Advice

Hi to everyone on here.  I've been reading many posts and can empathize.  Thank you to whoever started this forum, to give us a place to collect information with respect and peace, and to support one another.  That is invaluable.

My story....I went to school for 7 years, tried to get a double degree, and failed to complete my last year, January 2001 was my last issued osap installment.  I left school due to health issues.  I had a nervous breakdown, saw a psychiatrist who gave me a diagnosis of major recurrent depression and that I had an 80% chance of relapse, and that I needed to be on antidepressants for the rest of my life.   It took me a year to fully recover from that episode, in which I moved back home.  I come from a northern town with no full degree program at the university in my town for what I was studying.  So to finish would mean moving 600 miles back to southern Ontario.  Afterwards I wasn't even able to open a book and read for about 2 years.  I was soooo burned out.  That's about when the student loans people started calling me.  I think at that time my loans were about $60,000.  They wanted a $650 monthly payment.  My mother paid a couple of months for me so that I could qualify for interest relief.  At that time I also signed over my mother as my "advocate", due to the fact that I could not handle talking to them anymore, they were in my eyes very abusive and belligerent and didn't care about my circumstance.  For my sanity's sake, and my healing, I did that.  So for a few times, probably a year and a half we submitted the interest relief forms.   Then my mother got behind on it too, forgot to send the paperwork in on time, and it defaulted me again, at which point I lost the ability to care anymore, the situation felt so hopeless.  I never spoke with them again.  I've gotten a private number because the collectors would call like 6 times a day, 6 days a week.  I have been unable to hold down steady employment, so they have never garnished my wages.  I also currently am a single mother of 2 children, one of which is in the process of being diagnosed with autism.  Much of my time is taken up with working with him.  I have not been employed for 4 years now, since I had him.   Last year they began taking my income tax return.  I wonder how they can do that?  We live well below the poverty line, and also reside in Housing as well.  My yearly income is $15,000.
I've lost hope as to ever getting out of this situation.  And I think having this debt over my head makes the depression that much worse.

I really want to just claim bankruptcy and be able to start over again.  But from what I'm reading, that sometimes doesn't even work.  There is no way in hell I'll ever be able to pay this debt unless I win the lottery.

Any suggestions?  Would bankruptcy be a viable solution given my situation?

Bloodsuckers aren't they?  My loans are about the same as yours and even if you were able to make the payments of $650 or so a month - most of that would be interest anyways.  Which is even more depressing...

You'll probably have to contact Johnny for advice.  I've read posts similiar to yours and that's usually the way to go. 

There's also the Coalition for Student Loan Fairness petition to sign - and you could go to the media with your story....

If you have already declared bankruptcy, and you have used up all of your interest relief and debt reduction options within the system then just go back to your  bankruptcy trustee or a lawyer who specializes in bankruptcies and apply to the court to get your student loan included in the bankruptcy. Will be an additional fee, but it is worth it to get the collectors off your butt.

ClaudiaPipkens wrote: Angela wrote: If you have already declared bankruptcy, and you have used up all of your interest relief and debt reduction options within the system then just go back to your  bankruptcy trustee or a lawyer who specializes in bankruptcies and apply to the court to get your student loan included in the bankruptcy. Will be an additional fee, but it is worth it to get the collectors off your butt. i am agree with you "your  bankruptcy trustee or a lawyer who specializes in bankruptcies and apply to the court to get your student loan included in the bankruptcy".

It is now law... its 7 years and a possible hardship hearing after 5.  Best bet is to talk to your original bankruptcy trustee...