Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Pennsylvania

Who is "they?" And why won't "they" return your phone calls? Why are you calling? Now that this has gone to a debt collector, you will have to deal with the collector, not the lender.

The collector will probably be most happy to work out a deal with you. You will need to talk to the debt collector. However, the real problem is in why you have not paid. I don't know all the facts, but I find it hard to believe that you never got a bill from the lender. If the lender truly was not sending bills, you would have written to the bank, explained the problem and got this resolved long before it was sent to collection or got an attorney involved long before now. You knew the loans had to be repaid even if you did not receive a bill. Doing nothing and not paying was not an option.

Was this a federal student loan or a private student loan? It matters, as federal loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy and they can garnish your wages. If its a private loan, then they cannot in general (although I had heard rumors about how private loans were to be treated like federal student loans).

What I would do now is talk to the debt collector and see what can be worked out. Have them send you a written agreement before you pay them a dime. In the alternative, go and see a local attorney who assists debtors with student loan debt (I don't typically handle student loan debt) and review your options. Depending on the cost, perhaps the lawyer can work out something for you or will give you enough guidance so that you can handle on your own.