US Department of Ed: our systems are down and we can't help you now.

First I'd like to say this may not affect everyone.

My GF decided to go back to school. She completed her FAFSA and got her EOC; she qualified for the maximum amount of Pell to help pay for her schooling. This was a month ago that she did all of this. The school she plans to attend informed her that she couldn't get financial aid because the Dept of Education stated she owed $65 on a previous student loan. That's all fine and well, we can pay it.

Here's the kicker. She has called the Dept of ED every day for the past THREE WEEKS to pay it and they keep telling her "All of our systems are down. We can't take your payment and we can't update you FAFSA." So in short, she CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL!!!! She called them yesterday and was told the systems "should be up" Oct 3rd!


If they were a business, they'd be OUT OF BUSINESS with the lack of ability to help customers. Does anyone know why their systems have been down for nearly a month now??? Does anyone know if maybe they got hacked??

Well, at least thats the best excuse I've ever heard to take a semester off. Have fun!

But seriously, that's crazy and enlightening at the same time.

I've been to their website and it says nothing. Their blog and the press releases section don't say anything either. I am going to call them today and try to get a little more info. Right now, they are stopping people from paying on their student loans, they can't update the information they are reporting to schools and they can't ensure people are getting the financial aid they deserve.

Who turns away money these days?????

reply to post by DJDigitalGem


She should have mailed them a check. That would force them to manually update her record and she would also have proof that she paid them.

When I went back to school (1996) I got a hassle over my Selective Service status code. I was on active duty with the Navy before I had to register and had paperwork stating that I was a disabled vet. That didn't count with them.

Oh she has offered to mail them a payment and they say there's NO WAY they can post any payments to any accounts! It's insane! I am going to call them on my lunch break today and video tape it Then I'm going to post the video tonight after I get home from work.

I'd post it from work but I don't think they want my camera hooked up to their computer LOL