I was a student at OCAD about 3 years ago. I completed my first year of Illustration with two poor marks and decided to work fulltime over the summer and take those two credits the following year instead of registering for my second year. To do this properly I had to file for the Interest Relief Program with the National Student Loans Services. This would prolong my repayment for the time it would take me to continue with my second year.
The application process was not difficult. Pay stubs and income information. I called the NSLSC to review my application and make sure all of my information was correct. The application was faxed off without any issue. Then I get a letter stating that my application was denied because I had written the wrong date in the bottom next to my signature. (The date I filled in was one that a NSLSC representative had told me to write) They claimed that this information was not given to me.
My next application attempt caused me some grief as one of my required pay stubs had gone missing from my mailbox at my place of employment. I called the NSLSC and they told me to send the stubs that I had along with a letter from my employer. I did just that and they denied my second application due to a "lack of information."
This application process lasted me almost 2 years and 12 postage and faxing fees. I have faxed them 12 applications and have called them many many times and my student loan has now snowballed into a debt that I can not manage.
I have called and spoke to a few representatives from the NSLSC and they have claimed that a lot of the information I have given them never happened. I have kept records of dates, times and names of people who I have spoken to and when I confront supervisors at the NSLSC, they claim that they have no record of the events I am talking about. Needless to say the Interest Relief Program was anything but a relief.
At any rate, the time it took to get this program started ended up creating arrears. I also have been unable to re-apply for OSAP so I have not been able to go back to OCAD. I had been contacting NSLSC to tell them that I had not been making enough money to pay the arrears fees and they gave me an option to fill out a different application that would help me. It was a two part application. I was told that I would receive the forms and was given the information that I would have to provide. The forms never made it to me. I called them and double checked my mailing address and had them send it to me again. They told me that they would send me the forms again but that I had to have them filled out and faxed back at an early deadline. The forms never got to me again. I couldn’t call them back right away because it was on a weekend and the office wasn’t open but the following Monday I got a letter from the government stating that my lack of repayment has caused my student loans to be handed off to the government and possibly collections agency. This has not only caused me massive amounts of stress but it has ruined my credit, my education and my job.
The toll that this entire issue has taken on me has been more than any one person can handle on their own. I am at risk of losing my apartment in the next 2 months and the phone calls and letters from collections just gets worse. Calling these people has not helped in the least. I tell them that I have no money or earnings and I was asked “well don’t you have family or friends you can borrow off of?” NO! no I don’t! it is very rude to even ask that question. Nobody can give me answers. I have contacted my local MP 3 times and I haven’t received anything back yet.
If anyone has any information on how I can stop this snowball from getting any bigger please let me know. Keep in mind that I lost my job back in November of 2009 and have not been able to find work yet so I have no income and debt out the wazzoo.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
~Tea
NSLSC and IR Nightmare
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