Can't reach FAFSA on phone - stuck in verification nightmare for 3 weeks

same thing happened to me last month. took me 9 calls to finally get through. its ridiculous.

I work in a college financial aid office, and unfortunately this is extremely common right now. The FAFSA simplification has created a huge backlog of calls. Here are a few things you can try: 1. Call exactly at 8:00 AM Eastern when they first open 2. Try using the FSA ID technical support line instead (1-800-557-7394) as it sometimes has shorter wait times, and they can often transfer you to the main FAFSA team 3. See if your school's financial aid office can help - sometimes we can use special channels to verify documentation 4. Make sure your FAFSA verification documents are completely ready to go when you do reach someone Also, document ALL your attempts to contact them (dates, times, how long you waited). Your school may grant an extension on their deadline if you can prove you've been trying diligently to resolve the issue.

This whole system is BROKEN!!! I spent 6 weeks trying to talk to someone about my son's Parent Plus loan application only to find out they had the wrong tax information in their system. By the time I got through, he almost lost his housing assignment because the payment was late!! They don't care about students at all - just collecting data and making the process impossible.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I was in the same boat last semester - needed to reach someone at FAFSA to fix my dependency status and kept getting disconnected. My roommate told me about claimyr.com and it was a lifesaver. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when they get a real person. I was skeptical but it worked - got through to someone in about 45 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Definitely worth checking out when you're desperate!

For verification issues specifically, you should focus on these steps: 1. Make sure you understand exactly what documentation they need - often it's specific tax forms or income verification 2. Upload all possible verification documents to your studentaid.gov account BEFORE you call - this makes the process much faster when you do reach someone 3. Contact your school's financial aid office immediately - they can often grant a temporary extension while you're resolving FAFSA issues 4. Check if your school has a special verification worksheet - many schools have their own forms that can help resolve verification flags 5. If your verification involves unusual circumstances (job loss, medical expenses, etc.), prepare a written explanation document with dates and details I've been through the verification process twice, and while it's stressful, it is resolvable. The most important thing is to get your school's financial aid office involved ASAP.

my cousin works for fafsa call center. he says they understaffed by like 60% right now cuz of all the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. best time to call is tuesday morning right when they open. avoid mondays and fridays completely. good luck!

I had a similar experience but with my Pell Grant verification. It was a nightmare! When I finally reached someone, I found out they needed my amended tax return which wasn't showing up in the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Such a headache! But what nobody tells you is that you should actually email your verification documents directly to ApplicationVerification@ed.gov with your name and FAFSA ID in the subject line. I did that after a financial aid counselor at my community college told me about it, and I got a response within 3 days confirming receipt. Still had to call, but at least they had my documents in the system!

Have you checked your SAI calculation to be sure there's actually an error? I thought mine was wrong too but turned out I misunderstood how they count retirement contributions for the formula. What specifically looks wrong with your calculation?

Just checking in - were you able to make any progress with contacting FAFSA? If you're still struggling, I recommend documenting everything and bringing it to your school's financial aid office ASAP to request an extension on their deadline. Most schools have contingency plans for FAFSA verification delays, especially with all the problems this application cycle.

That's such great news that your financial aid office was able to help! This is exactly why I always tell students to get their school involved early - they have so much more power to work with FAFSA behind the scenes than people realize. The 3-week extension should give you plenty of time to resolve the verification issue. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, Evelyn's experience shows that visiting your financial aid office in person with all your documentation really is the way to go. They can often work magic that individual phone calls to FAFSA can't accomplish!