FAFSA phone support: 3+ hour hold times and now they need bank statements?

same thing happened 2 me yesterday. waited 2.5 hrs then got disconnected. tried again today and gave up after an hour. this is ridiculous!!

Ugh, the FAFSA phone system is THE WORST. I was stuck in verification hell last year and it took me 6 WEEKS to actually talk to someone. As for bank statements, they sometimes request them during verification if your income doesn't match what they think it should be based on your expenses. They did that to me and I had to provide 3 months of statements from EVERY account. Super invasive.

Ya KNOW sometimes I wonder if they make it this hard ON PURPOSE to discourage ppl from getting aid...keeps their numbers down...just saying what we're all thinking...

To answer your questions: 1) Yes, many people are experiencing long wait times due to the new FAFSA Simplification Act implementation issues. Their call centers are overwhelmed. 2) Bank statements are typically requested during verification if you were selected for income verification (usually randomly or if there are discrepancies). Typically they'll want 3-6 months of statements from all accounts. 3) The statements help them verify that your reported income matches your actual cash flow. They're looking for unreported income or assets. I recommend uploading all bank statements for checking and savings accounts covering the tax year in question. Include a cover letter explaining any large deposits or transfers between accounts.

I had the same problem last month and finally got through after using Claimyr. It's this service that basically waits on hold for you and then calls you when they get a human. I was skeptical but it actually worked - I got a call back in about 45 minutes when I had been waiting 2+ hours on my own before. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Worked great for me and saved me from listening to that horrible hold music all day.

Financial aid counselor here. Just to clarify some information: 1) Bank statements are typically requested during what's called "verification," which affects about 30% of all FAFSA applicants. It's either random selection or due to discrepancies in your application. 2) They're specifically looking for: - Unexplained large deposits that might be unreported income - Total cash assets that might be significantly higher than reported - Regular deposits that suggest income not reported on tax returns 3) What to provide: Statements for ALL accounts (checking, savings, money market) for the requested time period (usually 3 months, but could be more). 4) Include a letter explaining any deposit over $500, especially if it was a gift, loan repayment, or transfer between your own accounts. Yes, the phone lines are exceptionally busy this cycle due to the FAFSA Simplification Act implementation challenges and the delayed SAI calculations.

I've been having the same issue with verification and bank statements for my daughter's FAFSA. My husband and I have SEVEN different accounts between us (joint checking, individual accounts, savings accounts, etc.) and they wanted statements for ALL OF THEM!!! It took me hours to download everything and then their upload system kept crashing. The whole FAFSA process is a NIGHTMARE this year!!!!

Update: I tried that Claimyr service that @profile6 recommended and IT WORKED! I got a call back in about an hour when a rep was available. The agent explained that I was selected for random verification (just my luck) and they need 3 months of statements (Oct-Dec 2023) from all accounts. Apparently they're checking for any deposits over $1000 that don't match my reported income. She also said they're extremely backed up with verification reviews right now, so even after I submit everything it could take 3-4 weeks to process. At least I know what I need to submit now instead of just guessing. Thanks everyone for your help!