Consumer complaint received 2024-05-07
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Bankruptcy
Company: AES/PHEAA (NY)

I applied to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I attended XXXX XXXX and graduated with a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 
I was originally told that a very selective screening process was required for all enrolling students. That they must have a XXXX XXXX that met certain requirements in order to attend. I was told that you needed a XXXX and XXXX scores on XXXX XXXX at least to qualify. I later learned this was false and that they will let anyone attend that is willing to pay the exorbitant tuition costs. I had spoken to admissions officers and they said that they had connections with many XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX, and that they would be able to set me up with full time employment upon graduation, it sounded like an amazing opportunity. I was a XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX fresh out of XXXX XXXXl and was naive and didn't know any better, unfortunately. 

After XXXX, I was told that various high level internships/job opportunities would be available to me upon graduation. All of which, were false and misleading. I had to find ALL of my own opportunities within the industry. After securing work in the field ( on my own accord ), I learned that XXXX had not set us up properly for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the slightest. I realized that I could have gotten into the industry on my own and learned through various ways including internships and apprenticeships while on the job in less amount of time it took to graduate. 
I basically learned that XXXX was a complete waste of time as soon as I got into the real world of XXXX XXXX  I was guaranteed job placement after graduation. This was far from the reality. Even though I did well in school, I had to work for every post graduation work placement opportunity on my own. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX claimed XXXX XXXX XXXX paying jobs after graduation. In reality, there are very little XXXX XXXX that pay that much for graduates. You have work your way up through years of hard work to even get close to that level of work within the industry of XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX misrepresented themselves as the XXXX XXXX XXXX school in the country. That they had the most accredited faculty, connections, and setup for future jobs within the XXXX XXXX XXXX After being in the XXXX XXXX  for over 15 years now, I can tell you most certainly, that they have little to no connections and had little to do with my gaining XXXX XXXX placement after graduation. 

I had accrued upwards of {$100000.00} in private & government student loan debt which I am still paying off to this day. My parents also took out at least {$25000.00} in parent plus loans as well to help fund my schooling, housing, and exorbitant unnecessary supplies & equipment costs associated. 
It feels like an insurmountable number that has been weighing me down with a heavy burden for over 15 years now. IXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX closed for good because of its predatory actions and loan services by the XXXX. So even if I wanted to continue my education elsewhere, my credits and degree would be null and void. 

I was recently part of a post-class action lawsuit in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on predatory lending practices, spearheaded by former XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX She and her team won the case and all student who were part of the class action were able to get our federal/government loans forgiven. In my case about {$25000.00}. While this is a huge win for us, I'm now working towards getting my private student loans taken care of with XXXX XXXX and American Education Services ( AES ) originally serviced with XXXX XXXX. This is even harder to accomplish as private student loans are notoriously unforgivable even under bankruptcy or death.