Student Loan Collections but not on NSLDS; Rehabing

[Anonymous]

I'm in the process of rehabing my student loans.  I recently checked my CR and Firstmark services are reporting a $12,000 loan with a past due of $4500.  I can not find this loan on the NSLDS website that reports all federal student loans.  I did not take out any private student loans.  What is the best way of going about this?  Should I contact Firstmark or should I dispute this loan with CRA?

[Anonymous]

Hi erptapac.

If it is a private loan, it would not show up in your NSLDS history. $4500, though, is the maximum Stafford subsidized loan limit for a second year student.

I read that Firstmark is a private loan servicer, I would start by disputing the loan with your CRA if you truly don't think you applied for/accepted a private loan. The CRA then is supposed to contact the reporting agency to verify the information. If Firstmark is a private loan servicer only, if you're sure you didn't take out a private loan, it may not be a valid debt. Did you ever plan on attending a college to the extent that you went through their admissions process and completing a financial aid or loan application, and then did not attend? 

Please keep us updated on how this turns out. I hope you can get it resolved quickly!