Nightmare On FAFSA Street

My interactions with workers regarding FAFSA (I double copied a couple parts by mistake. It was a nightmare and then I had to go on the phone and get more information, first being handed off to an "Abby Schmidt" which only made me think about the poor Schmidts who I knew who were suing the Abbey years ago, and I got her through some "Conditional Disability" line which I only accessed so I could find out how to get to the people who handle other "mistakes" on loans which may qualify for discharge. I had one woman, named "Kim", discuss with me how someone who wants to apply for being a police officer but can't be one because of theft or criminal record, how this is one condition for being disqualified--if they can't get work for some reason like this. I'm not a criminal, but I then went off about what I and my family have been through because of things like "theft, fraud, assault, medication without consent,invasion of privacy" and other horrible things which would be considered crime were they not protected for by the feds or state. I said instead of going to different lenders who know nothing about what's going on, I should think someone with some knowledge of the whole situation could get involved.

I also have gone to counseling here but I still feel like the people from this state are just tied to the state. I don't know that it helps me to go and need a lawyer.


New party ('cameo garrett') has joined the session:
Welcome to FAFSA on the Web Customer Service Live Help!
New party ('Ben Hunter') has joined the session:
Ben Hunter: Thank you for contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center. How may I help you today?

cameo garrett: hello, i would first need your customer service ID or the office you're out of. Are you in the State of Washington and familiar with Washington state laws with regard to FAFSA?

cameo garrett: hello?

cameo garrett: hello

cameo garrett: Mr. Hunter, do need special accomodations of any kind in this correspondence or should I try another agent? I have been waiting for 10 minutes for a response

Ben Hunter: I don't have a ID number and I work for The Federal Student Aid Information Center. I am not located in Washington. We have several location around the country and I am currently in the midwest.

cameo garrett: do the customer service agents give out their real names or are they required to, or can they use any name they like?

Ben Hunter: This is my real name.

cameo garrett: okay, i had a rep tell me to call a lender for loan forgiveness but she didn't understand my question.

Ben Hunter: What's your question exactly?

cameo garrett: if i am applying for total and absolute disability, for forgiveness of a student loan from the federal govt., don't I go through the dept. of ed?

Ben Hunter: You may have to work with the servicer of your loan because they may have their own process for that, but I can give you the number for the Conditional Disability Discharge Unit for more information. The number would be 1-888-869-4169.

cameo garrett: Thank you Ben. Now, my second question is who I could contact regarding a forgiveness for wrongful certification. If it's a wrongful certification of loans or ID problem or something like that, which was just discovered, what number do I call for this?

Ben Hunter: What do you mean by wrongful certification?

cameo garrett: For example, you know how there are only maybe 3-4 reasons for forgiveness of a loan?

cameo garrett: disability, death, wrongful certification, or ID theft (I don't know if there are other reasons but I think that's it...oh, and if a college went out of business or gave a bad degree)

cameo garrett: I signed for loans and they were not properly and correctly processed by either my college or the dept. of edu. so I need to know which dept. I would talk to about that.

cameo garrett: i don't mean, there were a couple mistakes here and there--they were falsely certified, so which department handles that?

Ben Hunter: Your State Licensing Agency.

cameo garrett: no, it's for my federal college loans.

cameo garrett: so i need to know which dept with the dept of education

Ben Hunter: You're saying that the school was falsely certified?

cameo garrett: just as there is a dept within the dept of education for conditional disability, I need to know which department handles the forgiveness aspect or investigation of other matters which warrant a full forgiveness of loans

cameo garrett: no, the college is legitimate but the loans i signed were not accurate

cameo garrett: and i have these records printed out and they state something other than what i applied for, so they were wrongly certified.

cameo garrett: so it was a problem with the actual loans and amount of money i received

cameo garrett: it has affected and affects my loan status so i believe it qualifies for possible forgiveness, or at the very least, an abatement and grant for me to be out of default and start over

cameo garrett: even if i qualify for full forgiveness and discharge of the loans, it's not what i would necessarily ask for.

cameo garrett: i would like to have it at least righted by allowing me to be considered to have been in deferment and then just get back into college

cameo garrett: SO, even though I may qualify for a full discharge of the loans, I am still willing to pay them back, and just would like to request allowance for the errors which affect my loans and timing and ability to go to college or be out of default

Ben Hunter: One moment while I check my resources.

Ben Hunter: Well it looks like you will still need to work with the lender to get a loan discharged because of false certification.

cameo garrett: okay, sorry, still here, just waiting

cameo garrett: i know i would after i get the go ahead from the dept. but first i need to know who to talk to at the dept. of education level

cameo garrett: sorry, but if you don't mind, that would be great. i just need the number and then can get started

Ben Hunter: There isn't one. The only other number I could give you if for the Ombudsman Office that would document your case for further review.

cameo garrett: why is there an office for conditional disability for discharge of loans but no other offices or numbers for the other reasons for discharge?

cameo garrett: I need the number for the dept. that directly handles the discharge of loans for the legal reasons provided by the u.s. dept. of education.

Ben Hunter: The number you will need to contact is (877) 557-2575


Ben Hunter: That's the Ombundsman office and works with department of education.

cameo garrett: the first agent i talked to couldn't even get as far as giving a number for the conditional disability.

cameo garrett: Yes, but I don't need the ombundsman office at this point. i need the dept. directly.

cameo garrett: i am reminded of this vehicle which passed me as I was walking down the sidewalk the other day, with a very loose tire that rattled and squeaked and could be heard almost a mile away.

cameo garrett: by the way, it was this very hot mini-van with a MADD mother behind the wheel

cameo garrett: So, I'm still waiting

Ben Hunter: Well you have to work with the lender in this case, but you said that you already have so if a borrower has tried all normal channels and the result does not appear to be a fair and equitable outcome than you would work with the ombudsman office.

cameo garrett: that doesn't make any sense.

cameo garrett: What shall I do if I'm applying for discharge because of death?

cameo garrett: contact all the lenders?

cameo garrett: or is there a "Conditional Death Department"?

Ben Hunter: A relative would contact the lender.

cameo garrett: a relative would contact all of the different lenders? or how about contacting someone in the dept. of education and saying, "Hey! guess what your job is? to contact the lenders should someone be in need of a discharge." I feel like I'm being asked to do the Dept.'s work for them

cameo garrett: And so, the lenders then each individually contact the Dept. of Education to say, "Oh hey, just had to let you know, 'another one bites the dust'"?

Ben Hunter: I've given you the information that you would need to follow in order to perform your task at hand. Whether you choose to follow my instructions is up to you.

cameo garrett: So the Dept. of Education gets contacted by possibly 10 different lenders who all send a card with a skeleton on it or a coffin, to announce someone has died? and the Dept. gets at least 10 death cards?

cameo garrett: I am still curious as to how organized and sensible this organization is because if this is the way it works, it might need some restructuring like the bankruptcy people

Ben Hunter: That's definitely something you can write to your congressman about.

cameo garrett: My loan info is given to me by FAFSA, which is Dept. of Education. The lenders are the little men. I don't see the point.

cameo garrett: So, I want to know, if someone dies, the Dept. has to get notice from each and every lender?

cameo garrett: Or, does the relative contact one person at the Dept to say "They've died" and then pass the word along to the little men?

cameo garrett: I am starting to feel like Gulliver

Ben Hunter: No, only the lenders would need to be contacted since they're the ones that the person would be paying back.

cameo garrett: but the loans come from the GOVERNMENT. The federal government

cameo garrett: I am talking about federal govt. loans, not private loans.

cameo garrett: stafford loans, perkins loans, unsubsidized and subsidized, etc

cameo garrett: So once the money goes from the feds to the lender, the lender is never responsible to the feds?

cameo garrett: it doesn't make sense that the person who is merely distributing funds, has control over whether to discharge them or not when the laws about discharge are coming from the feds, not the lenders

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