Student Loans
We’re having to take out a
Seems that it doesn’t matter to anybody that she’s graduated two years early with better than a 4.0 average, and that she’s really going places in life. She’s 16, not 17, and that means that she cannot get private loans and she also doesn’t qualify for a lot of scholarships. <sighs>
The PPL wouldn’t be a problem, except that there’s one bill from my ancient past on my credit report - by ancient, we’re talking years and years - but not quite enough years to simply drop off.
On the CR, it says that I owe our local hospital $502 through a collection agent called FirstPoint. Not a problem, so sayeth my lender - just get a letter stating that it was either paid in full, or that I’ve made payment arrangements for the balance. Not a problem, since I want this cleared up anyway. If it’s PIF they need to send me a letter and clear my credit report. If it’s not, I’ll gladly pay on it.
So, I call FirstPoint and speak to a wonderful snide, rude, and spiteful gentleman person who told me that they don’t send letters and I’d better pay up (but could he actually FIND this account? No). I ended up leaving a voicemail for his boss, who didn’t bother calling me back.
Called them back the next day. Was connected to a *truly* delightful, friendly, and helpful collection agent (I didn’t know such people existed!) - she looked all through her computer, and couldn’t find a thing that showed that I owe this $502, or ever did. Unfortunately, she says her computer won’t let her send a letter on an account that does not exist. She suggested I call the hospital, to see if they had more details. The hospital encountered the same issue. Other accounts that have been paid, and a smaller unpaid acct I wasn’t aware of… but… no $502. Nothing that adds up to $502. Nada. But they won’t write the letter until they’re sure that they’re sure that they know that they’re SURE that I don’t owe them this $502.
So I call Sallie Mae back. “What do I do?”
Get a letter.
I can’t get a letter.
Get a letter, or don’t get the loan. (the gentleman on the phone was nice about it, but that’s what it amounts to.)
The kicker is that I can’t write FirstPoint or the hospital a check for $502 and get a paid in full letter, either… since the account doesn’t even exist.
Of course, I’ve disputed this on my credit report, but that takes 30+ days to resolve and I don’t have that!
Fortunately for me, God’s got it all in control. He’s gotten us this far… He’ll take care of it.