I have a student loan currently in default, and getting a AWG from work. I guess I should just try to start at the beginning at get this out, as I want to get this taken care of, and need all the help and support I can get. I have several areas of my life that I want to improve on.
I had attended college on a couple separate occasions, though not finishing a degree, as of yet. After I finished, I was unemployed for a while, and more or less, just put off the letters I got for loan repayments. I knew that garnishment was a possibility, but I guess I just figured if I ignored it, it was something I wouldn't have to worry about. Well, fast forward some time, over years, in total, but after some time, I moved to the Chicago area, from my Ohio home. Some of my mail would be forwarded by my mother, but I never did get all my mail forwarded.
I guess I just assumed that all my student loans would be together. EIther way, there were at least two sets that went to, at the time DCS, now Performant. Somehow I got one letter at my current address, and was able to talk to them, getting like $100 payments during a rehab that allowed me to get it out of default before it was garnished. Now, my thought, was that since they, DCS, had my current address, all stuff going forward would be correct. Apparently not, as there was further correspondence that continued to be sent to Ohio, and basically found out about a week before garnishment went into effect, that it was going to be. At one point, I tried to send in the hearing request paperwork to get the garnishment, but never heard any response.
Anyways, they have been garnishing my check since November of 2012, so basically a year and a half now. They are taking anywhere from 2-300 a paycheck, as my checks vary, which is ends up being 5-600 a month to the collection agency/Dept of Ed/whereever the money goes. At one point last year I called to talk to someone, and was so upset during the call, that I ended up hanging up, and not talking to them again for a while. One person I remember talking to told me that I would be required to pay ~$350 a month, on top of the garnishment. Now, I live by myself, with no savings, and basically live paycheck to paycheck, partly due to my own things. I have never been a saver, or really able to, but it is something I need to work on.
Anyways, I talk to a rep today, again asking, but more importantly, wanting to get astatement of what is owed, what has been paid, etc, because I want that information before I even start a rehab. Well, I was under the impression that garnishment would continue throughout the rehab, but apparently, starting July 1, one of the changes is that the garnishment can be lifted after 5 months. The rep also said, based on my income, etc, that my payment would be $365 a month. Now, I don't know if I could make that work, but either way, I feel that $900 a month is a bit much.
I was under the impression that they was leeway, that they could work on an 'affordable' payment plan. The rep said it was that amount, and only that amount. After I get the infomation from them with the data I need, I want to know what I should be doing when I talk to them again. Is there something that they can do to make a payment more affordable for someone?
I am going to browse the forums for information from similar cases, or information that may help me, but I figure it would be best to try to get some information on my actual scenario as well.
