Can't reach FAFSA? Claimyr connects you to a live FAFSA agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the FAFSA
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the FAFSA drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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Wait are we supposed to be filling out for 2025-2026 already? I thought we were still doing 2024-2025??
The current FAFSA application cycle is for 2024-2025 academic year. The 2025-2026 FAFSA won't open until October 2024. The original poster likely meant the 2024-2025 application that's currently available.
Yes, sorry for the confusion! I meant the 2024-2025 application. Getting my years mixed up with all the stress from this process!
Quick update for everyone on this thread: Federal Student Aid just announced on their Twitter account yesterday that they've identified the parent signature bug and are rolling out a fix this week. They recommend NOT creating a new application, but instead waiting for the fix. If your deadline is imminent, they suggest having your school financial aid office submit a case number through their professional portal. This should prioritize your application.
This is really helpful information! I'll contact my daughter's financial aid office tomorrow to see if they can submit that case number. Do you know if there's anything specific I should ask them to do? Should I be getting some kind of confirmation number from them?
Yes, ask them specifically for a "FAFSA Signature Exception Request" and make sure they give you a case confirmation number. Keep that number for your records. Some schools are also providing temporary confirmation letters that you can use for scholarship applications while waiting for the official FAFSA to process.
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I went through this exact situation 2 years ago when my overtime pushed us above the Pell threshold. The most successful approach for us was completing BOTH: 1. A special circumstances appeal with the financial aid office (got $1500 in university grants) 2. Applications to external nursing organizations like the American Association of Colleges of Nursing scholarship program Also, look into whether your state has a nursing shortage initiative - many states provide forgivable loans (effectively grants) if your daughter commits to working in that state for 1-2 years after graduation. Our daughter got $5000/year this way.
This is incredibly helpful - thank you! We're in a state with major nursing shortages, so I'm going to look into state-specific programs immediately. Did you need to apply for the special circumstances appeal in person or could you do it online?
One option nobody's mentioned yet is the AmeriCorps Education Award. If your daughter can fit in a summer service program with AmeriCorps (many have healthcare placements), she could earn around $6,495 towards her education costs. It's not technically a grant, but functions similarly. Also, make sure to check your daughter's specific subsection of nursing for specialized grants. Pediatric nursing, geriatric care, and mental health nursing all have separate grant foundations that many students don't know about.
She's actually interested in pediatric nursing! Do you happen to know any specific organizations for that specialty? The AmeriCorps idea is interesting too - I'll have to see if there are summer opportunities since she needs to work during the school year.
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Have you considered whether accelerating graduation is actually worth it financially? Sometimes taking an extra semester with full financial aid coverage is cheaper than paying for summer classes out-of-pocket or with loans. Calculate the difference between: 1. Cost of summer classes + potential loan interest 2. Income you'd earn by graduating early 3. Cost of an extra fall/spring semester (which would be covered by your full aid package) Many students assume graduating early always saves money, but that's not always true when full aid is involved.
That's... actually a really good point I hadn't considered. I was just focused on finishing ASAP. My full aid package covers everything except about $1,200/semester in out-of-pocket costs. So paying $3,800 for summer might not make financial sense. I'll run the numbers tonight. Thank you!
Another option worth exploring: some schools allow you to take summer classes at a community college and transfer the credits. Community colleges are typically much cheaper, and some have their own summer aid programs. Just make sure the credits will transfer to your degree program by checking with your academic advisor first.
I did this!!! saved like $2k taking chem over summer at community college vs my university. just gotta fill out a form to get it pre-approved for transfer
That's a great idea! I'll check if there's a community college nearby that offers the classes I need. Could be a much more affordable solution.
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my kid got private loans from our credit union!! the rates were waaaaay better than the big banks. like 3% better! definitely check local credit unions if you belong to one
That's a great tip! We do have a local credit union account. I'll check with them tomorrow to see what they offer.
Don't give up on your FAFSA yet! My daughter's application was stuck in verification for over 2 months too. I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid and they resolved it in a single phone call. The issue was just a small discrepancy between our tax return and what we entered on the FAFSA. Keep trying the Federal Student Aid phone line at different times of day. Early morning (right when they open) or late afternoon (an hour before closing) sometimes has shorter wait times.
This is excellent advice. Most verification issues can be resolved quickly once you actually speak with an FSA representative. It's getting through that's the challenge.
Ravi Malhotra
my son and i had to do the fafsa thing 3 times before it worked right lol. the new system is so confusing compared to last year!! but we finally got it working when we both made separate accounts. good luck!!!
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CosmicCowboy
UPDATE: I called the Federal Student Aid number this morning using that Claimyr service someone mentioned (which actually worked!). The agent confirmed I need to have my incorrect FSA ID deactivated before creating a new parent one. She took care of it on the spot and said I can create the new parent ID tomorrow (there's a 24-hour waiting period). Then my daughter needs to create her own student ID, and she'll start the application and add me as a contributor. Thanks everyone for the help - would have been completely lost without your advice!
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Emma Thompson
•glad u got it fixed! make sure your daughter has her social security card and ID handy when she makes her FSA ID. they're really strict about the verification stuff this year
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