i am quite sure no one can help, but here goes anyway... my student loan defaulted while i was caring for fiance that was sick with cancer. i returned to mass from louisiana the day it defaulted (after 13 months) and had the money to bring it current but asa (american student assistance) would not tell me or afsa whether they sent the loan purchase check out. they told me to "wait and see how things play out". by the time i heard back from them, i didnt have the money to pay, so, i was lied to by them, then they attached a $14,000 fee to my balance that they say must be paid before anything is applied to my principle. this cant be legal. they take weeks and even months to return any phone calls i make to them. it seems that when they found out i could not find a job, that they started forcing me to meet deadlines which were not reasonable, not to mention that every time i called i got a different answer about how much had to be paid by when... my problem is that im 37 and dont even own a house. i tried to do the rigth thing by caring for a loved one and now the rest of my pathetic life is completely destroyed.
dear tdean- I don't know the answer to your situation but I will try and research it tomorrow. I just want to say that someone who has enough compassion and caring to put aside their own agenda for a loved one does not have a pathetic life. There is a solution to your problem...if this board can't find it no one can! The value of your life is measured by much greater things than debt...please have hope. Thinking that you must be one exceptional person and friend, clc
Hi, Nothing is ever hopeless. I wish I could give you some type of information, but I know nothing about student loan stuff. I just wanted to say that PLEASE keep your chin up, and hopefully everything will work out. That is a great thing you took time out to care for a loved one. Good luck....
well, thank you both for the kind words.... i just tried to do the right thing. anyone else would have done it too. i just cant understand how these people can be like this... they even send me demand letters filled with spelling and grammar mistakes. i thought they might be a fake company, but unfortunately they are very real. i just got a job, so im headed in the rigth direction, and i never concidered NOT paying these people back, but they have made it impossible now. its almost like they screwed themselves by making their demands so outrageous. when i went down south, my loan was ~$37,000... now with their fees and inflated interest, its over $60,000. that just doesnt seem fair.
Nothing is ever hopeless. You came to the right place. There are some experts on here, so be patient and you will get help.
tdean- Did some quick research...ASA has a dispute ombudsman by the name of Grace Bartini...have you tried to talk to her yet? If your loan is in default you should be able to have it rehabbed...the other suggestion is to go right to their Stuart Street offices in Boston and demand to speak with a dipute resolution ombudsman directly. $14K in fees and interest seems not right on a 37K loan...it sounds like it is time to quit dealing with the lower level people....start making loud noises to the top. Hope this helps, clc
wow.... i guess i really did come to the right place. ive been looking for a place like this for months. at risk of sounding really stupid.... what is ombudsman? and what is loan rehabbing? they told me i could send them $10 a month to show "intent", which i have done, but the interest still keeps accumulating. i have to say, i'm already feeling more hope than before. thanks again everyone.
tdean you came to the right place. People here will help you out with your situation, and it is far from hopeless...many others here have similar "drastic" situations, came to this board and have been able to turn things around. Yell for RONI or Girl6. Marci has some great student loan advice too. The search function at the top will help you find old posts with information you are looking for...and if you post something more direct as your "Subject" you will get better results. Something like: "Help with Student Loans" - or - "Please help w/Ombudsman" Also post directly to those who answered similar questions that you find in search like: "Roni, please help rehab stu loan" usually yield more pertinent results than something like "my situation is hopeless" because there are many who just scan the subjects for relevant posts that they can answer quickly, without reading all of them (time can be precious sometimes). Good Luck, our hearts are with you. -Peace, Dave
tdean- when your student loan is in default....meaning you haven't paid on it...you can rehab it...meaning you get the balance straightened out and agree on a monthly payment...you make 12 consecutive payments and all the derogatories on your credit reports go away. The rehab opportunity is a one time deal...so before you rehab try and get what you actually owe straightened out first. An ombudsman is a person who acts as a problem resolution person. When you have tried everything else without results you go to the ombudsman...at ASA her name is Grace Bartini...here is the url for American Students Assistance http://www.amsa.com/. You can communicate directly with them online. Have you tried that yet? Hope this info helps, clc
HANG IN THERE...IT IS 00.44 EASTERN TIME... She probably is asleep...although I have seen her on here @ 02.00 EASTERN...
i will try that. i was unaware i could do that online.... thanks again for your help. this place rules!!!
hmmm.... clc, how do i get in touch with Grace? im not familiar with a lot of the terminology at the site, so i dont really know where to look. do i send an email? Edit: i think i have it figured out. : )
