Consumer complaint received 2026-04-21 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: TRANSWORLD SYSTEMS INC
State: TN

Complaint narrative:
This letter is a formal dispute of the alleged debt and a request for validation under federal law. The following background is provided to explain the basis of this dispute. I was surprised to receive notice that I owed XXXX money. I called the XXXX office as I was sure it was a mistake. I described what happened to XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX of Student Accounts, and followed up with an email describing how the internship I took after graduation was a regular summer internship just like the others I had previously taken. My advisor, XXXX XXXX, never told me there was a $ XXXX fee involved, nor did I sign any such agreement. My last internship did not include any of the mentoring, advice and counseling that comes with the semester-long internship. This email is attached. I sent XXXX XXXX my original letter of dispute on XX/XX/XXXX ( copy attached ). I copied the XXXX, the XXXX XXXX XXXX, and the XXXX of Student Accounts. I did not hear back from anyone acknowledging my letter or asking me to discuss the matter. Next, I received an email from XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, asking if I had heard from the XXXX. I replied that I did not. On XX/XX/XXXX, the XXXX, XXXX XXXX, emailed to ask if I had any questions! I responded again with the copy of my XX/XX/XXXX letter and the following recap : As previously addressed, I am formally contesting the ~ {$20000.00} tuition balance recently assessed to my account. This alleged liability arises from the XXXX failure to disclose material financial obligations, rendering the charge invalid and unenforceable. My claim is based on the following : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to Disclose : When advised extending my coursework into a fifth year due to class availability, I was never informed of any additional financial obligations. I relied on the XXXX academic and financial guidance in making enrollment decisions. No disclosure of a {$20000.00} obligation was ever made. Had such disclosure occurred, I would not have proceeded. Contradictory Financial Clearances : My account was affirmatively represented as paid in full on multiple occasions, including issuance of a refund and my diploma. These representations constitute confirmation that no balance was owed. Housing Misrepresentation : Despite explicit assurances from my advisor that campus housing would be provided for my post-senior year, I was barred from the housing portal on the date of distribution. This forced an immediate, unforeseen expenditure on off-campus housing, further compounded by the discovery that I had been assigned an incomplete course load. Failure of XXXX XXXX : The College failed to provide the internship placement services that are the stated hallmark of the XXXX curriculum. I was required to secure professional placements independently, without the institutional resources or oversight promised upon my enrollment. Given these systemic administrative failures and the prior confirmation of a XXXX balance, I request a formal review and waiver of these charges. In addition, I was never offered financial aid, which I had received all previous semesters or sent a tuition invoice for this sum that no one ever informed me of like I had previously been informed before each semester. The next communication I received was your notice of debt collection. The retroactive imposition of charges after graduation, without prior notice or contractual authorization, is improper and raises serious concerns regarding the validity of the debt. Pursuant to XXXX U.S.C. XXXX, please provide the following : XXXX. The name and address of the original creditor XXXX. A complete itemized statement of all charges, fees, and adjustments XXXX. The specific date the alleged charge was added to the student account and notice sent to student XXXX. Copies of all account statements showing when and why this balance first appeared XXXX. A copy of the enrollment agreement, tuition contract, student handbook provision, or other written authority permitting post-graduation retroactive billing XXXX. Documentation showing your legal authority to collect this debt XXXX. The date the account was transferred or assigned to your agency Because this debt is disputed, I request that you cease all collection activity, including credit reporting, telephone calls, written demands, and any other collection efforts, until you provide the requested validation. If this account has already been reported to any credit reporting agency, please mark it as disputed immediately. Please also limit all future communication regarding this matter to written correspondence only sent to the mailing address above. Please provide the requested validation within XXXX days of receipt of this letter. This letter is not an acknowledgment of liability, nor is it a promise to pay. I expressly reserve all rights and remedies under federal and state law. There are always XXXX sides to every matter, and I have consistently sought a fair opportunity for mine to be reviewed in good faith. I remain open to resolving this issue directly ; however, absent a satisfactory response, I am prepared to pursue all available legal remedies. Original letter of dispute : I am writing to formally dispute a charge of {$19000.00} for a summer internship. The first time I heard of this was when I received a Final Notice letter at my house. This charge has come as a complete surprise to me, as I was never informed of any tuition costs related to this internship prior to accepting the counsel of my advisors back in XXXX on my fifth year ( XXXX ) schedule of classes. Fall Semester XXXX XXXX hours o Senior Research o Internship I o Internship XXXX Spring Semester XXXX XXXX hours o Business Practices for Photographers o XXXX XXXX There has never been anything listed on the portal for any classes taken during the Summer XXXX session. Throughout my time at XXXX, I was assigned XXXX different advisors. When I was shunted from XXXX to the other, the new advisor seemed to have never been informed of my situation and there was no consistent flow of advice. My last advisor, XXXX XXXX, told me after my fourth year that the only way I could obtain the credits necessary for graduation was to take required classes Fall semester, Spring semester, and then take my final internship requirement over the summer after I walked graduation in XXXX. She never told me the special schedule would incur additional tuition. In addition, this was not a typical semester internship in that I did not receive any academic oversight, assignments, career advisement, or faculty involvement. I simply logged the necessary hours. At the conclusion of my internship, my internship advisor, XXXX XXXX, notified the XXXX XXXX of the completion of the requirement and I was sent my diploma in XXXX. Given the schedule of classes my last year and that no additional financial obligations were mentioned by anyone or any office at the college, nor on my student and parent portals, I believe this bill to be unjustified. Had I been aware of this significant cost, I would have explored alternative options or might have made different decisions regarding my graduation and future. In XX/XX/XXXX, my mother communicated with XXXX and confirmed that there were no additional fees due for my graduation. She was sent a check for the balance in my account of {$9300.00}. There is no way she would have taken that money had either of XXXX known about this forthcoming internship charge. It was not listed anywhere, and again, I was never told about it. We submitted our XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. When XXXX provided me with a government loan in the Spring, we cancelled it as the {$9000.00} refund would cover that amount. I was surprised again last week when XXXX XXXX told us I had not applied for financial aid, and that she did not have a record of me attending college in Fall, XXXX! It is troubling that such a substantial fee was not disclosed to me in advance. This situation has caused me and my family considerable distress, and it again undermines the support I should have received from XXXX. My family and I request a thorough review of this charge and an explanation as to why I was not informed of the financial implications associated with the schedule/internship. Additionally, we believe it would be appropriate for the college to reconsider this charge given the circumstances. We appreciate your attention to this matter and hope to resolve it amicably on our call later today.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation