Cannot reach FAFSA customer support - tried for 2 weeks and getting desperate

I feel your pain!!! I had the EXACT same problem last month. Calling is completely useless - I think they deliberately disconnect people or something. Have you tried submitting a case through your college's financial aid office? Sometimes they have direct contacts that students don't.

The verification process has been a complete nightmare this year with the FAFSA simplification changes. A few things that might help: 1. Call exactly when they open at 8am Eastern time 2. Make sure you have your FSA ID and all verification documents ready when you call 3. Be specific about which verification flag you received (V1, V4, V5, etc) 4. If you're getting an incorrect SAI, it's likely related to how your parents' business income or assets were reported I've helped dozens of students through verification this year, and the key is persistence plus having all your documentation organized.

this happened to my brother. he went to the library and used their phone to call and got thru in 45 min. maybe try different phone? idk why it matters but it did for him

THE ENTIRE FAFSA SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!!! We've ALL been experiencing this since they rolled out the 'simplified' FAFSA. My daughter nearly lost her scholarship because of these verification delays. It's CRIMINAL how they ignore us after forcing us to jump through all these hoops!!!! I wrote to my congressman and filed a complaint with the Dept of Education ombudsman. Didn't help but at least I felt like I was doing SOMETHING.

I work in financial aid administration, and unfortunately, the contact issues with Federal Student Aid are affecting everyone this year. The FAFSA Simplification Act implementation created a massive backlog. Here are some effective strategies: 1. If your SAI calculation seems wrong, you need to speak specifically with a FAFSA correction specialist. General customer service can't help with that. 2. For dependent verification issues, make sure you've uploaded ALL requested documentation to studentaid.gov - even documents they didn't specifically request but might be relevant (tax transcripts, W-2s, business schedules). 3. Consider using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that helps you get through to Federal Student Aid agents without the endless waiting. I've had several students use it successfully to resolve verification issues. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ 4. Document EVERYTHING - dates you called, emails sent, responses received. This creates a paper trail if you need to escalate.

I had a similar issue two weeks ago. I was finally able to reach someone after I tried calling from a different phone at a completely different time than I usually did (mid-afternoon instead of morning). The agent explained that dependent verification is taking longer this year because of all the FAFSA simplification changes and system upgrades. Have you checked if your SAI might actually be correct? The formula changed this year so many people are getting different numbers than expected.

When I had verification problems, I went back to the FAFSA website and clicked on the verification section. There was an option to upload additional documentation even after I had submitted everything they originally asked for. I added a letter explaining the situation and more supporting documents. About 10 days later, my verification cleared without ever talking to anyone! Maybe worth trying while you're still attempting to reach them by phone.

did u try the live chat on the website? sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but worth a shot

just wanted to update - i just checked claimyr that someone mentioned above and it actually worked for me! got through to a real person at fsa in like 20 minutes today after trying for over a week on my own. they were able to fix my verification problem right away. it was worth it just to stop stressing about this!

UPDATE: I finally got through! Used Claimyr like several people suggested, and was connected to an FSA agent in about 15 minutes. They confirmed there was an error in how my mom's business income was being calculated in the system. The agent filed a correction request and said it should be fixed within 5-7 business days. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your suggestions and support through this nightmare!