Wednesday February 6, 2013, 8:48 am
When Pell Grants were in danger of being slashed, you helped save them.

And when interest rates on federal student loans were poised to increase, you successfully lobbied Congress: “Don’t Double My Rate!”

We’ve been working together to make the case that no hard-working student should be shut out of college because of the cost. And, together, we’ve gotten a lot done. But we can’t keep fighting these battles one by one — we need to unify our efforts to make sure higher education is about creating opportunity, not debt.

Today, we’re launching the I AM NOT A LOAN campaign to demand a solution to America’s college affordability crisis. From Connecticut to California, and everywhere in between, I AM NOT A LOAN will be working to get all the decision-making stakeholders — colleges and universities and state and federal officials — to take real action to reduce the crippling debt too many students are racking up.

Sign up for the campaign and then share the Web page on Facebook and Twitter. You can also forward this e-mail to others concerned with skyrocketing college costs and debt.

Through I AM NOT A LOAN, we together can build a powerful, national movement to eliminate cost as a barrier to college opportunity. We’ve won big battles already and, building on that strength, we can and will win more. Join us and encourage your friends to do the same.

Thanks for your support,

Amy

Wednesday February 6, 2013, 8:52 am
I definitely signed this one, J.L. Sending on to others as well. Thank you.

Wednesday February 6, 2013, 9:27 am
I have student loans from over 20 years ago. I have had deferments and it has driven the pay back up by $19,000. So now I am $41,000 in debt, and they want almost $600 a month in payments. I can't afford that, even in a good day. Something should be done. either lower or waive the interest or something. It's crazy and out of hand.

Wednesday February 6, 2013, 12:49 pm
Same here Phyllis, I paid off my loans, and just recieved notice that I now owe back taxes or something, it says almost $15,000.00 when I called I got put on a new student loan list and now they have me as a defaulter? How can this be legal?

Wednesday February 6, 2013, 1:18 pm
signed! UNBELIEVABLE!

Wednesday February 6, 2013, 1:21 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Angelika because you have done so within the last week.

Wednesday February 6, 2013, 2:50 pm
noted, thanks !

Wednesday February 6, 2013, 3:15 pm
You are welcome Roger!

Thursday February 7, 2013, 4:42 am
Thanks J.L. for the post and link. Getting a college degree shouldn't put you in the "poor house". Signed and noted.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 7:27 am
You are welcome John. I agree. You cannot currently send a star to John because you have done so within the last week.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 10:44 am
I, thankfully, don't have student loans but that is only because one of my uncles had died and left me some money. I was able to pay off the rest with money I already had, but that is rare. Everyone else I know does have student loans and it doesn't look like some will ever be able to pay them off. It's so unfair.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 11:15 am
Signed, and I am so glad my student loans are long ago paid for.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 12:15 pm
You have a student loan, you graduate your college and now there is no job for you here so how you will paid that. I believe it's hard reality for most of the students...

Thursday February 7, 2013, 12:30 pm
I am a college dropout. Not because I wasn't capable or driven but because of my fear of debt and tuition costs that were unmanagable. Although personally free of student loan debt, my family fearfully awaits the day when deferment is no longer a possibility and we have to pay off my husband's student loans. This issue effects everyone. When I'm frustrated by the lack of career opportunities for those of us without a college diploma, I think what a deterrant debt might become for our next generations when considering higher education. I worry for my sons and want more for them than I have been able to achieve. The school of hard knocks should not have to suffice for them.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 1:08 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Sara because you have done so within the last week.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 2:44 pm
Signed, even though I'm prejudiced against college students. But then, the students in this college town--at least the ones in my neighborhood--are spoiled brats who think that every night is party night and every yard is their trash can, and any car left on the street overnight is there for target practice.

And then they graduate (or drop out), and I have to work with the little pricks.

I still signed it, in the hopes that not all college students are like the ones I've had to deal with. Some of them ARE actually decent human beings, right?




Thank you Care2, for letting me rant.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 4:12 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Dianna because you have done so within the last week.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 4:38 pm
My daughter had to drop out of college due to loss of job. They sent her a new schedule and she wrote them and called them to say she wasn't going to be able to go. She asked if there was a special disenrollment form and was told no.

Later she received a bill for the semester she NEVER attended, not even one day. This was with one of these scam private colleges that are sucking the students in and I had warned her about, but they made it sound so great to her. Afterwards she found out that she could of only used the degree in the State she was living in and she has since moved 1,500 miles and has no intentions of ever living there again, so the one semester she did have is useless.

They claim she owes them this money for a semester she never attended, she can't find a job to either pay them or to hire a lawyer to fight it, and this bill has gone onto her credit report which makes it harder to find a job with bad credit in a terrible economy. She can't go to a legitimate college for they see on the computer she owes this loan for the other school, so she can't get any skills to find a job and she can't pay this back until she finds a job.

This money this scam college claims she owes them is rising in amount from late fees to interest owed as it was loan to them through them. So they kept the money, they loaned her, that she never used their service to attend the classes. What a scam that she can't seem to clear up. She feels her life is ruined at age 27 and at this time is very discouraged and doesn't see much hope most of the time. If there was any way I could help her I would; she lives with me so I keep a roof over her head and my grandchilds and clothes on my grandchild, best I can do.

Thursday February 7, 2013, 4:51 pm
Thank you for providing a fairly common example related to the for-profit colleges this administration has subjected to extra scrutiny and rules and reporting due to such poor performance Dandelion.You cannot currently send a star to Dandelion because you have done so within the last week.

Friday February 8, 2013, 1:03 pm
Noted. L♡ve ☮ Peace.

Friday February 8, 2013, 3:59 pm
Signed. Noted. Thanks, J.L.
My heart goes out to Dandelion...I have much the same situation with my adult son. We've had collection agencies calling him here for many, many months...he's been mostly unemployed, too. Recently, we actually got a human being on the other end of the line and told them he'd moved out several months ago and doesn't live here, and to please stop calling here. Often what happens is that they just turn the account over to another collection agency and the phone calls begin again. We don't even answer the phone anymore.

*I'm sorry I'm unable to send a green star to J.L. or Dandelion since I sent one in the past week.

Friday February 8, 2013, 4:00 pm
You are welcome Lois. You cannot currently send a star to Lois because you have done so within the last week.

Saturday February 9, 2013, 8:03 am
I hear you on the phone calls, is very annoying, I've told them the same thing, this is my private line and I don't owe them anything so to stop calling. But it never ends so I too ignore now having caller ID. In fact, they started calling her Grandmother as well, who was so sick. The calls had been really upsetting at age 90, I'd get one to back off or blocked and they would come through on another number. She did not realize when they asked if she knew the name and said yes, this was going to lead to ongoing harrassment on her phone for her. A same last name and I guess one is called and taken a chance upon.

Saturday February 9, 2013, 10:52 am
There have always been laws governing collection agency actions (e.g., forbidden to contact if charge disputed). I believe some beefing up of consumer protections have happened with the CFSB- basic rights are at:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

"Can a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?

If an attorney is representing you about the debt, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you don’t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people – but only to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting third parties more than once. Other than to obtain this location information about you, a debt collector generally is not permitted to discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney."

Saturday February 9, 2013, 11:15 am
I understand this, that they shouldn't be allowed to harass, but they do, and we are not able to afford a lawyer to stop them. They keep on keeping on. They skirt around many things. The Grandmother is in a Nursing Home now so they no longer bother her and I ignore the phone. I don't feel well enough to deal with this anymore so I just pay attention to the needs of my grandchild, I can't deal with the other, I'm worn out on it. But your information is most appreciated, maybe the others on here can find help with it. If I didn't need the phone for other things, I wouldn't at all have one.

Saturday February 9, 2013, 11:36 am
I understand Dandelion. For those choosing to fight back: I once succeeded in limiting to one phone call by telling the collector it was illegal for them to even have it given the dispute on record (happened when company I'd done business with had been bough by someone else who chose to turn over disputed bills to collections). Another time I got it to end by telling them their contact was illegal. And both were before our rights were strengthened.