Ripped Off

[Aazari]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas

I went to a local vocational school to get certified as a medical coder/biller. I went through the program with very high marks. However, they failed to set me up with the final step they promised, which was to pay for me to take the certification test. When they FINALLY got me in to ONE of the classes needed to prep for the test (which they never mentioned to me before I went on externship; in fact, I didn't know about them until a few months AFTER I completed my externship when I called to find out WHEN my test would be because they hadn't told me), I discovered that the courses we had been given were a joke and hadn't covered literally HALF of what would be on this test according to the study guide. There were entire topics they'd never introduced us to which would be key to passing the test. So now, here I am with one small loan paid off, another still being paid and a Pell grant wasted for nothing. I have tried repeatedly to get this issue taken care of and the school completely drops the ball and never keeps communication flowing on their end. Every time I call, someone new is in charge there. Needless to say I'm mad as hell to be paying for a certification I NEVER got. I tried contacting Sallie Mae and they said all I can do is try to work it out with the school. Yeah... that works so well, NOT. The instructors at this place were a joke. They never showed up to class more than half the time. Some of them acted like they were teaching kindergarten kids instead of adults. AND they penalized three students in their final grades for not participating in their ridiculous "project" when the SCHOOL ADMIN called the three of us preparing to exit in to do our exit meeting on the day of the project. And then for almost a whole year after these twits kept trying to convince me to write them a stupid glowing commentary about how wonderful their school was. *smirk*

So what course of action should I take to rectify this? I don't have time to go to school now because I work full time with a billing company (no thanks to their joke of a "job placement" department, thank you very much) and also run a business selling my art. So them offering refresher courses and things and then just not delivering any further information as to when isn't going to cut it. I want my money back. They did NOT deliver what they promised at all and I want a refund. What are my choices in this?

 

[Humusluvr]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas

I went to a local vocational school to get certified as a medical coder/biller. I went through the program with very high marks. However, they failed to set me up with the final step they promised, which was to pay for me to take the certification test. When they FINALLY got me in to ONE of the classes needed to prep for the test (which they never mentioned to me before I went on externship; in fact, I didn't know about them until a few months AFTER I completed my externship when I called to find out WHEN my test would be because they hadn't told me), I discovered that the courses we had been given were a joke and hadn't covered literally HALF of what would be on this test according to the study guide. There were entire topics they'd never introduced us to which would be key to passing the test. So now, here I am with one small loan paid off, another still being paid and a Pell grant wasted for nothing. I have tried repeatedly to get this issue taken care of and the school completely drops the ball and never keeps communication flowing on their end. Every time I call, someone new is in charge there. Needless to say I'm mad as hell to be paying for a certification I NEVER got. I tried contacting Sallie Mae and they said all I can do is try to work it out with the school. Yeah... that works so well, NOT. The instructors at this place were a joke. They never showed up to class more than half the time. Some of them acted like they were teaching kindergarten kids instead of adults. AND they penalized three students in their final grades for not participating in their ridiculous "project" when the SCHOOL ADMIN called the three of us preparing to exit in to do our exit meeting on the day of the project. And then for almost a whole year after these twits kept trying to convince me to write them a stupid glowing commentary about how wonderful their school was. *smirk*

So what course of action should I take to rectify this? I don't have time to go to school now because I work full time with a billing company (no thanks to their joke of a "job placement" department, thank you very much) and also run a business selling my art. So them offering refresher courses and things and then just not delivering any further information as to when isn't going to cut it. I want my money back. They did NOT deliver what they promised at all and I want a refund. What are my choices in this?

Student Aid on the Web

If you default, it means you failed to make payments on your student loan according to the terms of your promissory note, the binding legal document you signed at the time you took out your loan. In other words, you failed to make your loan payments as scheduled. Your school, the financial institution that made or owns your loan, your loan guarantor, and the federal government all can take action to recover the money you owe. Here are some consequences of default:

* National credit bureaus can be notified of your default, which will harm your credit rating, making it hard to buy a car or a house.
* You would be ineligible for additional federal student aid if you decided to return to school.
* Loan payments can be deducted from your paycheck.
* State and federal income tax refunds can be withheld and applied toward the amount you owe.
* You will have to pay late fees and collection costs on top of what you already owe.
* You can be sued.

And, you can't do this either -

SoYouWanna pay off your student loans? | SoYouWanna.com

* Ignoring your monthly loan repayment bill. Even if you got into a nasty fight on
the phone with your lender's customer representative and have decided to teach him a lesson on manners by refusing payment, you'll soon discover that it's in your best interest to drop your grudge. Here's a scenario of what happens if you choose to completely disregard your student loans:

1. The first monthly bill arrives in your mailbox. You put it on your desk and forget to pay.

2. A second notice arrives in your mailbox. It accuses you of being a delinquent. (You achieve delinquent status the day after your monthly repayment is due and it's not in the lender's hands.) You scratch your head, add that notice to the growing pile on your desk, and turn your attention to the Victoria's Secret catalog that accompanied the notice.

3. Two weeks later, you'll start getting phone calls and more notices. You lender is required to make at least four phone calls and send four of those letters before sending a final demand letter (about 5 months after the loan payment was due). This letter will tell you that unless you pay up now, a default claim will be filed on your loan.

4. After a default claim is filed, your lender will turn your case over to a guaranty agency and you'll get a nasty phone call from them. If you don't negotiate some sort of deal within 60 days, your guaranty agency will report you to the national credit bureaus.

5. Now the fabulous life you dreamed of leading starts to crumble around you. You'll be ineligible to receive credit cards, an apartment, or a mortgage for a car or house. The government has the right to deduct money straight from your income, and it's unlikely that you'll ever date again. We'll tell you how to survive a default later, but it's still not a pleasant way to live a life.

You have to pay off your loan even if you aren't satisfied with the education you received and can't do jack squat with it. So you went to med school and ended up starting an Internet company? Tough cookies - you still gotta pay.

 

[Roo]

The school's lack of performance and the loans are two separate issues. You have to pay the loan back no matter what the school did/didn't deliver. Contact a local attorney or two to see if you have a case against the school. The initial consult should be free or very low cost.