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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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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!
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To answer your specific question about Parent PLUS vs. private loans: 1. Parent PLUS pros: Fixed interest rates, income-contingent repayment options if you consolidate, loan forgiveness possibilities, death/disability discharge 2. Private loan considerations: Interest rates vary based on credit (with your 780+ scores, you might get competitive rates), fewer repayment options, fewer protections With your excellent credit, you might get a better rate with private loans, but you lose the federal protections and flexibility. I'd recommend applying for PLUS first, then comparing the rate with private loan offers before deciding.
This is incredibly helpful. We'll definitely apply for the PLUS loan first and compare options. The forgiveness possibilities and better repayment options sound worthwhile even if the rate is slightly higher than private alternatives.
dont forget to check if ur school has a payment plan option!! we do 50% upfront and then 5 monthly payments for each semester. no interest just a small setup fee. helps us avoid some loans.
Great point! I'll ask about payment plans too. Even if we could spread out 5-6k of the costs each year, that would reduce what we need to borrow significantly.
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I work at a community college financial aid office, and we've received exactly ZERO FAFSA records so far for 2025-2026. The Department of Education told us larger universities are getting priority in the data distribution. We've been told to expect our first batch of ISIRs sometime next week. This is without question the worst FAFSA rollout I've experienced in my 14 years in financial aid. The entire system needs to be overhauled. Students are bearing the brunt of governmental incompetence.
Just wanted to say thank you for the insider perspective. It's really helpful to hear directly from people working in financial aid offices. I was able to connect with an FSA agent using Claimyr last week who told me community colleges are actually scheduled for the next major data release. Hopefully your office starts receiving records soon!
Update: I finally reached one of my schools by phone today. They confirmed they've received some FAFSA data but are still waiting on most student records. The representative checked my specific status and said they don't have my information yet, but assured me they're adjusting all their internal deadlines. She advised me to email their office with my name, ID number, the date I submitted my FAFSA, and my SAI score. Apparently, they're creating a tracking list for students who have completed the FAFSA but whose data hasn't arrived yet. They'll use this to prioritize processing once they do receive the data. Thank you everyone for your helpful comments! This has been really stressful but at least I know I'm not alone in this situation.
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.
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Mateo Martinez
•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?
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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.
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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!!
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Mateo Martinez
•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.
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Carmen Flores
•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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