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I keep screwing up my finances trying to graduate, should I just quit?
Long story short I've had to transfer colleges twice and every single time I've gotten somehow charged with multiple thousands worth of fees.
The first time when I transferred out of the first college (it was too expensive) they told me I had broken some kind of contract I don't recall ever signing about leaving their school before I got my degree there. They charged me 2200 and I paid it off to get my transcripts because no matter what I said they wouldn't budge on the amount.
Then the next school I transferred out of to go to a university. They told me I was all clear with them financially, gave me my transcripts and I happily started at a university the next semester. Then a few months later they send me an email telling me I owe them 2500 or it's going to collections. They told me the reason was because they couldn't find somebody to fill my housing (on campus) so that's what I was charged for. Again, no matter what I said they insisted this was in some kind of agreement I agreed to by going to their school.
So I decided to take a semester off college to pay that off. NOW my university says I owe them 1,300 for two courses I never unregistered from and that the last day to unregister was 3 days ago. Wow what a coincidence! Nobody ever even told me I was still registered for them. When I talked to the advisor there originally and told them I was taking a semester off they said I was all good to go and that I didn't have to do anything else. Now they're saying since it's past add/drop that I'm not getting my money back and that's what I owe them if I want to continue next semester.
I'm absolutely beyond furious. I feel like colleges are just businesses looking to screw their students over. I don't have $3500 to pay these colleges. I have no idea what to do beyond just quit and try to make a living working. It would take me years to save up that much money to pay them off.
I kind of just want to kill myself because at this rate I'm never going back to college and no job is going to want to pay me enough that i can survive off of.
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Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
Get a lawyer who is the only one who can tell them to F-off about contracts you never signed or were told about. It will end collections, threats and clear you financially if in fact you owe 0. Make sure your parents know this has happened because someone needs to retain a lawyer and pay fees. You cannot. Yes, there is legal aid but most of the lawyers are straight out of school and not experienced.
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I suggest you seek legal advice from a competent attorney. First thing you want to see is those contracts you supposedly signed that makes you responsible for the fees you are being charged for. I have a suspicion they can't provide you with anything that has your signature on them.
In some states verbal agreements are binding. If you are told you are in the clear with the school then you are in the clear. Tell the attorney who you spoke with. Let the lawyer do his/her thing.
A good attorney will set up a payment schedule with you with just a small deposit and a monthly or weekly, what ever is comfortable for both of you, payment.
Your attorney will send a letter to the collection agency which will cause them to back off. If they don't them the attorney has cause to sue them for the value they are trying to collect plus pain and suffering. The attorney will take a third of the value if you win. Collection agencies must stop if a claim is being appealed.
Colleges feel they have you by the short hairs. I went through this with my son. Colleges think they can with old grades for any reason they care to. They cannot. They tell you have contracts you don't or maybe a contract your parent signed when they enrolled you in which case your parent is the responsible party.
They do these things because they know you need your grades to get good jobs in your career field of study. They also know a good credit report is a must if you are looking for any job that requires a security clearance or a surety bind.
They also do not expect you to go out and hire an attorney to fight them. When my attorney called they talked tuff until the court complaint reached them. They settled in my sons favor three days later.
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