Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My soldier pays all her student loans on time, every time...always has.
Back in Oct 09 she received a letter from Sallie Mae saying US Dept Ed purchased loan.
She kept paying loans.
Today grandmother gets letter from Sallie Mae (sent to neighbors address so neighbor walks it down) saying Sallie Mae is looking for my daughter.
Soldier logged into Sallie Mae last year when got the first letter and it said, "no loans".
Today logged in and it says "204 days delinquent"
OMGoodness!
Not once did Sallie Mae send a statement, a bill, a letter saying this loan was in repayment.
My soldier has (had) perfect credit.
Can Sallie Mae do this? -not send statements? My soldier is only 19 and so the 2 student loans she's paying...she thought that was the US Dept Ed one....but apparently it's not. She has no problem adding this one...but she wants her credit clear and any negative stuff removed.
Can anyone offer advice? She did email Sallie Mae with the date of the last letter, Oct 09...and that they failed to notify her of repayment, statements, bills, anything. And requested them to mail her statements.
Did some digging on the site and found that Sallie Mae did NOT mail any statements- at all!
What they did was put PDF files on her account... she was supposed to 'log in' and get them herself.
I guess I can understand to a certain degree...but her being in the field and away from communications- it just wasn't possible! Yahoo! even cancelled her email account salliemae was using because she didn't log in within 3 months or so.....so sallie mae may have been 'emailing' her statements- she didn't get any!
Surely when an account goes delinquent they'd put a hard copy in the mail!
do a Google on "U.S. Troops Given a Break on Student Loan Repayment".
President Bush signed legislation (in 2003, I think?) that gives military personnel a reprieve from student loan payments while they are on active duty.
You said your soldier was making payments all along. Who was she making the payments to, and were they cashed?
The reason I am asking, is because in the last year or two, lenders have started selling their federal student loans to the federal government, which you mentioned, so maybe the loans got mixed up somehow.
If your soldier has a pin number from when she applied for financial aid, she should be able to log into the National Student Loan Database, and see the lender, servicer, and holder of her loans, and if and when any loans were transfered. Just search NSLDS and the website should come up. I'd also suggest talking to the school, and if their was another lender involved, talk to them too.
If she is deployed then call Sallie mae and explain her situation. You also if they don't help call your congressamn or sate senator since she is deployed. If she is sate side she needs to do this if deployed during that time.
While my soldier was in boot camp, I opened all her mail- paid all the bills until she graduated. There were several different student loans...but no biggie.
Sallie Mae did not ever mail anything...so I didn't know about it. And since it was one of her earlier loans (each semester was a 'new' loan) and also by them selling/transferring loans...my soldier didn't know she WASN'T paying all her loans.
She paid a lump sum to get her current and won't ever miss again...but the derogatory mark on her credit files- she pulled all three.....ALL PERFECT credit, 15 different accounts and ONE negative- the sallie mae.
She's requested twice already-no response..to 'rehabilitate' the loan....some program the US Dept Ed has (US Dept Ed purchased this loan last year-she learned)...but they have failed to respond. This program would allow the removal of the negative mark from her credit file...should she suffer 7 years?
The congressman/senator will be the next stop if they refuse to allow her to at least 'rehab' the loan. At least when she comes back to the US the negative stuff will be off her credit file.
Usually to "rehab" a loan, you have to make a certain number of ontime payments. I know this, because my husband went through a difficult time and learned this the hard way. That was with US Direct loans, but I have a feeling that most of the programs are similar about "rehabilitation".
I know NelNet (another huge loan servicer, like Sallie Mae) does not use regular mail for ANYTHING anymore - you have to log on to get your statement, check your balances, etc..
I'm very sympathetic about your loved ones situation - but just be aware that electronic communication is becoming more and more common. They may want to leave someone with the ability to access their accounts in their absence for this very reason (you, a spouse, etc...).
Definitely have them check into what is available for active duty. I know there are a lot of programs in place right now to help military with loans, so surely there has to be something.
Good luck to you and your soldier, we're all grateful for their efforts!
VegasGrace...
Did you get her credit repaired?
I just faced this today. My dad who suffered brain damage from taking Lovastatin became unable to speak, blind, and unable to be mobile due to the brain damage. Now that we found a miracle therapy to help him, we wanted to buy a new house. His close to perfect credit was destroyed by Sallie Mae. I was paying his bills when he was unable to speak clear or see, he made it clear that all bills go to his mail. I had no reason to check his email. So I find out that he is 90 days past due! I called them, was rerouted to the phillipines (which is really weird that a huge America-owner sends the employment to another country) to people that could barely speak english, let alone care about the problem.
They said its past due. I told them we didnt get bills and they said he signed up for an email bill which he did not and he wouldn't do anyway. They are saying he did and there is nothing we can do.
When I was in law school, i remember there was this mailbox rule. Does this apply to student loans? Why didn't they send one letter saying, 'hey are you checking your email?' like most credit cards would do if they were ebilling. So why can they do this? I wonder how many others are like this.
Can I repair his credit or is he screwed for life?
the sad thing is they are doing this to our soldiers??? but it is victimizing non-soldiers too!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
