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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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Have you guys looked at Parent PLUS loans? The interest rate is fixed at 8.05% right now which isnt amazing but atleast its federal and has some of those protections? Thats what we did when my kid's aid package wasnt enough
We were approved for Parent PLUS but trying to avoid maxing those out since I've heard they have the highest origination fees of all the federal loans (around 4% I think?). But you're right about the federal protections being valuable.
One more suggestion - check if your daughter's school has a payment plan option. Many colleges will let you spread payments over 10-12 months with only a small fee (like $50-100) rather than interest. We're using this for about half of what we owe and then taking smaller loans for the rest. Also, if your daughter can find a part-time job on campus through Federal Work-Study, that money doesn't count against future aid eligibility the way some scholarships can.
Great idea about the payment plan! I just checked and they do offer a 10-month plan with only a $75 enrollment fee. This could definitely help reduce how much we need to borrow. Thank you!
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UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid this morning! It turns out there was a discrepancy between the tax information we entered and what the IRS had on file. The representative helped us correct it right on the call. She said we should see our SAI score within 3-5 business days. I've already contacted the school with the subscription service, and amazingly, they agreed to extend our refund deadline by two weeks due to the FAFSA issues! I'm so relieved we'll be able to make an informed decision now. Thank you all for your advice and support!
That's great news! I'm glad you got it sorted out. This is a common issue with the new FAFSA - the direct IRS data transfer doesn't always match perfectly with what applicants enter manually. It's good to hear the school was accommodating with the deadline extension too!
so lucky!! ive been trying to call for 2 weeks still cant get through
@user7 - Seriously, try the Claimyr service I mentioned. It's the only reason I got through after weeks of trying. The FAFSA situation this year is unprecedented, and normal methods of contact just aren't working.
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I'm honestly so confused by all of this. My daughter is also applying to colleges and some have Dec 1 deadlines, others Jan 15, and one Feb 1. Do I need to submit different FAFSAs at different times? And why does the form ask about parents' education if we don't qualify for need-based aid? The whole system seems designed to be complicated on purpose. I spent three hours on it yesterday and gave up.
You only need to submit one FAFSA, but aim to meet the earliest priority deadline among all her schools. The questions about parents' education aren't about financial aid eligibility - they're used to identify first-generation college students for certain programs and demographic tracking. Even if you don't think you'll qualify for need-based aid, I still recommend completing the FAFSA as you might be surprised at what she qualifies for, especially with the new SAI calculation method.
Thanks everyone for your helpful responses! We're definitely going to submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile before the December 1st deadline. I'm still learning all the ins and outs of this process - it's so much more complicated than when I went to college. Does anyone know how long after submission we should expect to receive the SAI calculation? And will that be sent to us or just to the schools?
You should receive your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation within 3-5 days after submission if you use the electronic signature option. It will be included in your Student Aid Report (SAR), which you can access through your studentaid.gov account. This SAI will also be sent to all the schools you listed on your FAFSA. Each school will then use that SAI to develop their individual financial aid packages based on their available funding and policies. Good luck with everything!
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i just remembered that my kids account last year got verified faster after we called and mentioned the deadline. might be worth trying that?
this actually works sometimes! my daughter called and specifically mentioned her deadline was coming up and they expedited her account verification to 24 hours instead of the usual wait time.
UPDATE: Just wanted to update everyone who helped. My daughter called the Federal Student Aid Info Center this morning (had to try several times to get through) and explained the situation. They verified her identity and were able to add the schools directly! No need to wait for the account verification. The representative said the schools should receive her FAFSA information within 3-5 business days. Such a relief! Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
Great news! I'm glad they were able to help. This is definitely the fastest solution when you're facing deadlines. For future reference, it's always good to have all potential schools added early if possible, but it's nice to know there are workarounds when plans change.
Benjamin Carter
Wait is the FAFSA for 2025-2026 open already??? I thought it didn't open until December? I'm so confused about when we need to apply for next year's aid....
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Ruby Garcia
•This thread is about setting up payment plans for the upcoming Fall semester using the aid you've already been awarded, not about applying for next year's FAFSA. But to answer your question, the 2025-2026 FAFSA should open December 1, 2024 (they delayed it again this year). For now, focus on managing the aid you've already received for the 2024-2025 year.
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Maya Lewis
One additional tip that might help: Print out your Account Summary before and after setting up the payment plan. This creates a paper trail that can be invaluable if there are any discrepancies later. Also, don't forget that if you have excess financial aid (meaning your total aid exceeds your charges), you'll receive a refund which can be used for books, off-campus housing, etc. Virginia Tech typically processes refunds starting 10 days before the semester begins, but they can take up to 2 weeks to appear in your bank account if you've set up direct deposit.
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Isaiah Thompson
•That's a great idea about printing everything out! I actually think I might have excess aid this semester, so it's good to know when to expect that refund. Is there anything special I need to do to make sure I get the refund?
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Maya Lewis
•Yes, make sure you've set up direct deposit in HokieSPA (look for the Direct Deposit link in the Hokie Wallet section). If you don't set up direct deposit, they'll mail you a paper check which takes much longer to receive. Also verify that your permanent mailing address is correct in the system.
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