No, this isn't a diary, so forgive me, but...I'm hoping to tap into the brain of this community.
If you live in California and/or know anything about the federal student loan program and are feeling helpful, please follow me below the jump.
A dear friend in Long Beach, CA, is in utter financial straits. She has an almost-PhD in a fairly obscure discipline. The economy in California has destroyed the sector in which she works, and she has painfully huge amounts to pay on her student loans every month. It's an "almost-PhD" because she had to quit school in order to, you know, live. She's not been able to afford to finish her education, leaving her with six figures worth of education to pay on.
She has many friends in the area, but most of them are feeling the pain of the economy, too. Her sister is in the area, but her sister is a public school teacher. In California. Not a good spot to be in. Her parents are, frankly, worthless. They are no help whatsoever.
She has $7 to her name, and might be able to stay in her apartment until the end of the month if her landlord agrees to reduce her rent. She's working as many hours at as many jobs as she can secure, but places that pull credit records in the course of hiring won't even call her, and she gets the "you're overqualified for the position" from others. She's teaching as much as she can, and doing as much independent work in her chosen field as possible, but her financial situation is just getting worse and worse.
ANY ideas are welcome. Seriously. I'm in Colorado, and, frankly, right now I need to leave to go to one of my three jobs. It's so freaking frustrating...I don't even have enough time to sit and do some research for her. I feel like my hands are completely tied. Everyone is in such a financial pickle these days, and...this is the smartest group of people I know. Any ideas? Anything? At all? On how she can forestall those student loan payments or any place she can go for some short term assistance? Her credit rating is absolute shit. Yes, the cost of living where she is is hellish, but there's no way she could rent a van to move, or secure a new place to move TO, or even put the gas in her car to move a few boxes anywhere. It's...bad.
A million, billion thanks, even if all you want to do is email me and have me pass along your "hang in there" to her: pennyv at gmail dot com
Seriously. Thank you.