Grew up in a loving, working class and financially illiterate family. 

Attended an out of state college ( XXXX XXXX University ) somehow trusting that the finances would work out. Arrive for my XXXX year of college in XX/XX/XXXX and am unable to register because of enormous tuition and fees. 

Financial aid informs me that a private loan is my only course of action. I call sallie mae and sign promissory notes at XXXX years of age. 

I graduate in XX/XX/XXXX with around 30k of federal loans, and XXXX of private loans from Sallie Mae. 
In XX/XX/XXXX, I enroll in a fully funded XXXX at XXXX, in XXXX. In school deferment begins that summer. 

A year or two ago, when Sallie Mae turns into XXXX, I notice that any details about the 48-month limit of in school deferment disappears from the website. I naively hope that this means that the policy no longer applies. I send email inquiries about this in XX/XX/XXXX and receive no response. 

I receive an email XX/XX/XXXX informing me that balance is due on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I find another option on the website : an XXXX deferment, with its own 48 month maximum. 

Since I am completing a fellowship and seem to match all the language on the form, I am hopeful. 

I submit this several times and receive a string of bogus, unconnected responses. 
I am told that " dates ca n't be changed '' ( apparently my program coordinator had fixed a date by hand before faxing it in ) and that " this form is for private loans '' When I point out that private loan relief was precisely my intention in an email through the XXXX website, this rejection disappears from my correspondence history completely, and no record of my email is displayed. 

I am told next I need a signature from a " state licensing official ''. Every time I call in, I hear a completely different story. I am told twice times to disregard the last 30 minutes of advice a representative has given me after demanding to speak to a supervisor. Representatives tell me the form is for " moving to another state '' ( information later rescinded ) or that I must apply for in-school deferment ( also rescinded. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I am assured by a representative who could only email the supervisor and not put them on the phone that if I turn in the same application for XXXX deferment with the signature of my program 's director, the deferment will be processed. I repeatedly ask for this information in writing, fatigued by the hours I 've spent on hold and waiting as representatives go over the same details from my account. 
I receive no such written document and submit the form with the signature of the Program Director. It is denied. I receive a letter which simply says " State Licensing agency signature needed. '' According to my eye, and that of every sharp mind around me, this is not at all entailed or relevant for the request I am making. 

I am now informed over the phone that the " fellowship '' language only applies to medical positions, something definitely not explained or logically entailed by the form. One representative mentions that this decision is based on an internal XXXX document, not on the terms of the application that I submitted. 

I plead my case to a range of XXXX call center supervisors to no avail. 

I have 2 years to go on this XXXX. XXXX wants XXXX/month immediately, which is totally unworkable. I have spent dozens of hours battling elusive, misleading, and duplicitous customer service. This has caused me great distress.