This thread is absolutely incredible - what started as one person's nightmare has turned into a comprehensive guide for fighting predatory loan practices! As someone new to dealing with student loan issues, I'm taking notes on everything. The systematic approach everyone has outlined here is brilliant: debt validation letters, CFPB complaints, credit bureau disputes, state AG involvement, requesting complete audit trails, and documenting every single interaction. It's clear these companies rely on borrowers not knowing their rights. @Anastasia Kuznetsov - the unauthorized doubling of your loan from $10K to $20K without your knowledge or consent is absolutely fraudulent. Combined with the transfer to MOHELA without notice and their refusal to communicate with your attorney, you have multiple clear FDCPA violations. The fact that you already filed a fraud police report shows you were taking this seriously from the start. For anyone else following this case, I'd recommend saving this entire thread as a reference guide. The community has essentially created a step-by-step playbook for fighting back against predatory loan servicers. The level of expertise and support here is amazing! I'm definitely going to check out some of the resources mentioned here like Claimyr for getting through to federal agencies, and the advice about requesting complete loan files under the Fair Credit Reporting Act is something I never knew was possible. Thank you for sharing your experience and fighting back - you're helping protect countless other borrowers by documenting these violations and refusing to be intimidated!

This is an incredibly comprehensive thread that shows the power of community knowledge! As someone who's dealt with loan servicer issues before, I'm impressed by how systematically everyone has broken down the violations and actionable steps. One additional resource I haven't seen mentioned: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a specific complaint portal for student loan issues at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. When filing your CFPB complaint, make sure to select "Student loan" as the product type and "Private student loan" as the sub-product. This ensures it gets routed to the right team. Also, when documenting your timeline, include any screenshots or saved emails showing the loan balance at different points. If you have online account access, take screenshots NOW before they potentially "update" their systems and lose historical data. The unauthorized increase from $10K to $20K is the smoking gun here. That's not a billing error - that's potential fraud. Combined with everything else (transfer without notice, ignoring your attorney, improper payment application), you have a rock-solid case. Keep fighting! You're not just protecting yourself - you're helping establish precedent that these predatory practices won't be tolerated. This thread should be required reading for anyone dealing with private student loan issues.

To answer your other question - you don't need to be together when submitting the final application. The FAFSA system works like this: 1. You (the student) start the application and complete your personal information sections 2. When you reach the parent section, you can either have your parent complete it right then if they're with you, OR you can save the application 3. Your parent can then log in with their own FSA ID at a convenient time to complete their section 4. Once both parts are complete, either of you can submit the final application The system will send confirmation emails to both email addresses once the FAFSA is successfully submitted. Both you and your parent will receive separate communications about any issues or when your Student Aid Index (SAI) is calculated.

Just wanted to add a quick tip that helped me and my mom - when she creates her FSA ID, have her write down not just the username and password, but also the security questions and answers she chooses. My mom forgot her security question answers when she got locked out and it was a nightmare to recover the account. Also, if your parent has never filed taxes electronically before, they might need extra time to gather all the required documents. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool can make things easier, but they need to know their AGI from last year's return. Good luck with your application!

OMG this FAFSA system is such a DISASTER!!! My twins' SAIs were completely different even though they're from the same household with identical information!!! One got $6,500 and the other got $11,200! MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!!! The whole system is designed to DENY aid to middle class families while the rich get all the merit scholarships and the poor get full rides. The rest of us are just supposed to take out MASSIVE LOANS I guess!!! 🤬🤬🤬

Update: After reading everyone's advice, I went back and carefully reviewed our application. Turns out I accidentally included our RETIREMENT accounts in the assets section! Last year they were specifically excluded by a question that asked if they were retirement accounts, but this year's form asked about "investments" in a way that confused me. I'm going to wait until it's processed and then submit a correction. Thank you all so much for your help! I'll post again once I get it resolved.

To summarize the residency question for Michigan specifically (since that's your state): Michigan defines residency for FAFSA and state aid purposes as the date you established physical presence in the state with the intent to remain. For most applicants, this is documented by: 1. Michigan driver's license issue date 2. Michigan voter registration date 3. Date you filed Michigan state income taxes as a resident 4. Date you purchased and occupied a primary residence The Michigan Student Aid office uses this information to determine eligibility for the Michigan Competitive Scholarship, Michigan Tuition Grant, and Tuition Incentive Program, all of which require 12 months of continuous residency. If your daughter is applying to Michigan public universities, this residency date will also affect in-state tuition determination. Source: I'm a financial aid counselor at a Michigan university.

As someone who just went through this exact same confusion with my daughter's FAFSA, I can totally relate to your frustration! The residency question really threw me off too. After reading through all these helpful responses, it sounds like you've got your answer (use your Michigan driver's license date from 2020), but I wanted to add that I found it helpful to keep a screenshot or note of which date you used in case they ask for clarification later. The Michigan financial aid counselor's explanation was super helpful - I had no idea there were specific Michigan scholarships tied to that residency requirement! Good luck with your daughter's application - hopefully the rest of the process goes more smoothly than this confusing residency question!

One strategy that hasn't been mentioned: your daughter could attend the school offering the scholarship for 1-2 years, then transfer to her preferred school for the remainder of her program. She'd need to be careful about credit transfers, but this could significantly reduce the overall cost while still giving her the preferred degree. Many students take this approach, particularly with prerequisite and general education courses. This might be a good compromise that acknowledges her preferences while being financially responsible.

As a parent who went through this exact situation 5 years ago, I feel for you so much. My daughter was torn between her dream school (no aid) and a state school with a full ride. We spent weeks going back and forth. Here's what helped us decide: I made her calculate the actual monthly loan payments she'd have after graduation - not just the total amount, but the real monthly impact on her budget for 10+ years. When she saw that $800+ monthly payment would mean she couldn't afford her own apartment or save for anything else, it became real. She chose the scholarship school and honestly? She LOVES it there. The "better program" at her dream school wouldn't have been worth the financial stress. Sometimes the practical choice turns out to be the best choice. Trust your instincts - you're not crushing her dreams, you're protecting her future.