Department of Education, Get Your Act Together!

It has been a while since I wrote here about my on-going college experience. I am in my last semester and May 12, 2012 will be a momentous day for me, but that's not what I'm writing about now.

The Department of Education has made changes to how I pay one of my school loans and it is causing trouble. For weeks I thought the frustration was just mine, but now I know it is affecting many and it needs to stop.

The issue: The Department of Education (DOE) made a business decision and handed over their management of the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program to an outside private company and they were not prepared. No official notice was sent from the website I had been using for almost a decade about the change, instead the new companies contacted me by email instructing me to now make my payments to them. Fishy!

The site I was automatically transferred to from the former official site http://www.dl.ed.gov/ was the Direct Loan Servicing Center, a private company. To log into their system I had to first create a new user name and password. Call me surprised when I get in and see the most basic of websites. I was sure I had just been had. Then I tried to access my payment history...they don't have it. WTF! How am I supposed to trust them if they didn't even get the archived data from the first company. At this point I was convinced I had been caught by a phishing scheme.

Luckily, I've found official confirmation that this was the right site, but I'm not happy and I am not alone. Note that there are 719 comments under that article and the majority are negative.

The other company that contacted me was Fedloan Servicing. They did the right thing and mailed me information that showed a connection to the Dept. of Ed and shows awareness of my past payments. They are also listed by the National Student Loan Data System as the guaranty for two of my loans and their website looks legit.

Department of Education, get it together, ok? You are dealing with the finances of people who came to you for help. Show due respect.

Update: Currently the Direct Loan Servicing Center (myedaccount) won't allow me to access my 1098-E form so I can complete my 2011 taxes. All of the PDF files are damaged. I tried to call them yesterday to get the info over the phone and their phone system was on the blitz, first it was cutting in and out and then it dropped all my subsequent calls. My email to them received a general response saying someone would contact me. I'll keep you updated on when that happens.

Job, Schmob...

What a kick in the head...

Everyone in the US is currently trying to KEEP the jobs that they currently have. However, I can't afford to stay at my job any longer. I am in the hole every month due to my school loan payments and the minimum payments of a credit card or two. I also can't afford to continue with school any time soon. Without my tax refund, who knows where I would be today. Seriously.

So, out in the job market I must go. I have a great idea for a side business for extra money; however, I don't make enough money that I can leisurely wait the one to two months to get it up and running.

I always believed in doing something that you were actually interested in, if not love. However, it seems I tend to like the unappreciated jobs; basically anything involved in keeping old things around like buildings.

The resume was rewritten months ago but it was written around my strengths in event planning and logistics. So I have to rewrite it now to emphasize the more marketable administrative assistant-type things that I do that I don't necessarily love or enjoy.

So that's what's weighing on my mind recently.

Psst! On a lighter note, don't forget about my giveaway!

Thank You!

Thank you for the virtual hugs, I really appreciate the support.

Well, I sadly realized I wasn't in shock...I just wasn't surprised by the situation. The last two years have been bad in terms of forward momentum (none) and achieving goals (slow-going). Just as I think I'm almost done with school - BAMM! - two more classes.

Which really is more of a problem than it seems. I already knew I would have to take another loan to pay for the Spring semester but now I have to add the cost of three more classes to that amount. I also have learned that two classes at a time with a full-time job is extremely difficult and there's no way I could do three. My original plan was to do two in the Spring. My college has a summer semester where all the classes are at a set time 5 days a week in 4 to 5 week sessions. Hey, do other colleges do this? The only time I was able to participate in this system was when I was either unemployed or two years ago when an employer allowed me to cut my hours down to 35 per week. I think that is the only way I could even attempt to do this again. However, this time it would be all summer long in order to fit three classes and I have a job which barely allows me to pay my bills each month as it is.

So that's my dilemma. I need to work to pay for them but I need less work to study for them or to even attend them. So, I'm polishing up the resume (alongside all the newly laid-off people in my town.) Woo hoo, this is going to be fun.

Can you sense how much I want this to be over?

Where I am right now

Yesterday I was no longer enrolled at VCU for the Fall semester. But don't panic, because today I am back. Many factors led to that first decision:

Factor 1
In order to graduate I need to complete seven classes: three History classes (in any subject) and four Art History classes (three in specific time periods and one as an elective.) Way back in April, I enrolled for three classes in the Fall; 1 European History and 2 Art History classes.

In the time between then and now, two of those art History classes were canceled.

I had specific reasons for those two classes. One I wanted to retake to get a better grade and the other one was a class in Historic Preservation, which is what I want to get into after I graduate. I will either take it in Graduate school or complete a certificate program.

Factor 2
My financial resources are running out and I need to get a job. The classes I had originally signed up for were evening classes so there would have been no problem.

The other classes that I could substitute for the canceled ones are mostly held in the daytime, so not very conducive for a job.

My European History class was not canceled.

However, the class times are 9-9:30 AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. I don't think an employer or a temp agency will accept that schedule from a new hire.

At this point I just about gave up. My only possible solution is if I can convince the teacher of the one Art History class meeting at night to let me into her already full class. The class does not meet until next Monday so I'll just have to wait and see.


Tomorrow: Part 2- Why I enrolled again

By the way...

I changed my mind and also accepted the Citibank loan.

Well, the truth is. I thought I hadn't completed all of the information they needed from me and also thought I had canceled. However, that was the Key Bank loan, not this one. So one day last week, I received an e-mail from the school informing me that a refund was coming to me. Well, I was refunded a lot MORE money than I had given them, so...

Instead of going through the trouble of getting this cleared up, that money will be earmarked to pay for my last semester in 2008. I had not secured money for that this time around. In addition, I do expect to send some of it back too.


Maybe it was also meant to be? What do you think?

oops, how could I forget...

Yesterday, I received my check from Sallie Mae!

Who knows when I will ever see a check with an amount that high again.

Money, money, money

I received approval for both the Sallie Mae and Citibank school loans!

Citibank's CitiAssist decreased the amount that I asked for by $3,000 (?) but Sallie Mae will supply the complete amount. That amount will cover tuition for the three 2007 semesters (including the summer session), university fees, parking, textbooks, miscellaneous items, such as that CPS unit, plus a little extra.

I do still want to see the final interest rate figures from both lenders, but it looks like Sallie Mae will be the one.

Update:
I was also approved by another lender, but apparently my great credit rating didn't mean anything to them because they were still choosing to add a lot of additional fees even though I would already be in debt for the next 10-15 years. So, no thanks.