that these types of technical issues unfortunately happen every year around this time, but they usually resolve within a few days. The SAVE Plan injunction is definitely adding extra complications this year though. For future reference, I've found that the site tends to be most stable very early in the morning (like 5-6 AM) or late at night after 11 PM. Also, if you're still having trouble, don't forget that many public libraries have computers you can try if your home setup isn't working - sometimes a completely different network/computer combination does the trick. Hang in there everyone!
Nia Thompson
This is such exciting news for you! I went through a similar situation with my ITT Tech loans getting discharged about 2 years ago. A few things I learned that might help: 1. **Timeline expectations**: The system updates can be slow - mine took about 6-8 weeks to fully reflect in all databases. Don't panic if studentaid.gov still shows old info for another month or so. 2. **FAFSA prep**: Start gathering your tax documents now for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. You'll want to apply as soon as your eligibility is confirmed in the system, especially if you're planning to start community college in fall 2025. 3. **Credit monitoring**: Keep an eye on your credit reports over the next few months. The positive changes should start showing up, but sometimes you need to dispute lingering negative marks if they don't automatically clear. 4. **Documentation**: Like others mentioned, keep copies of EVERYTHING. I also recommend taking screenshots of your studentaid.gov account once it shows the loans as discharged - just in case there are any system glitches later. You're finally free to pursue your education goals! Community college is a great fresh start. Wishing you all the best! 🎉
0 coins
Rami Samuels
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience with ITT Tech! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who's been through this process already. I'm definitely going to start preparing my tax documents now - that's great advice about applying early once my eligibility is confirmed. And I hadn't thought about taking screenshots of my account once everything updates, but that's brilliant given how glitchy these systems can be. Really appreciate you taking the time to share all these practical tips! 🙏
0 coins
Omar Farouk
Congratulations on getting your discharge! This is huge! I'm a financial aid counselor and I've helped several students navigate this exact situation. A few important points to add to the great advice already shared: **Immediate steps:** - Download and save multiple copies of your discharge letter (as others mentioned) - Check your credit reports in 60-90 days to ensure the discharged loans are properly removed - Consider setting up credit monitoring to track the positive changes **FAFSA application tips:** - You can start your 2025-2026 FAFSA application now, but wait to submit until you confirm your loans show as discharged in the system - When you apply, you'll be treated as a "new" borrower for aggregate loan limits, which is fantastic - Make sure to complete the FAFSA early - community colleges often have limited aid funds that are awarded first-come, first-served **One thing most people don't know:** If you had any federal work-study earnings or other aid from your time at Corinthian that was later deemed fraudulent, those amounts may also be restored to your lifetime eligibility limits. You're about to get a fresh start on your educational journey - that's incredible after 8 years of struggle! Community college is an excellent choice for completing your degree affordably. Best of luck! 🌟
0 coins
Carmen Lopez
•This is incredibly comprehensive advice - thank you so much! I had no idea about the work-study earnings potentially being restored to my lifetime eligibility limits. That's something I definitely need to look into since I did have work-study at Corinthian. Your point about applying early to community college makes total sense too - I didn't realize their aid funds were first-come, first-served. I'm feeling much more confident about this whole process now with all the detailed guidance from everyone here. It's amazing to finally see light at the end of the tunnel after so many years of feeling stuck!
0 coins