Loan forgiveness? . . . Yeah, right

This stimulus package had me and the MOD so excited. Maybe there is some help for us? A veteran who still has to take out loans to pay school tuition, despite the GI bill and a social worker with a masters degree and a license looking for a second job to pay the mortgage. Of course there is help for us! Wait. . . no. While perusing the NASW website- thinking I actually need to become a member now that I am licensed- I found that there is loan forgiveness for social workers in linkage to the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007.

So, I call the number provided. The feds. The first man I spoke to was immediately rude (and I know how to kill them with kindness on the phone- I was raised by a telemarketer). He wouldn't assist me to at least point me in the right direction. He was not interested in any way to hear that the National Association of Social Workers gave me that number to make an inquiry. He actually hung up on me. I called back. I expressed my distaste for how I was treated; and my confusion. The second person (a female, but perhaps that wasn't the differing factor), was very helpful but ultimately pointed me toward my loan holder.

I contacted Sallie Mae and spoke to a lovely woman, but who was hard to understand. I believe she may have been somewhere distant due to the connection and time delay. Can you say outsourcing? Apparently, being a hard working, low paid social worker doesn't qualify me for any sort of loan forgiveness at this time. I either need to become a teacher and do that for five years or become severely disabled. I am not interested in either. NASW got my hopes up.

I also looked into home loan programs. I don't really qualify for that either and there are no interesting details to that story. I hate being the middle man. Middle class gets the shaft.