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I spent half the day yesterday on the phone with 3 different people from Wells Fargo, and I got a different answer from each and every one of them!
I have a considerable amount of debt from med school (my school is a very expensive one), including federal loans as well as a hefty chunk of alternative loans. In addition, I have approximately $10,000 undergraduate loans, about half of which are alternative "collegiate" loans. For some reason, they disbursed the loans such that I have many. many different loans (even though many are the same type), and all are in different statuses....some in deferment, some in "in school". It's a confusing mess.
So here is my concern: My spouse and I are in the process of purchasing a house. When I called Wells Fargo and asked them to please send our mortgage officer my loan info, the representative freaked out at me, and said "Well, now here is your SITUATION (emphasis on situation)....You are going to be expected to start repayment of two of your alternative loans in June. You will go into repayment for two of your other loans in December.
I interrupted him, and said, "But I'm starting residency in June. I plan to defer my loans during residency. Can't I do that?"
He said, "Oh, really? Well, that might apply to your federal stafford loans, but you will still have to start paying your alternative loans for which you've used up your grace period." (I used up my 6 month grace period for my undergrad loans between the time I ended undergrad and started med school.)
He also asked me: "Well, just how much are you going to be making in residency?" I replied that 40 thousand was pretty standard, and that was what I was going to be making. "What!? Forty thousand?! (as if that was a lot of money!) I'm not sure you will even qualify for economic hardship! In any case, you've used up your grace period on many of these loans. I might be able to get you a two month deferal for one of these, but that's it." (Two months? Is he kidding? What good will that do me?!)
Basically, this guy was making it sound like there was no way in hell I should be applying for a mortgage, because my financial "situation" (as he put it) was in shambles. Never mind that I have perfect credit, no balance on my credit card, etc. It's just student loans. Which until now, I was pretty sure I could defer!
Then, my cell phone cut out, and I was disconnected from the loan officer from hell. I explained to the next lady I was connected with that I had just gotten cut off from my conversation with the other guy, and I summarized what he had told me. I said "Is this really true?" She said no, that guy didn't know what he was talking about. She said that there are deferment options for all of my loans. I got off the phone somewhat relieved, but still unsure, because now two people from the same company had told me basically opposite stories.
I called back to see if another person would tell me the same thing. They said something similar to the first guy...that some of my undergrad loans had to be repaid because the grace period was used up. But then, they also said that I might meet economic hardship status, in which case, I didn't necessarily have to pay it right away.
I am very confused and worried. Bottom line: Can't I defer ALL of my loans during residency, including my private/alternative undergrad ones? Does anyone have any experience with this? I need a solid answer...and obviously the nincompoops at Wells Fargo don't have it.
I have a considerable amount of debt from med school (my school is a very expensive one), including federal loans as well as a hefty chunk of alternative loans. In addition, I have approximately $10,000 undergraduate loans, about half of which are alternative "collegiate" loans. For some reason, they disbursed the loans such that I have many. many different loans (even though many are the same type), and all are in different statuses....some in deferment, some in "in school". It's a confusing mess.
So here is my concern: My spouse and I are in the process of purchasing a house. When I called Wells Fargo and asked them to please send our mortgage officer my loan info, the representative freaked out at me, and said "Well, now here is your SITUATION (emphasis on situation)....You are going to be expected to start repayment of two of your alternative loans in June. You will go into repayment for two of your other loans in December.
I interrupted him, and said, "But I'm starting residency in June. I plan to defer my loans during residency. Can't I do that?"
He said, "Oh, really? Well, that might apply to your federal stafford loans, but you will still have to start paying your alternative loans for which you've used up your grace period." (I used up my 6 month grace period for my undergrad loans between the time I ended undergrad and started med school.)
He also asked me: "Well, just how much are you going to be making in residency?" I replied that 40 thousand was pretty standard, and that was what I was going to be making. "What!? Forty thousand?! (as if that was a lot of money!) I'm not sure you will even qualify for economic hardship! In any case, you've used up your grace period on many of these loans. I might be able to get you a two month deferal for one of these, but that's it." (Two months? Is he kidding? What good will that do me?!)
Basically, this guy was making it sound like there was no way in hell I should be applying for a mortgage, because my financial "situation" (as he put it) was in shambles. Never mind that I have perfect credit, no balance on my credit card, etc. It's just student loans. Which until now, I was pretty sure I could defer!
Then, my cell phone cut out, and I was disconnected from the loan officer from hell. I explained to the next lady I was connected with that I had just gotten cut off from my conversation with the other guy, and I summarized what he had told me. I said "Is this really true?" She said no, that guy didn't know what he was talking about. She said that there are deferment options for all of my loans. I got off the phone somewhat relieved, but still unsure, because now two people from the same company had told me basically opposite stories.
I called back to see if another person would tell me the same thing. They said something similar to the first guy...that some of my undergrad loans had to be repaid because the grace period was used up. But then, they also said that I might meet economic hardship status, in which case, I didn't necessarily have to pay it right away.
I am very confused and worried. Bottom line: Can't I defer ALL of my loans during residency, including my private/alternative undergrad ones? Does anyone have any experience with this? I need a solid answer...and obviously the nincompoops at Wells Fargo don't have it.