Still going to school/borrower wants repayment now?

override367

I'm still attending classes, the school suddenly introduced stringent new admission requirements and the fact that I've been going there for two years and have an AAS from them and a 3.9 GPA doesn't dissuade them, so I've had to pay this semester out of pocket while I wait for the bureaucracy to file paperwork

anyway that's not the biggest problem, now I'm supposed to start paying my loans back but I am attending classes, they tell me if the school doesn't approve all my paperwork (keep in mind its paperwork for program acceptance, I am attending classes right now more than half time) by November that I have to start paying my loans back because the grace period doesn't count if you don't get more loans

What is this shit? I thought you just had to be enrolled half time, was the lady at the borrower service just wrong?

ceres

Without knowing a whole lot more about your loans, it's tough to say. Assuming you're in the US, if they're proper student loans then as far as I know it doesn't matter about your paperwork; if you're going half-time or more you're automatically deferred until you're not. That was my experience.

override367

Yeah my googlings says the same

The problem is the school won't confirm to the borrower service that I'm going

bowen

Yeah that's what my loan paperwork said. You need to ride your admissions office hard with a ton of phone calls. If that doesn't get you anywhere go down the next free time you have and wait in person as they fix and clarify things. There's still a 6 month wait period after you stop going before repayment starts. So.

override367

yeah but I didnt take summer classes so thats one month from now

bowen

I don't know if your scheduled break times count, just your status at the school. So when a semester ends, if you're not whatever minimum is required, then, it does. Most of the time for the borrowers it was just a phone call and go "yeah I'm stuff x-time status at the school."

override367

The school just e-mailed back and said they need my highschool transcripts first and 2-4 weeks of processing time

guys I just paid you out of pocket for tuition this semester, and I have a degree from your school, what the fucking fuck

ceres

My guess is that you're talking to the wrong person when you call. Oh, you're emailing. Hah.

No, go there and talk to people until one of them has the right answer for you, which is that they can help you and will send (or give to you to send) your proof of enrollment. You are a current student who is paid up, my guess is that you are talking to someone who is either in the wrong department or doesn't know what they're doing.

Also summer school does not count either way.

bowen

They may think you're a new student because you got a low end financial adviser person.

This is why email sucks for everything except a person you know personally. Phone calls, be polite, but forceful (Read as: angry but happy about it, but not happy about their incompetence).

override367

no they're treating me as a new student because I graduated last semester and I just want some more credits to take with me to university of wisconsin

this requires me to enroll in a different degree program, because all the sudden they don't allow you to just take classes and get financial aid. I get a snarky response about "we have lots of students to deal with", well yeah but from where I sit it's pretty open and shut, I'm a student who's attended classes at your school at least half time since early 2010. Press the fucking "okay" button on your computer

God damnit I could just walk in there and do it myself when one of the admissions people is on lunch, I know the administrator passwords for all their systems because I fucking worked there for two years.

This must be governor walker's fabled efficient streamlined schools he promised with his 30% budget cut

bowen

Probably. "We have lots of students to deal with" isn't an answer honestly. You're one of them. Yours is critical because it can buttfuck you when they mess up if they don't answer in a timely matter. You should actually be one of the first students they help because:

A) it's easy
it's quick
C) it's easy
D) it's easy
E) it's easy
F) it's quick
D) You could get fucked if they don't, and your time is running out
G) it's quick
H) it's easy.

Inquisitor77

You need to just go down to the office in person and get it sorted out. As long as you have all of your paperwork with you, I'm sure they'll be able to figure out what you need (with your guidance) and get it cleared up.

supabeast

Stop fucking around with admissions staff and directly contact your Dean of Students. The job of minor staffers is to look out for the school, not for you. The dean probably can’t fix the problem directly, but may be able to intervene and get the staffers to take care of you before you go from crisis to disaster.

Darkewolfe

You graduated last semester, and are now taking extra courses to prepare to go on to the next school. Depending on a bunch of minutae which you need to talk to them (in person) about, you may not actually be enrolled. Taking classes doesn't necessarily count as being enrolled in a program. Only being enrolled in a program allows you to defer loans. You need to have a very serious discussion, in person, as soon as possible and with much gusto, with all the appropriate people. Because from the perspective of someone who doesn't know you from thousands of other students, it probably looks like you're trying to take some extra classes to keep deferring your loans without actually being properly enrolled.

JohnnyCache

If you graduated, and you worked there, involve your undergrad adviser and your boss.

override367

My boss, my boss's boss, myself, my coworkers, and most of my old teachers no longer work there, they were "asked" (no collective bargaining, weeeeee) to take a pretty substantial paycut and quit, where as I was simply let go

I don't have any inside hooks anymore

Edit: she assures me if I get them my highschool transcripts before the week is out I'll be officially admitted before the deadline, and I have that in writing

ceres

Okay, well, for now do that then. Get it in TODAY if you can. Try to get a receipt for it so you have the day it was accepted in your hands in writing. The more you have in writing, the better.

override367

its not possible to get it today, I didn't even go to HS in this state and I dont get off work until 5
Tomorrow, however, I am off, and am in no mood to deal with things being "lost in the mail" so im hand delivering that shit from A to B

Al_wat

Seems strange to me that they want high school transcripts when you are already a student there, or at the very least according to their system "was" a student there.

Of course asking for the process to make sense is asking too much

override367

they want my highschool transcripts and I already have a degree there

Yes it is fucking weird

Daenris

Did they ask for your high school transcripts the first time you enrolled? Because if so, then shouldn't they already have them somewhere?

override367

I asked her that and she said "that's a good question" , of which "no" is apparently the answer. I guess they sent them to UW along with my college transcripts

override367

I finally got everything done and... I'm getting $590 in financial aid

Cornered the admissions lady wouldn't let her go until she okay'd my paperwork, but I don't get any loans and only $590 in PELL which makes no fucking sense

Well I guess I get to go back to living the high life of living in a stranger's basement and eating ramen, this semester was sure worth throwing down $1400 out of pocket and giving up $200 a week in wages over

Sentry

override367 wrote: »

I finally got everything done and... I'm getting $590 in financial aid

Cornered the admissions lady wouldn't let her go until she okay'd my paperwork, but I don't get any loans and only $590 in PELL which makes no fucking sense

Well I guess I get to go back to living the high life of living in a stranger's basement and eating ramen, this semester was sure worth throwing down $1400 out of pocket and giving up $200 a week in wages over

I'm guessing it's because you are not currently in a degree program. You can (usually) forestall loans and get a pittance while taking classes, but without actually being in a program that will lead to a degree, you get kiind of screwed.

override367

No I got accepted to a program, it says I'm get $0 in loans for next semester too and $2800 in PELL, which again makes no fucking sense

I asked for clarification and haven't received it, I'm thinking I need to go talk directly to the head of FA like I did the head of admissions

What the fuck is going on with this school. I think it's possible FA hasn't finished putting together my financial aid, but I was assured that shit was already done prior to my program acceptance because there was a zero percent chance of me not being accepted, since I have a degree with a nearly perfect GPA from there

I just want to hulk smash something, I gave up a lot of income to go to classes this semester on the assumption that, like the previous nine semesters, I'd get loans (I'm only at ~35% of my undergraduate limit)

override367

Holy fucking god the financial aid department says I'm only taking 3 credits

What the fuck, so all that extra money I shelled out I guess was for what? Hookers? and all this homework I've been doing? I guess the other 3 classes are hallucinations of mine

God damnit

Essee

I don't think I have any particular advice on this at this point, because it seems like you just need to talk at the people involved until they fix the problem... But I really want to say I'm SO sorry that your school is that horrifically disorganized. I really hope you get this sorted out quickly, and get the money you're supposed to have. I know how infuriating this can be, so I send you thoughts of many pleasant things until this gets solved for you. Remain calm and keep pressing them to fix this problem. You CAN get this solved.

override367

well I did drop 2 of the classes so I'm not surprised that I didn't get loans for those, I couldn't afford to make the 2 payments on them past the initial one

However one of the two remaining classes I missed the first day of class because i was scheduled to work, I contacted the prof well in advance and told him this online, and since it's a blended (mostly online) class I didn't think anything of it, but he put me down as a "no-show" instead of "excused absence" because he's a brand new teacher and doesn't realize that he fucked me without lube by doing that

I'm desperately trying to get ahold of him before the financial aid people do but it looks like I'm SOL

Still they HAVE to fucking tell my borrower Im still going to school

ceres

I understand that you're upset, but you need to dial it back a bit when you post here.

Keep in mind that this is an advice forum, and there isn't much that anyone can tell you unless you have a question.

override367

I'm not trying to go too far over the top, I had a question but forgot to type it:

Does anyone know which private student loan companies are reputable?

bowen

None of them.

Local bank/credit unions if you've got the credit score or collateral for it. Avoid Sallie Mae at all costs.

bowen

Make sure to remind them you're taking out a personal loan and not a student loan. As they'll still try to funnel it through Sallie Mae. Also remind them it's for additional classes and not a full degree program.

override367

I'm going to have to go to this fucking school for another semester

Downsides are that I'm wasting time and money on classes I don't need that won't transfer (althouuugh I am only 16 credits away from a second AAS)

upsides are my work will repay the loans and I'll get ~$8000 in total student aid in one lump sum, which if I can keep the plates spinning till then will be enough to finally get back out ahead of all this shit (since I've already jumped through every conceivable hoop with this school)

There is a faint glimmer of hope: they got the number based off checking the computer screen, they haven't actually talked to my professor. I have an opportunity to convince him to tell the registrar's office I attended class. I have absolutely no hope, because I typically never have hope anything good will happen (see I got some that this semester would go great and stopped worrying about finances for five seconds and the whole house of cards collapsed). If he will tell the registrar it was an excused absence or that I was just late I will still get a loan.

@Bowen, I was in the process of filling out a Sallie Mae application!!! Thank you so much for warning me. I think before I do anything I should let my emotional state relax a bit, have a good meal, and vegetate on the couch for a bit. It's not good to make long term financial decisions while you're as upset as I am

bowen

Yeah nothing good will ever come out of a Sallie Mae private loan. Some people have had good experiences, but they are extremely rare and were usually never in one of those "rare" situations where someone fucks up on their end or shit hits the fan and you lose your job.

ceres

Protip: Don't ask him to tell them you were there because you weren't and asking him to lie will look like pretty poor integrity on your part. It SHOULD have been an excused absence though (unless he requires paperwork, which I know some profs do, like a note from a doctor, receipt for car towing/repairs that shows the date, etc.), so it's better to ask for that. If he decides on his own to tell them you were there then that's a different story.

I had professors who would move mountains to help me if I was honest with them, but even they really do not appreciate being asked to put their necks on the line with a lie.

override367

I read the syllabus and he allows one absence per semester, and it's probably too late to ask him to not tell them it was excused since I already did, which i shouldn't have

Oh well!

All I did was explain what was going on, and mention that his syllabus allows one excused absence per semester, and since I had previously attended class online and I did give him notice, ask if he could maybe tell them it was an excused absence

Probably should have been less direct, but I have enough to fret about going forward to worry about the (even recent) past. I wasn't expecting anything anyway, this guy isn't very good. 2/3 of the class has dropped the class because they hate him. He believes Americans are lazy and has pretty overt hatred of American students (his first lecture was about the superiority of asian students)

ceres

Asking for the excused absence is fine if you gave the notice; I would just draw the line at asking him to tell them you were in attendance when you weren't.

override367

My teacher called me, he said he'd be willing to back me up and say for certain I checked in online and let him know ahead of time I couldn't make it BUT he doesn't think it will make a difference, that the school's new policy is that if you aren't at class your first day starting this semester that you will be denied financial aid for that class, end of story zero tolerance

I told him I'd still like him to write them a letter since it says quite clearly "this is a blended class, the vast majority of it will take place online" and he has the date I first logged in on blackboard site for the class

I'm thinking the registrar will probably kick it back because she doesn't want to do any work but that I should go over her head

kaliyama

override367 wrote: »

override367 wrote: »

I'm going to have to go to this fucking school for another semester

Downsides are that I'm wasting time and money on classes I don't need that won't transfer (althouuugh I am only 16 credits away from a second AAS)

upsides are my work will repay the loans and I'll get ~$8000 in total student aid in one lump sum, which if I can keep the plates spinning till then will be enough to finally get back out ahead of all this shit (since I've already jumped through every conceivable hoop with this school)

There is a faint glimmer of hope: they got the number based off checking the computer screen, they haven't actually talked to my professor. I have an opportunity to convince him to tell the registrar's office I attended class. I have absolutely no hope, because I typically never have hope anything good will happen (see I got some that this semester would go great and stopped worrying about finances for five seconds and the whole house of cards collapsed). If he will tell the registrar it was an excused absence or that I was just late I will still get a loan.

@Bowen, I was in the process of filling out a Sallie Mae application!!! Thank you so much for warning me. I think before I do anything I should let my emotional state relax a bit, have a good meal, and vegetate on the couch for a bit. It's not good to make long term financial decisions while you're as upset as I am

If you want to keep the plates spinning cheaply, just enroll at a community college.

override367

That's where I am

I already have an AAS and after this semester I will have taken every possible credit that transfers to a university

kime

override367 wrote: »

that the school's new policy is that if you aren't at class your first day starting this semester that you will be denied financial aid for that class, end of story zero tolerance

That is ridiculous, and I find it incredibly hard to believe that the school will actually abide by that if you fight it. Good luck, and as you said, if someone won't help you then it's time to go to someone higher.