Help Me Hank: Paying Student Loans

You remember 1988, the first President Bush was elected, a stamp was 22 cents, the Olympics were in Calgary, and Elizabeth was planning a career as a hairdresser. She found a school, signed up for classes, and took out a $4,000 government loan to pay for it all.

Elizabeth
"I thought it was the beginning of a great career."

But soon after, she decided the school's curriculum was so substandard, she resigned.

Elizabeth
"I just wanted to get out while I could."

She was promised the school would return the loan money to the feds, but old newspaper articles show that the school was shut down with the owner guilty of fraud. Then, Elizabeth got demand letters saying she was responsible for the money!

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"So did you think you would have to pay back the entire student loan?"

Elizabeth
"Absolutely not, I thought I was only responsible for the time I spent in the classroom."

She wrote, she called, she explained she did not owe the money, but no one helped.

Elizabeth
"The senators, the school, the Department of Education, nobody listening to you, nobody at all."

Now here’s where it gets amazing. She has been calling and writing since 1988.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"So for 14 years they tried to get you to pay a loan you didn’t owe?"

Elizabeth
"Yes. There was no one to help me no one to listen to me, year after year."

The IRS took her tax refunds, the Department of Education threatened to take her wages, and the loan amount ballooned to $16,000! That’s when she called Help Me Hank.

So we called the Department of Education and explained again that this was a huge mistake! The DOE said they'd put a collection specialist on the case, and a week later with a second President Bush, the Olympics in Utah and stamps now 35 cents, Elizabeth got the letter she'd been hoping for. It said the debt has been cancelled.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"When you got this, what did you think?"

Elizabeth
"I just couldn’t believe it when I got this letter. You don’t know how I felt after 14 years to have this finally cleared up, I just never thought this would happen."