pay off my student loans

Eventually, I got everything lined up with the correct agency. My payments will be reasonable. I feel great that they are not looming over my head. I am still angry that they “lost” all records of payments made for three years straight when I first graduated. But, heck, I don’t have that stuff anymore either. I will be able to pay it off pretty quickly.
I started to send the first payment, but got a notice in that mail that I am still a full time student, so no payments are due until after graduation this May. How cool is that?

So, I sent in the information and waited for the applications that the collection person Kim was to send in the mail. Instead, she garnished my wages at work. Typical. I call her supervisor, trying to figure out what happened and it was all about her not getting the email that I sent her.
However, what she failed to say was that I did not need her to fill in any stuff. I did not need applications from that office in the first place! I could have done this all online, but she said it had to be done through her. Again, typical.
When speaking the supervisor, I told him that I had thousands not credited to my account that I had paid and had requested a hearing that was supposed to be in Sacramento. However they moved it to Chicago. When I told them I could not go to Chicago, I could not afford it, he said why didn’t I request a phone hearing. Phone hearing? Because I wasn’t told it was an option! Because I was told (by them) if I could not afford to go to Chicago it was too bad).
I tried to call the Omsbudmen, because the website says that if issues aren’t resolved, to contact them for help. I did and they say that the Omsbudmen doesn’t handle ECMC stuff. ECMC refers me to DOE’s omsbudmen.
Breath in and breath out!

Still trying to pay this off, but road blocks every where I turn. So much mendacity. Big Daddy, you are right…This world is mendacity. ..

spending my morning crying, typing, calling, and still trying to find out how to pay the fraking loan!!!!!!

I have done my part- emailed addresses and phones, etc. Just waiting for them to send me another application/form and set up payment arrangements that I can afford while in graduate school.

I give up on trying to get the two years of payments that I made faithfully credited to my account. I give up on trying to get the accrued interest reduced.

I just want to pay find a way to pay it. I called Kim to set up payment arrangements and it seems pretty complicated. So, I have to email her two references and then she emails me an application for a consolidation program that will remove 7% of the interest/finance charges. It is hard to figure out, but then in 45 days, I will be out of default and can start the long road to paying this off.

Almost done!

The student loan continues. I did fill in all the forms asking for a hearing in San Franscisco at my own expense. Instead, I get a judgement based on my application for a hearing. Hmmmm.I read it over quickly and decide that I owe the money, but want to negotiate it downward if possible and want the hearing. Kim from the collection place calls and I tell her that I want a hearing. They inform me that I can indeed request a hearing BUT I now have to go to Chicago at my own expense to have this hearing.
Okay, they win. They set it up so that there is no way to reason with them. Nearly 5,000 in payment never credited to the account and the balance climbs.
I called last night and left a message for Kim, the collector to call today, but she didn’t. I am not surprised. Just frustrated. This all fits into the budget plan. Just finding a way to make it work.

This is the student loan from hell. When I graduated 25 years ago or so, I owed about 5,000.00. My son was born with serious health problems and ended up in and out of the hospital,qualifying for disability,and needing mommy to stay with him as his nurse for three years. I called the Citibank and sent in all the forms for a deferrment,and it was granted I was told. I kept getting bills and called them asking why. The guy kept telling me that the computer system they were trying to use was slow to catch up, but I shouldn’t worry. The deferrment had been entered. But, soon I got a notice I was in default!I tried to correct it, but they wouldn’t. They referred me to a collection agency, that called at all hours, threatened my grandparents and every single collection agency dirty tactic you have ever heard about. During all this, I paid my payments mostly on time, but nothing ever credited to my account, the balance went up and the harrassing calls continued!
We moved, sent forwarding addresses etc. Let them know. But the just disappeared. We bought the house and they said that there was NO record of the loan anywhere. Nothing for 10 or so years, and I get a notice I owe 9,000.00! Okay, but at this time, wasband lost his job and we started a business that failed and ended up in BK. The lawyer added the student loan. Again, we got the papers saying all debts were discharged. But a couple of years ago, here it comes again. My lawyer failed to file on time ( by a week) and it was not discharged. However, since we were paying everyone back during the BK, a 13(?) we were not allowed to make payments to anyone else.
Fast forward to today, now it is 14,000.00 and despite them taking nearly 3,000.00 of my tax refund, the balance climbs.
Would love to pay them, but right now I am struggling to make ends meet.

The first step is facing it, figuring out how to negotiate the debt downward a bit and get reasonable payments.