Avoiding student loan troubles

[CrotchInfection]

Hey there, I just had some questions which are probably stupid but I figured they were worth asking anyway...

I have a lot of student loan debt, which I know for a fact I will never be able to pay off. Yeah I may have a piece of paper saying I'm special or whatever, but it does me no good, and I plan to spend my life traveling anyway (I don't even know why I bothered with college to tell you the truth). Anyone have experience traveling with this kind of debt? If my license is run while I'm on the road, will I likely be arrested for avoiding payments? What kind of time can I do for not paying a debt like this? Also, would declaring bankruptcy before I set out on my journey be a good way to eliminate all the debt? I'm real worried here...

Essentially, anyone with stories or advice regarding life on the road while still being financially chained to someone for whatever reason would be helpful here. If you don't have anything constructive to say, please don't waste my time (I don't need to hear that I'm an idiot, this is already common knowledge). Thanks guys!

 

[Benny]

You can't eliminate student debts by declaring bankruptcy. Before 2005 you could just declare bankruptcy but not now.
You can't be arrested for not paying a student loan. It's a civil matter and not a criminal matter. They don't have debtors prisons YET so i wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Mongo]

Benny's spot on, but just because you don't plan on paying them now doesn't mean you won't want to later. just make sure that you defer them for now so they don't accrue interest.

You may qualify for a deferment while you are:

• Enrolled at least half time in an eligible postsecondary school or studying full time in a graduate fellowship program or an approved disability rehabilitation program.
• Unemployed or meet our rules for economic hardship (limited to 3 years).

then if you go past the three years there's a thing called forbearance. oh yeah and that three years part is a specific lending company I'm assuming that's the avaerage though.

they won't arrest you but they will start taking it out of your paychecks if you start working a normal job.

http://blog.readyforzero.com/what-happens-if-i-cant-pay-my-student-loans/

 

[Tude]

Like Benny said. However. ahem. Should you settle down and have a job in the near or far future and have many quiet years without any word from them --- BOOM - they find you. (they found me after 10 yrs). And then you are harassed with phone calls - many times a day - and then come the certified letters - and ok fine - you ignore them.

Until your employer gives you notice or you get a nice chunk of change taken out of your check (they cut my check nearly in freaking half!!!!) - Garnished wages - and they'll do it without you agreeing, etc. They figure the phone calls and multiple certified letters are warning enough.

I had MANY loud horrible wall smacking phone calls with the SOB's - where they pushed me to declare all my bills and rent and etc etc - to determine what I can pay (I was able to slightly reduce what they were garnishing my wages for). That sucked. Paid that hard stuff for a year until I was "credit worthy" and I was able to negotiate a smaller amount ... and oh yeah - I could qualify for another student loan. righttttt ......

Those were some dark days - but I hid for several years .... but of course I amassed more interest. yay

 

[cport420]

fuck it.

 

[scatwomb]

Fake your death.

 

[travelin]

i know that south carolina, north carolina, pennsylvania and texas do not allow wage garnishment except for back taxes and child support.

so get to one of those states, establish residency and any wages earned in those states are illegal to garnish for student loans.

 

[wizehop]

Man I haven't paid a cent of my student loans. Its been over 10 years now and other than not being able to get credit, it hasn't come up. That being said if you ever get involved with anything where you will need good credit you will need to pay it off and get your credit up. Chances are as you get older that will eventually happen.
That being said you may be able to work out a deal with the collection agency who has bought your debt. I'm not a model citizen by any stretch. I don't do my taxes ext either, but that being said it has yet to haunt me.
Considering how in debt some people are who do things "properly" in life. Im not to concerned about what I owe. If I ever make it big time Ill pay it off in one shot.

 

[CrotchInfection]

Thanks everyone for easing my worries. Some of you were very informative and others at least made me laugh. I guess I'm just going to defer them as long as possible and just refuse to pay them back. I don't believe that I'm ever going to need good credit for anything.... seriously I can't see myself ever being able to afford a house (Maybe it's because I currently live in Long Island where everything is ridiculously expensive).

This summer, whether I manage to graduate or not (I majored in biochemistry, and the last class I needed to take is so hard that there is a good chance I won't pass it, leaving me with a pile of debt and no degree to back me up in the job market), I'm looking to get a studio apartment with my girlfriend. The only problem is that studio apartments around these parts are around 900-1200 a month and noone wants to rent a studio apartment to a couple. Honestly I may wind up quitting my job and buying camping supplies.

Should I decide to travel, it will be my first time. My plan would be to get a chinatown bus to Philly where I can meet up with a buddy I have down there, and possibly learn the ropes from him and make my way southwest. I always wanted to live in the desert anyway.

Thanks again for the information guys, you really have been a huge help to me and this site is truly a treasure-trove of valuable information.

 

[cport420]

Yeah money is over rated. You never stop wanting. Apartments are over rated as well. Paying 1000 for rent... Holy fuck. I say buy a grand in good smoke every month and live outdoors. That's just me though.

 

[travelin]

go take that class and do whatever it takes to pass it even if it means *gasp* being mature enough to study and learn how to plass the class.

get a job in your field and get established and make a shitpot of money.


go do your adventuring after a few years.

everyone says fuck the system, but you gotta be a wage slave at some point to get some good gear to go play.

and man, thats all life is, play. sometimes the game is harder and sometimes its funny and sometimes its smooth and easy. you can change a lot of the parameters. one way is to have enough money to have a decent vehicle you can go adventuring in, having good gear to go hiking with or a good boat to go sailing in, whatever you want.

whatever you decide, take the course and pass and get your degree or go off and do whatever, remember to laugh at life.

remember, its just a game.

 

[Benny]

If this was 2003, i might say go back to school and go get a job but not now. I know many people that have graduated and can't find work or can only find temp work. The bottom line is do what you really love to do because in the end you will be happy and succeed at it.

 

[Dmac]

YEA, I OWE, but it has been 12 years and the phone calls have started. i do not give out personal info over the phone. i just tell them that every time they call. fuck them! they try every thing you could imagine. i just tell them i am homeless and hoboing it. find me on the rails fuckers!

 

[KnowOneGnome]

OP I'm in the same boat bud. 62k in debt and still need 21 credit hours to finish my degree. 2k needed before I can even re-enroll. My personal advice, try like hell and study your arse off to at least get that piece of paper saying you know your shit. That way as they said you at least have something to say I did it.

What ever you decide like a few others have said just enjoy the time you have while your here man. In the end all the worlds a stage, or something like that a wise guy once said.

 

[Bent Spoons]

They can't collect student debt if your enrolled in one class I believe.

http://www.alternet.org/guide-resisting-debt-students-and-rest-us

There is a link to the Occupy guide to resisting student debt in the article. I might be wrong but I believe it gives one option along the lines of paying your student debt off with credit cards or other types of loans. Then declaring bankruptcy.

 

[Benny]

They can't collect student debt if your enrolled in one class I believe.

http://www.alternet.org/guide-resisting-debt-students-and-rest-us

There is a link to the Occupy guide to resisting student debt in the article. I might be wrong but I believe it gives one option along the lines of paying your student debt off with credit cards or other types of loans. Then declaring bankruptcy.

The problem with that is most student debt is in the tens of thousands of dollars. I've heard of a lot of people in debt from $20,000 to $140,000. I doubt most people have a credit line that high in college.

 

[deleted user]

Being that you can go 9+ years without worrying about them wanting it and that our society can only go on for at the most 40 years you should be good