FAFSA application will not allow an age less than 24 years old who cannot answer NO to any one of 7 criterion questions to meet an independent status instead of dependent status. An age less than 24 years old independent child cannot apply on their own merits must rely on parents income, who are trying to save for their retirement!

DOE is the agency that take your income taxes when you got rent due, daycare costs, grocery to buy, school uniforms, gas for a raggedy vehicle and rob your LIFE completely. Why? The government, Congress, whoever, is supposed to help citizens not make one agency ruin you while the other one in conjunction with them destroy your life. The collection agencies are JERKS, yes they’re only doing their job, heard it all before, whatever! Even when DOE take your income taxes over the next 4 years, on the 4th year when you paid up, your credit remains trashed from that day until 7 years later!!

Your entire life becomes screwed because you only wanted to better your life. The government is in cahoots with the schools/universities, which are businesses only. Universities could care less whether you graduate or not! Due to circumstances, sometime beyond your control, DOE and their collection agenciess cannot even allow you to pay $100 for a well made attempt to pay what you already know you owe. That’s the government for you!

I am also a single parent and could never afford to make the payments with my low wage jobs. Every time I had any extra money after paying all my bills, it went towards something long neglected. The IRS took all of my earned income tax refunds and annual income tax returns to pay back the debt. It worked for me but took several years. Unfortunaly, they will add legal fees and late fees to the total amount so it takes a lot longer to pay off than you may anticapate. It took me about 7 yrs on a $7000 loan because of the extra fees, but now it is finally paid off and I will be able to collect all of my tax refund.

i would try to work something out with them. they will not only take your income taxes, they will garnish your wages too (at 15 – 25% of your income). i lost a higher paying job because of the wage garnishment.

this has put me in a terrible rut in life. i wish i hadn’t taken out the loans but at the time, i needed the money. the financial aid office made it sound all great and wonderful. i know better now!

You also might want to check how much you owe. I’ve worked with people who originally borrowed $5000.00, but because they defaulted/government garnishing their wages/ taking their taxes, etc. they now owe $15,000.00. I say this, not to discourage you, but because you are a parent and need to know in advance when to expect a tax refund. (I’ve listened to to many horror stories of people doing those 1 hour refund tax loans and then, when the govt intercepts their expected refund, they now owe H&R Block money) *sigh*

PS My sister lost her job and moved in with me, I knew she had an old defaulted loan, but i didn’t realize she stopped filing taxes because of collection agency threats. We did all the paperwork (and yes, she did loose several years worth of refunds), but she paid off the debt and had enough to buy vehicle. I think she said she ended up paying back about twice what she originally borrowed…. but it’s paid off now and she moved off my couch!!

Good Luck-don’t give up- and don’t commit to a payment thats more than you can afford!