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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!
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QuantumQueen
Since you mentioned being a first-generation college student, I'd recommend reaching out to your school's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) or TRIO office if they have one. These programs specifically help first-gen students navigate processes like FAFSA and often provide additional grants. Also, don't forget that the FAFSA is just step one of the financial aid process. After your FAFSA is processed, you'll receive: 1. Student Aid Report (SAR) with your Student Aid Index (SAI) - this replaces the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC) 2. Financial aid offers from each school you listed (these vary widely!) 3. Potential requests for verification (happens to about 30% of applicants) Then you'll need to formally accept/decline each aid component and complete entrance counseling if taking loans. The whole process can take 3-4 months from FAFSA submission to final aid package, so starting early is crucial.
Thank you! I hadn't heard about those programs for first-gen students. I'll definitely look into that at the schools I'm applying to. The SAI is what determines how much aid I get, right? Is there a certain number I should be hoping for?
QuantumQueen
•Your SAI (Student Aid Index) can range from -1500 to 999999. The LOWER your SAI, the MORE aid you'll potentially receive. A negative SAI (-1500 to 0) indicates high financial need and eligibility for maximum Pell Grants. An SAI below 6000 typically qualifies for some Pell Grant amount. But remember, your SAI is just one factor schools use to determine your total aid package. Each school has its own funding and methodology for distributing institutional aid beyond federal programs.
Aisha Rahman
dont forget to also fill out the CSS profile if ur applying to private schools!! its different from fafsa and has a fee but lots of private colleges require it for their own scholarships. my sister almost missed out on $15k/yr bc she didnt know about it!!
I hadn't heard of the CSS Profile at all! Do all private schools require it? I'm applying to a mix of public and private colleges.
The CSS Profile is required by about 200 mostly private colleges and universities for awarding their institutional aid (not federal aid). Unlike FAFSA, it does have a fee ($25 for the first school, $16 for each additional), but fee waivers are available. It asks more detailed financial questions than FAFSA, including home equity and the finances of non-custodial parents. The complete list of participating schools is on the College Board website. It's definitely worth completing if any of your schools require it, as institutional aid can often be much larger than federal aid packages.
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Zainab Omar
Correct - an Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan is definitely NOT free money! That's a loan that starts accruing interest immediately, even while you're still in school. Schools often include both subsidized and unsubsidized loans in their "financial aid package" which can be misleading. Here's a quick breakdown: - Grants/Scholarships: Free money, never repaid - Subsidized loans: You repay later, but no interest while in school - Unsubsidized loans: You repay later WITH interest that starts accumulating immediately - Parent PLUS loans: Your parents take on debt (often at higher interest rates) Some schools will present a package that "covers 100% of need" but includes $20K+ in loans. Always look at the breakdown!
Paolo Longo
•My daughter got a "full financial aid package" that included $10k in Parent PLUS loans per year! That's not aid, that's just telling us WE need to go into debt! Always read the fine print carefully.
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm going to wait for all my aid packages to arrive, then make a detailed spreadsheet comparing the TRUE costs after free aid. I'll also look into appealing if my top choice doesn't offer enough. I appreciate knowing that May 1st is the standard deadline, so I have time to make a careful decision. This has been so much clearer than what my high school counselor told us!
That's an excellent plan! And don't forget - financial aid packages can change year to year, so make sure you reapply with FAFSA each year and maintain any GPA requirements for renewable scholarships. Best of luck with your decision!
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Harmony Love
jus wanted 2 say i feel for ur cousin, i been there done that. its so hard tryin to figure all this out as a single parent! ur a good person for helping her out
Melissa Lin
•Thanks for saying that! It can definitely be overwhelming, especially since this is her first child going to college. I'm glad I asked here because everyone's responses have been so helpful.
Romeo Quest
one more thing - tell her to make sure her son has his OWN FSA ID not using hers!! my daughter got all messed up cuz we didnt know this and tried to use my email for everything
Melissa Lin
•Oh that's a great tip! I'll definitely make sure they set up separate FSA IDs with different email addresses. These are the kinds of details we wouldn't have thought about until it became a problem.
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This might be a dumb question but does anyone know if you still have to include parent info if your kid is 19 now? My son started CC at 18 but he's 19 now and I'm wondering if he can do it as independent?
Not a dumb question at all! Unfortunately, age 19 doesn't automatically make a student independent for FAFSA purposes. Most students are considered dependent until age 24 unless they meet specific criteria like being married, having dependents of their own, being a veteran, or being emancipated. The FAFSA has very strict guidelines about dependency status that don't necessarily align with tax dependency or living situations.
Thanks that makes sense. Seems kinda unfair tho cuz he lives on his own and pays his own bills but I still have to put my income on there.
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to get started on the renewal FAFSA for next year as soon as it's available in October. I'll definitely try the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to make the tax information easier, and I'll make note of my state's deadline for grants too. If we run into any issues with verification again, I might try that Claimyr service to get through to someone who can help. Really appreciate all the information!
Omar Fawzi
After trying that Claimyr service I mentioned, I actually got through and have an update to share - they were able to put my account in admin forbearance while they investigate why my recertification wasn't processed. The rep confirmed they should have disclosed the new interest rate and recommended I submit a complaint through the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) about that specific issue. Apparently that gets fast attention from the loan servicers.
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Chloe Wilson
•This is excellent advice. Filing a CFPB complaint creates a formal record and servicers are required to respond within a specific timeframe. It's one of the most effective tools borrowers have when servicers aren't following proper procedures.
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Emma Taylor
One additional thing to be aware of - even if you get an administrative forbearance, interest may still accrue during this period unless you specifically get an interest-free forbearance (which is rare). Make sure you ask about this specifically when you speak with your servicer so you understand the full financial impact.
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Javier Garcia
•Thank you for mentioning this! I'll definitely ask about the interest accrual. At this point I'm just trying to avoid the $1500 payment hitting my bank account, but I want to understand all the implications.
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