Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in New York
College Scholarship and temporary withdrawal
My girlfriend graduated from high school in 2002 with a full-ride scholarship to a private university in western New York. In the spring of 2003, she withdrew from classes due to illness. She filed the required paperwork to keep her scholarship with her school and returned to classes in the fall of 2003. Since that time, she has gotten a bill for tuition, fees, and housing - the full price. When she contacted this school's administration, she was told that she needed to talk to someone else . . . who re-directed her . . . and so on. While she has re-filed paperwork and in good faith done everything she was directed to do to clear the error, her college continues to send her notices of past due bills (with late fees attached now), etc . . . Being a 20 year old, she has no way to just ''pay off'' the debt to at least save her credit. Just recently, her debt was turned over to a collection agency.
Her fear and frustration is causing a major problem in her life right now. Her school administration's incompitence is making things worse for everyone. Any advice or guidance would be very much appreciated.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: College Scholarship and temporary withdrawal
She has to review the various agreements she either signed or aquiesed to in attending the college. SHe has to write down the language (and the location of the language in the various agreements that she believes supports her allegations that she is entitled to avoid paying the tuition and other charges and can maintain the scholorship. She then has to write a well written letter to the parties she dealt with and if that is not sufficient she has to sue them.