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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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Just wanted to follow up - did any of these suggestions work for you? I'm dealing with a similar issue for my nephew's FAFSA and curious if you found a solution.
Yes! We finally got it resolved. Several things worked together: 1. My husband used the password recovery on his original FSA ID (not the new one he tried to create) 2. He used his phone instead of our laptop (completely different device) 3. We used the Claimyr service someone mentioned here to get through to a support agent without the 3 hour wait The agent confirmed there were two accounts with his SSN (exactly like someone mentioned above). They were able to deactivate the duplicate account and fix the birth year in the system. My son then got the option to add contributors back in his portal (it appeared after we fixed my husband's account). It was a frustrating process but we finally completed the FAFSA yesterday! Thanks everyone for your help.
So glad to hear you got it resolved! This is exactly the kind of outcome that gives me hope when dealing with FAFSA issues. The duplicate account problem seems to be way more common than FSA admits - I've now seen several families mention this exact scenario. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Use password recovery on the ORIGINAL FSA ID (don't create new accounts) 2. Try a completely different device 3. Get through to an actual support agent who can check for duplicate accounts in their system The Claimyr service mention is interesting - I hadn't heard of that before but might be worth trying for folks who can't get through the regular phone lines. Thanks for following up with the resolution, it really helps the community!
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As someone who went through a similar situation with my parent lacking an SSN, I wanted to add that it's really important to keep detailed records of all your attempts and communications. Screenshot any error messages you get, write down the dates and times you called, and if you do get through to an agent, ask for a reference number for your case. This documentation can be super helpful if you need to escalate the issue later or if different agents give you conflicting information. Also, some schools have specific deadlines for receiving completed FAFSAs to be considered for certain aid programs, so definitely check with your target schools about their priority deadlines while you're getting this sorted out.
This is such excellent advice! I wish I had known to document everything from the beginning. We definitely ran into the issue of getting different information from different agents when we finally started getting through. One agent told us we needed to create a new parent account, while another said absolutely not to do that. Having reference numbers and screenshots would have saved us so much confusion. Also, great point about school deadlines - we were so focused on just getting the FAFSA submitted that we almost missed some priority aid deadlines at his top choice schools.
I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now with my daughter's FAFSA! Her dad doesn't have an SSN either and we've been going in circles for weeks. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the account lockout issue or that there are specific verification processes for parents without SSNs. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service since we've been completely unable to get through to FSA on our own. Quick question though - when you finally got through to the agent, did they require any specific documentation to verify your husband's identity? I want to make sure I have everything ready before I attempt to call so we don't waste the opportunity if we do get connected.
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Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I'm much clearer now on how this works. We'll both create separate FSA IDs (with different emails), have her start the application and list all her schools, then I'll complete my section with our 2023 tax info. Really appreciate the warnings about potential technical issues too - I'll definitely save that Claimyr link in case we run into problems. Wish us luck with this financial aid journey!
Good luck! One final tip: start early and don't wait until the deadline. Many schools have priority deadlines for maximum aid consideration that are earlier than the final FAFSA deadline. These priority deadlines can be as early as January or February for the following fall semester.
Welcome to the FAFSA journey! As someone who just went through this process with my son, I can confirm everything others have said is correct. One thing I'd add is to make sure you both write down your FSA ID usernames and passwords somewhere safe - my son forgot his halfway through and we had to go through the whole password reset process which delayed our submission by a week! Also, don't panic if the application times out while you're working on it - you can save and come back later. The system saves your progress automatically every few minutes. You've got this! The process seems overwhelming at first but once you get started it's pretty straightforward.
Thanks for the password tip! I was just thinking about that - my daughter is terrible at remembering login info. Should we write it down physically or is there a secure digital way to store FSA ID credentials? Also, how often does the system time out? Want to make sure we set aside enough uninterrupted time to complete each section.
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Thank you all for the helpful advice! I just told my daughter about the special circumstances appeal option and she feels much better knowing there's a potential way to address this situation. I've also passed along the information to my ex-husband so he can properly complete the FAFSA when it opens. I'll definitely be checking each school's financial aid website for their specific appeal forms once we get the initial aid packages.
That's great! One more tip: make sure your daughter's schools receive her FAFSA information as early as possible, as some schools have limited institutional aid that's awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Even with the appeal process in mind, you don't want to delay the initial submission. Good luck to your daughter with her college journey!
I went through this exact situation with my stepdaughter last year! Yes, unfortunately you do need to include the new wife's 2023 tax information even though they weren't married then. The key thing to remember is that FAFSA looks at who's in the household NOW when filing, not during the tax year. Here's what helped us: First, we completed the FAFSA with both incomes as required. Then, immediately after receiving the initial aid offers, we contacted each school's financial aid office to explain the timing of the marriage. Most schools were actually pretty understanding once we provided documentation (marriage certificate showing the February 2024 date). Two schools ended up adjusting her aid package through the professional judgment process, which made a real difference. Make sure to emphasize that the stepparent's income wasn't available to support educational expenses during 2023 since they weren't even family yet. Keep all your documentation organized - marriage certificate, previous aid awards if your daughter received aid before, and a clear timeline of events. The system definitely isn't perfect, but don't give up hope! The appeals process exists for exactly these kinds of situations.
This is such helpful real-world experience, thank you! Can I ask which schools were most receptive to the appeal? Were they public or private institutions? Also, did you submit the professional judgment request right after getting the initial aid letter, or did you wait to see if the aid amount was actually problematic first? I'm trying to figure out the best timing for when we should reach out to the schools.
Jamal Carter
hey just wondering did you apply for any scholarships too? with your SAI you should def look into them, my roommate got like $7k in outside scholarships and it reduced how much she needed in loans
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CyberSamurai
•I've applied for a few but probably not enough. That's a good reminder - I should definitely get on applying for more scholarships. $7k would make a huge difference in how much I need to borrow!
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Amina Bah
Welcome to the waiting game! I'm a sophomore now and remember this exact anxiety from last year. You're doing everything right - the FAFSA submission with the loan box checked is really all you need to do at this stage. Just to add to what others have said: some schools are REALLY slow with aid packages. I didn't get my final aid letter from one school until mid-April, which was nerve-wracking when trying to make my final decision by May 1st. One tip that helped me: create a spreadsheet to track each school's aid package when they come in. Include total cost of attendance, grants/scholarships offered, loan amounts, and your estimated out-of-pocket costs. It makes comparing schools so much easier when you're trying to decide where the best financial fit is. Also, don't be afraid to appeal your aid package if it's not enough! I successfully appealed at two schools and got additional grant money that reduced my loan needs. Good luck with your acceptances - sounds like you've got some great Florida options!
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