FAFSA customer service keeps disconnecting calls - any way to actually reach them?

Yes, it's a nightmare right now. I spent TWO WEEKS trying to reach them about verification documents. What finally worked was calling right when they open (8am Eastern) and choosing option 2 for 'questions about completing the FAFSA' instead of option 1. For some reason that route has actual people. Also, if you have specific SAI calculation questions, try the live chat on studentaid.gov (only available weekdays 8am-8pm).

omg fafsa is the WORST!! i tried calling like 23 times last month and kept getting hung up on too!! so frustrating when theyre the ones who screwed up my daughters dependent status and now wont fix it!!

I had the exact same problem last month trying to fix an issue with my Parent Plus loan application. The disconnection problem happens when their call volume is too high, which seems to be ALWAYS lately. What worked for me was using Claimyr. It's a service that basically waits on hold for you and calls you back when an actual human picks up. I was skeptical but it worked perfectly - got through to an FSA agent in about 45 minutes without having to stay on hold myself. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and their site is claimyr.com. Saved me so much frustration.

Wait u can't even email them?? That's insane. Gov websites are so bad lol

I work at a college financial aid office, and we're hearing this complaint from TONS of families right now. The FSA call center is completely overwhelmed with the new FAFSA Simplification Act changes. Two suggestions: 1. Try calling your college's financial aid office directly. We can answer many FAFSA questions and might be able to help with your daughter's untaxed income reporting situation without you needing to reach FSA. 2. If you must speak with FSA directly, try calling on Tuesday or Wednesday (their slowest days) between 2-4pm Eastern time. Those timeframes typically have the lowest call volumes. Hope this helps!

honestly the whole fafsa system is broken. my son got a totally different SAI number than what we calculated ourselves following their instructions. we finally got thru to someone after like 500 tries and they just told us "the system calculated it correctly" with no explanation. waste of time!!

UPDATE: I finally got through! Used the Claimyr service that @profile4 suggested, and it worked perfectly. Got a call back in about 35 minutes when an agent was available. The FAFSA rep was actually super helpful and explained exactly how to report my daughter's summer job income. Apparently it does count as untaxed income since she earned under the filing threshold. For anyone else struggling to reach them, I definitely recommend trying this route - saved me so much time and frustration.

Just a heads-up for everyone - I called FAFSA this morning using the tips shared here, and they mentioned they're adding more call center staff over the next few weeks. The rep I spoke with said by mid-December the disconnection issues should be resolved. Apparently they weren't prepared for the volume of questions about the new simplified FAFSA process and SAI calculations.

I'm dealing with the same issue! Been trying to reach FAFSA for over a week about my son's application and keep getting disconnected. It's so frustrating when you're trying to meet deadlines and can't get basic help. Thank you everyone for sharing these workarounds - I'm going to try the Claimyr service and the Tuesday/Wednesday afternoon calling strategy. It's ridiculous that we need to jump through these hoops just to speak with someone, but at least there are solutions that work. Really appreciate this community for sharing real advice!

As someone who just went through this exact nightmare last month, I feel your pain! The disconnection issue is absolutely maddening. I had success using a combination of strategies mentioned here: I called on a Wednesday around 3pm Eastern using option 2 (questions about completing FAFSA), and when I did get through, I asked the rep about the best times to call in the future. She told me that mornings right at 8am and mid-afternoons on Tuesdays/Wednesdays are indeed the sweet spots. Also wanted to add - if you're dealing with untaxed income questions specifically, make sure you have your daughter's pay stubs handy when you do get through. They'll want to verify the amounts and help you determine if it should be reported as student income or untaxed income. Hang in there - the system is frustrating but there are people who genuinely want to help once you can actually reach them!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been having the exact same problem for the past two weeks trying to get help with my daughter's FAFSA application. The constant disconnections are absolutely infuriating, especially when you're dealing with time-sensitive financial aid deadlines. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been incredibly helpful - it's both frustrating and reassuring to know this is a widespread issue and not just bad luck on my end. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and the Tuesday/Wednesday afternoon calling strategy that several people have recommended. Thank you all for sharing your real-world solutions and experiences. It's communities like this that make navigating these bureaucratic nightmares a little more bearable!