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
Update: I finally got through to the financial aid office today. They explained that their institutional funds were depleted by the time they processed our application, even though we submitted everything by the priority deadline. Apparently they process in batches and we were in a later batch despite submitting early. They agreed to review our package and put us on a waiting list in case additional funds become available. They also suggested appealing based on the fact that we have another child starting college next year, which wasn't captured in this year's FAFSA. Regarding loans, I'm leaning toward the Parent PLUS for the federal protections, but I'll compare rates with a few private options first. Thank you all for your advice - it really helped me approach this conversation prepared!
That's great you got through! The "processed in batches" explanation is unfortunately common but rarely disclosed upfront. Definitely submit that appeal about your second child - that's exactly the kind of situation that can result in additional aid. Keep us posted on how it goes!
wait i'm confused about something... doesn't the FAFSA already tell schools what your SAI is? how can they estimate one amount then give you something completely different if they're using the same formula? something doesn't add up here
Good question! The FAFSA calculates your SAI (Student Aid Index), but schools have their own institutional methodology for allocating their non-federal aid. Many schools, especially private ones, use a formula that differs from the federal formula, often considering assets the FAFSA doesn't count or weighing factors differently. Additionally, most schools don't have enough institutional funds to meet 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students, so they prioritize certain students (high academic achievers, underrepresented populations, early applicants, etc.) when allocating their limited institutional grants and scholarships.
Join the conversation
no you just link the new ID to your social security number and it connects to your existing application at least thats what happened for my brother
I would strongly advise against creating a new FSA ID in this situation. This can create serious verification problems and potentially flag your application for fraud review, which would delay processing by 6-8 weeks. The issue is with the signature system, not your FSA ID. Creating multiple IDs tied to the same SSN often triggers automated security protocols.
Update on my earlier comment - I just checked the FSA Twitter account and they posted that the signature issue should be resolved by tomorrow morning. They're doing server maintenance tonight between 11pm-3am Eastern Time. Might be worth waiting until tomorrow afternoon before trying again.
That's great news! I'll hold off until tomorrow afternoon then. Thanks for the update!
Join the conversation
Here's exactly what you need to know about FSA IDs: 1. Yes, each person needs their own FSA ID (you, your father, and your mother if she's contributing information) 2. Each FSA ID must be linked to a unique email address and phone number 3. Parents CANNOT create an FSA ID for their child, and students CANNOT create FSA IDs for their parents - it's against the rules and can cause major issues 4. Each person's FSA ID is linked to their Social Security Number, which is why they must be separate 5. Save all usernames, passwords, and challenge questions somewhere secure The new FAFSA requires each contributor to individually authenticate their identity and authorize their tax information being used. This is actually more secure than the old system.
This is really helpful, thank you! One more question - once I create my FSA ID, how long do I have to wait before I can start the FAFSA application? I heard there's some processing time.
You can typically start your FAFSA application immediately after creating your FSA ID. However, it's best to wait 1-3 days before submitting the final application. This gives the Social Security Administration time to verify your information. If you try to submit too quickly, you might get an error message asking you to wait. But you can definitely start working on the application right away while that verification happens in the background.
When I did my FAFSA I created accounts for my parents because they're not tech savvy AT ALL. I just used different emails and made up their passwords. It worked fine for me but technically you're not supposed to do that lol
I strongly advise against creating FSA IDs for parents, even with good intentions. This violates federal regulations since the FSA ID serves as a legal signature. Creating one for someone else is considered identity fraud. Additionally, if parents forget the login details you created, it causes major complications when verifying identity or making corrections later. Each person should create their own FSA ID while sitting together so everyone understands the process.
Join the conversation
THIS IS WHY THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!! SAI means STUDENT AID INDEX and is supposed to show what you can pay but then they ignore it completely!! They know EXACTLY what you can afford (-1500 means you can pay NOTHING) and then leave a $20k gap anyway?? I've been through this with 3 kids now and it's gotten worse each time. The financial aid system is completely broken. Negative SAI should mean FULL COVERAGE of costs, period.
That's exactly what I thought too! Why even calculate an SAI if they're going to ignore what it says about what we can afford? It feels intentionally misleading.
After reading through all the comments, I'd suggest taking these specific steps: 1. Have your son accept the current aid package to hold his spot but don't pay any deposits yet 2. File a Special Circumstances form (different from regular appeal) documenting your fixed income situation 3. Contact your state's Vocational Rehabilitation Services about funding for ASL interpreter training 4. Look for program-specific scholarships from organizations like RID and NAD (National Association of the Deaf) 5. Consider having your son take the minimum federal loans ($5,500) to reduce the gap Despite the frustrating system, there are ways to piece together funding, especially for specialized programs like ASL interpretation that address critical workforce shortages.
This is really helpful, thank you. I've started researching the vocational rehabilitation option and we have an appointment next week. I'll also look into the Special Circumstances form. He's willing to take the student loans, but even with that, we'd still need to find another $15k somehow.
Fatima Al-Suwaidi
Great news that it's processed! For the SAI calculation breakdown, log into the student's account (not the parent account) on studentaid.gov and look for the SAI details or summary page. It should show the factors that went into the calculation. \n\nIf the number seems off, check if any assets were reported incorrectly or if there was an error in how retirement accounts were listed. Home equity isn't counted in FAFSA, but other investments are, which sometimes surprises families.
0 coins
Dylan Cooper
SAI is ALWAYS higher than you expect!! They don't care about your actual living expenses or debt or anything that ACTUALLY affects what you can pay. It's a JOKE!!
0 coins