There is a reason I am always talking about Post-Secondary Education needing to be free, with Student Loan Forgiveness for everyone who already attended College. It's very simple. I have been directly harmed by the current method of College Financing. When I was attending College, I was forced to take out $11,000 in Student Loans. I mean forced as in there was no way I could attend College without them, and I was of the understanding that College was the only way to obtain a decent job.
Since graduating College, I have had a succession of Minimum Wage jobs. For a time I staved off the beast of my Student Loans with Hardship Deferments and other methods of delay. Unfortunately, in the last 13 years since getting out of College. I went through a period of 7 years where I was unemployed and dealing with Severe Depression. I did try to get Social Security in that period, but because I was somewhat functional. I got denied. During that period, where I was not in a state to deal with it. My Student Loans Defaulted.
Thanks to Fees and charges, my Loan Balance Ballooned to $20,000 dollars. I have no idea how to even start to repay.
I was contacted by a Collection company last year, when I wasn't able to get all of the paperwork back to them in time. They started Garnisheeing my pay. Which was actually a relief. It was only $7-$30 every check, and I didn't have to deal with it directly. Then my entire $700 tax return got taken, and while that was an upsetting blow. Money I actually needed for my day to day expenses. I was able to deal. I didn't want to have it happen again. So I thought about bankruptcy. However, I found out Student Loans are specifically exempt from being forgiven in a Bankruptcy proceeding. So I looked into Student Loan Forgiveness. I couldn't find anything that wasn't a scam trying to get me to repay, but through their company, so they would get the money.
A couple of months ago I noticed that I was no longer being Garnisheed. I thought maybe with my Tax Return haven been taken. They had reached their limit for the year.
Then yesterday, while I was working I was told to answer the phone. I am a floor associate for a major retailer, so that wasn't suspicious. However, as soon as I answered, I was asked if I was me by my full name. Not even the majority of my Coworkers know my full name. They then asked me to provide personal information. I told them that I was at work and would not provide personal information while I was working. Quite frankly, I work on a sales floor and was within earshot of customers. I am not getting my identity stolen because a customer or coworker hears my personal identifying information. Also, I could get fired if I get too many personal calls. The policy is no personal calls, but they are lenient about it.
Today I get another call from them. I was busy and didn't have time to talk, when I explained that the woman who I was talking to she transferred me to her manager. When I tried to explain to him that I was busy, and didn't know when I would have time to discuss the matter because I knew I wouldn't have time tomorrow and hadn't looked at my schedule for the next week yet. However, if they just sent me a letter detailing my options, I would take care of it. He started going into a long spiel in legalese and refusing to work with me. He also threatened me with my income being taken from me. So I finally just hung up.
Now, I don't know what to do. This back bill is as large as the cost of a small house around here. I will be paying it back for the rest of my life, longer with the current Minimum Wage. It has ruined my credit so I can't buy even the cheapest car, or think about buying a house. Since employers and landlords do credit checks, even thinking about improving my situation is impossible.
I can't get rid of the debt, and it is ruing my life going forward. I don't know what the fuck to do. Instead of giving me the world, College stole the American Dream from me.
12:58 PM PT: The Collection calls are coming from Third Party Collection agencies hired by the New York Higher Education Services Corporation. Which the NYHESC is a sort of quasi-government agency that handles all student loans in NYS.