OCCUPY STUDENT DEBT

Student debtor stories submitted by the 99%

I have old guaranteed student loans, pre 2002 when I graduated as a non-traditional, GED, single parent student… I am sick enough to qualify for SSD, want to work as long as possible, living on below minimum wage and 57 years old. there is no way I am going to be able to pay these loans off for my PhD. I got sick from an incurable disease during the end of my PhD program, then got swept up in college downsizing for a ‘legacy building, first employer after ABD’. consolidation was denied due to bank mergers, lost paperwork aka: canceled checks. credit too bad to consolidate. I have 1 Perkins loan at the university that I got my MA from, they were not swept up in the D of Ed garnishment (15% gross income) and have put me in a position where work is few and far between. I can’t get a transcript to get a job to keep on working. I have worked up the food chain as far as appeals go, there is no place left to appeal to in the state. obviously, I don’t have the money to hire a lawyer. yes, I have applied for food stamps. we need bankrupcy protection… for me, I don’t make enough money to make the minimum payments. I did not plan to get sick and have no way out. I am getting sicker as time goes on because medicaid has been denied. unstable income, and can’t afford medical care and medications I need to stay alive, I am an adjunct who fears a transcript call from my employer because I can’t get a copy (business office hold, default). I am stuck because without the transcript I can’t get a job. non-PhD jobs turn me down as ‘overqualified and reason I will leave asap” plus credit rating is shot so can’t handle money. (name withheld as a community college adjunct for now because of transcript fear and gurtenteed firing)

I have old guaranteed student loans, pre 2002 when I graduated as a non-traditional, GED, single parent student…
I am sick enough to qualify for SSD, want to work as long as possible, living on below minimum wage and 57 years old. there is no way I am going to be able to pay these loans off for my PhD. I got sick from an incurable disease during the end of my PhD program, then got swept up in college downsizing for a ‘legacy building, first employer after ABD’.
consolidation was denied due to bank mergers, lost paperwork aka: canceled checks. credit too bad to consolidate.
I have 1 Perkins loan at the university that I got my MA from, they were not swept up in the D of Ed garnishment (15% gross income) and have put me in a position where work is few and far between. I can’t get a transcript to get a job to keep on working. I have worked up the food chain as far as appeals go, there is no place left to appeal to in the state. obviously, I don’t have the money to hire a lawyer. yes, I have applied for food stamps.
we need bankrupcy protection… for me, I don’t make enough money to make the minimum payments. I did not plan to get sick and have no way out. I am getting sicker as time goes on because medicaid has been denied. unstable income, and can’t afford medical care and medications I need to stay alive,
I am an adjunct who fears a transcript call from my employer because I can’t get a copy (business office hold, default). I am stuck because without the transcript I can’t get a job. non-PhD jobs turn me down as ‘overqualified and reason I will leave asap” plus credit rating is shot so can’t handle money.
(name withheld as a community college adjunct for now because of transcript fear and gurtenteed firing)