Student Loan Forgiveness

[hwhitaker]

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

I had a severe brain injury in 2002 and was classified as disabled by the Social Security Administration around 2004 or 2005. I have consolidated student loans with Sallie Mae and they have a policy that their loans will be forgiven if you become disabled. I applied for this and was denied because there is an amount of money after my brain injury, from my employer, that can't be accounted for. I've had my employer send them copies of all my pay from that year and the amount is still not correct. I don't know if it's my 401K payout or what. Anyway...their policy states that if you are disabled that the loans will be forgiven so I don't know what the deal is. I feel like they are just trying to give me the runaround. I provided them with all the paperwork from Social Security that shows that I am 100% disabled. Can you please advise me. I am now behind on my student loans because while they were working on my issue I was told not to make any payments. Now they want all the past payments at one time. I just don't have the money.

 

[You Are Guilty]

The only way out of your student loans is if you cannot work at all because of your injury. If you have post-accident income, the assumption they are making is that somehow, you were able to work. You'll need to work with your prior employer to straighten out when the post-accident income was earned (as opposed to paid), then make sure that information is explicitly clear to the Feds before they'll even consider discharging your loans.

Good luck.

 

[hwhitaker]

Thank you for the reply

I have made it very clear to them that I cannot return to work. I was in the hospital for a couple of months after my injury and I have provided them with all the paperwork from Social Security showing that I cannot return to work. I've asked my employer to send them whatever paperwork that they need, but they aren't satisfied. I don't know what else to show them. It's only that first year where the numbers are off. That's the part that I don't get. All my other years are satisfactory...showing that I am not working, but they will not dismiss unless that 1st year is all to their satisfaction. It's clear that I'm disabled and I'm not allowed to work. Why do they insist on focusing on that first year. The most confusing one for me. I'm clearly disabled now and not working so dismiss my loans now if nothing else.