Desperately need a direct FAFSA phone number that actually connects to a human - third child's aid at risk!

The FAFSA is a complete disaster this year. I spent 6 weeks trying to reach someone about my daughter's application that kept showing an "identity verification error." I literally called 27 times and got disconnected every single time. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Their customer service is PATHETIC!!!! Finally I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to a real person at FSA. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. It saved my sanity and my daughter actually got her SAI score yesterday.

have u tried calling right when they open? thats what i did and only waited like 10 min

I work at a college financial aid office, and we're seeing unprecedented issues with the 2025-26 FAFSA. The redesign has created major technical problems. Here's what I recommend: 1. Try calling 1-800-433-3243 at exactly 8:00 AM Eastern time 2. Select option 4, then 0, then hold (don't select any more options) 3. If that doesn't work, contact your son's college financial aid office directly - many schools have workarounds for FAFSA issues 4. Be sure to document all your attempts (screenshots of errors, dates of calls) Most importantly: don't panic about priority deadlines. Many schools are extending their financial aid deadlines because of the widespread FAFSA problems. Have your son email his school's financial aid office explaining the technical issues.

I had a similar problem and found out it was because my name on the FAFSA didn't EXACTLY match my name on my tax return (I had a middle initial on one but not the other). Might be worth checking if there are any tiny discrepancies in how names are entered!

The redesigned FAFSA has been problematic for many families this cycle. A few technical notes that might help: 1. The tax link issues often stem from minor data mismatches between IRS records and what you entered in FAFSA 2. Check if you're using the correct FSA ID for each contributor - each parent needs their own, separate FSA ID 3. Try using a different browser or clearing your cache before attempting again 4. For the contributor section, make sure you're entering information exactly as it appears on tax documents If you've tried these steps already, your best option is contacting FSA directly. While standard phone methods are overwhelmed, you might have better luck with the FSA virtual assistant chat feature on studentaid.gov. Some users have reported that repeatedly asking for a human agent in the chat eventually connects you with one.

I was in the exact same situation with my twins' FAFSA applications! The system kept rejecting our tax information links no matter what we tried. What finally worked was completely counterintuitive - I had to log out, create a brand new FSA ID for myself (not just reset my password), and start the parent contribution section over from scratch. For some reason, that fixed the tax link issue. Something about the new FSA ID seemed to reset whatever was glitching in their system.

i waited til like 3 am to fill out the fafsa for my kid and the website worked perfect lol maybe try super late at night when less people are on?

Just following up - were you able to get through using any of the suggestions? If you're still having issues, here's a less-known direct number that sometimes works better: 202-377-3889. It's technically for the FSA Feedback Center, but they can often transfer you to a FAFSA specialist if you explain your situation. Also, if you've been trying for three weeks, make sure to tell them that very specifically, as applications with submission attempts older than 14 days get prioritized for technical support.

Did you try that Claimyr service I mentioned? Just wondering if it worked for you. It made such a difference for me after weeks of frustration.

Have you checked if your son's school has a FAFSA workshop or help session? Our local community college has been running them because of all the problems this year. They had financial aid advisors who could help navigate the system and even had a direct line to FSA.