This website is a testimony to the problems Canadian Student Loan borrowers experienced from approximately 1996 to 2008 and until their loans were paid off.

The privatization of the Student Loans system by the Chretien and Martin Liberal governments broke the system and defaulted thousands of borrowers who were trying to pay their loans. There were even stories of suicide due to the harassment of borrowers.

Read the report that I prepared back in 2007 here. Canada Student Loans-The Need for Change Fortunately the new Conservative government at the time revamped the program and fixed the system for new borrowers, but borrowers under the previous program were left with ruined credit and continued harassment from debt collectors.

I call on the Canadian Government to apologize to the borrowers affected by this fiasco and make amends.

Unfortunately the Liberal government is again clobbering the Education system with their upcoming changes to International Student Visas. Yes, there's a problem, but instead of a well thought out plan, they have pulled the emergency brake on the train causing a derailment. This has introduced unprecedented instability for both private and public education institutions who serve both international and local students.

Universities can't plan. I've heard of courses being cut because the government has no process in place for universities to send the newly required acceptance letters to the government.

This means that students who have been accepted can not attend courses that start in the summer 2024 semester. With cut sections, current Canadian students will have trouble getting courses, and may have to switch to part-time which changes their enrollment status and might trigger repayment of their loans or ineligibility for funding. I've seen this before. It wreaks havoc on the student loan borrowers.

Again, the Liberal government has messed up the education environment. Will the new system needed in a rush for the acceptance letters be the new Arrivecan scandal?

I call on the government to implement a slower phased in approach and delay the requirement of the acceptance letters until a process is in place to submit these letters.


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    Posted: 07/April/2004 at 11:48am

Hello,

This is a fairly long post but I can guarantee that it is worth the read….especially if you are constantly struggling as a result of your student loan debt and are just needing to find some manageable position in the whole mess. When you’re dealing with these debts you are only given 2 choices:

  1. to ignore your debt (the wrong choice) because what is being asked of you is unreasonable, thus ending up owing huge amounts of interest, screwing your credit, and receiving daily threats and condescension from collectors, or
  2. to pay your debt exactly as you are told, no exceptions, whether you can afford it or not, compromising your sanity, safety, security, and self-worth. Unable to save for your future or prepare for unexpected illness, unemployment, etc.

The good thing is that you can break out of the vicious cycle and take responsibility for your debts in a way that is affordable to your financial situation and doesn’t leave you wondering where your next dollar is going to come from, when you’ll get the next phone call or threatening letter, or if you’ll ever be able to actually own a house or have a family.

Please take the time to read this, make some changes, and then be prepared to sleep so much better at night!

 

In December of 2000 I graduated from University with my Bachelor of Science and headed off to another college for 9 months to complete a certification in computer programming. At the time, the IT field was very hot and I thought this combination of skills would provide me with a lot to offer the working world, and I would be making a decent salary to pay back my $60,000 in student loan debt. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to get junior experience in my home province, I decided to go to Toronto to try and get the experience that I needed to make my way in my career. The plan was to get at least 5 years of experience and then bring my skills back home and hopefully settle there, close to my family, where I could get married and have a family...basically just be happy and enjoy my life. Eventually I wanted to have a small business of my own where I could contribute in a way that would allow me to do something that I loved while doing something for other people. Unfortunately my circumstances took an unexpected turn and things went much worse than I ever thought they could.

While in school finishing up my certification in Applied Information Technology (a program which only accepted University graduates) the IT market was hit hard, layoffs were occurring in droves, and the market was suddenly flooded with out-of-work IT professionals with a lot more experience than myself and companies hiring very few entry-level candidates since their own 'benches' were filled with trained people with no work to keep them busy. The majority of my classmates were fortunate to find work in the U.S., still others simply went back to their homes to wait for the market to pick up, either living off their parents or social services and keeping their student loans in 'interest-relief' status. I knew that if I stopped long enough I would eventually lose the skills I had learned and would be better off trying hard to find a position and start working as soon as possible. The next step for me was to move to the largest city in the country where I knew 2 people and had no family or support. I moved on May 24, 2002, sleeping on a friends' pull-out couch and job-hunted full-time until I started working for an IT company on June 10, 2002. Since I had graduated in April, I knew that my loans would go into repayment status in October so I had to work hard to find a place to live and get some savings together before that happened. At that time, rentals in Toronto were at an all-time high -- to the point where renters would fight over places to live. Needless to say, making a 'Junior' salary in a very low-demand field, I couldn't afford to compete and was forced to look outside of the city for a place to live. The rent was a little cheaper but the problem of transportation to and from work was a problem...not to mention that the company is located in an area of the city that is much less than desirable for a 5'3" blonde female to be waiting at the bus stop alone at night. Sometimes my job required that I work late and the area just isn't safe enough for me to feel okay about waiting for the bus...so I decided to try and find a decent lease rate and get my own transportation. I don't think of my car as a luxury and I have paid a very high price for having it, but the monetary amount is far outweighed by the fact that I could leave work in the evening and not be scared, I could spend less than 5 hours per day riding on the bus, and numerous other safety concerns were lifted. Without getting it I would have probably given up on trying to make my way because it just wouldn't be worth the stress on my life.

Once I found my own place at the end of Summer 2002, I had to pay first and last months rent (I had to sacrifice some of my Student Loan payment money) up front, and numerous other expenses had to be taken care of because I basically had nothing. Then in October...true to form...I started receiving mail about my Student Loans. In total, my payments worked out to over $700.00/month...an amount that I couldn't possibly afford. I wrote letters and made phone calls asking for the amount to be reduced and applied for interest relief, but was rejected every time. According to the repayment matrix for Student Loans, yes I did fall in the block of people that were required to make payments, but my survival expenses were far too high for me to make such unrealistic payments. Eventually I defaulted on my Canada Student Loan, but my Provincial Loan is in good standing, as is my Student Line of Credit. My salary has increased by about $5000.00 in 3 years, but it's really not much of a difference by the time taxes come out, so I haven't been able to 'up' the payments on either of my loans.

This whole experience has been very traumatic for me. For a while I tried waitressing on the weekends (Friday and Saturday nights) to help pay those loans off, but it was so hard to work over 40 hours in my job and then leave and work another 16 on the weekend. I was so tired all of the time and my performance at work...which requires so much concentration and thought...was gradually getting worse. I had to stop going to Church on Sunday mornings because I would work Friday from 6:00pm to 2:00am and then Saturday from 6:00pm to 2:00am, and just couldn't get up. Mentally and physically I was always tired to the point where my boss said I has to make some changes. The last straw came when I was 1 day late making a payment on my CIBC student loan (which I had been paying faithfully) and the girl asked me what my problem was. That was it...that incident just spoke volumes to me and it said "You're working yourself to death, you're letting your career suffer, you're letting your relationships suffer, you're doing your best, and it's NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!". At that point I quit my second job and stopped paying on 2 of my student loans...why should I try when I can't do anything good enough anyway? After that the phone calls from collection agencies started. They would call me at work, they would call me early on Saturday morning...whenever. They would call my parents and ask them where I was and what I was doing. One Friday night I stayed with a friend who lives just North of the city and this guy said to me "You're not in Toronto right now...where are you? Why are you there? Did you have a good night last night?" What can I say? It got to the point where I wouldn't pick up my phone at work any more because I was afraid of who might be calling. This affected my relationship with my manager (who works off-site) because she would call with a question or concern and didn't know where I was. I knew that I couldn't continue living this way…but my breaking point was reached one day last month. A lady called me at work, saying she was with HRDC, and left a message to say that my HR department had already been contacted and that the Federal Government would be garnishing my wages until my Canada Student Loan of about $6000.00 is paid in full. I told her that she couldn't do that because I needed the money to pay my rent and my bills and she proceeded to tell me that (when I returned her call 5 minutes later) I didn't matter and where I live isn't a concern of theirs and my file was to go to the Supreme Court of Canada the next day to obtain the garnishee order. She then offered to transfer me to her friend 'Mrs.X' in the litigation department -- as she did this she told 'Mrs.X’ that I was giving her a hard time. In speaking with ‘Mrs.X’ I began to become suspicious of them in terms of who they said they were working for and their credibility. I say that because at one point she told me that I had to come up with $3000.00 by noon the following day (less than 24 hours away) and the other $3000.00 in 30 days. Then when I showed confirmation that I may be able to come up with the money, she changed the story to say that I needed the additional $3000.00 in 7 days. I asked her where she expected me to get that much money in such a short time and she said that she didn't care. She suggested that I borrow the money from my family or friends or try to get my parents to co-sign a loan for me. When I asked her how she expected me to then pay them back, she said that she didn't care. She then gave me an address to bring my payment to the next day and said that if I didn't my file would be going to court with her. She then told me that the 'lawyers' had already done all of the hard work and it couldn't be reversed. After the phone conversation (I told her that I'd see what I could do) I left work. I couldn't stop shaking and crying...I was so scared. Honestly, if I had been a person on the edge...that would have pushed me over the edge...I know that. About 2 months prior I had gotten the name and phone number for John LeBlanc of the Canadian Financial Wellness Group from the Canada Student Debt website. Several people had written that he had helped them with their loan situations and I happened to have his number jotted in my book…I called him right away. John was extremely patient with me…I had trouble speaking and was certainly in what I would describe as a state of absolute turmoil and shock…I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I worked so hard to get through school to prepare myself for work and being a productive member of society. I had traveled so far to find work and was living away from my home and my family just so that I could get a good start. Suddenly, being educated meant nothing. Suddenly, trying so hard to make ends meet wasn’t good enough. Suddenly, not being able to afford a decent place to live and only buying food that is on sale was pointless. In my head I just thought…"Enough! I’m tired of this...I’m worn out…I would be better off quitting my job and moving back home…I hate myself…I’ve made all of the wrong decisions" …those are pretty desperate and sad thoughts from someone who is so well-educated and so determined…I felt just about a low as I possibly could. As I spoke to John and told him what was happening he was very quick to tell me over and over again that these were idle threats from collection agents in no way affiliated with HRDC, as they claimed to have been. To prove to me that what he was saying was truth, John phoned the supervisor of ‘Mrs.X’ and her friend and found out…in a nutshell…that the status of my loan and was ‘collections’, not litigation as ‘Mrs.X’ had stated. John told him that the file was to remain in that status and that I would send post-dated checks for an amount comfortable to my financial situation until I was able to pay a larger amount. That very day I received a contract from John, and a profound peace of mind that I hadn’t felt in a very long time but desperately needed. Since then I have been able to answer my phone at work without being afraid that it was another collector threatening me because of my student debt, I have not had a knot in my stomach every time I come home in the evenings afraid that there is going to be another threatening letter in my mailbox, I don’t have to take pills to calm me down and help me sleep, and I’m not scared every payday that this may be the week that I find my account cleaned out before my rent check clears. I have been carrying the weight of my student debt for 9 years and have been suffering under the burden of repayment for almost 3 years now…it’s too much and even though I’m still carrying it and am committed to paying it back in full, it’s not the same. Before I felt that this debt is going to suffocate me and prevent me from ever having a ‘normal life’, there were days when it consumed me and I felt hopeless – even depressed. There were days when I didn’t want get out of bed and go to work because I wasn’t working to make a life for myself...I was working to have something to put into other people’s hands every time I turned around. It’s very degrading, especially when you thought all along that what you were doing was helping yourself and preparing for a good life. Through all of this I stayed as strong as possible and now I see my debt as something that’s manageable…it’s not going to be easy, but I’m going to get through it. Believe me, I wouldn’t have this attitude if I hadn’t gotten help from John. My situation seemed helpless before I spoke with him and I was so ready to give up on everything…including myself. Mr. LeBlanc should know that if for an entire day he didn’t bother to get up…didn’t do anything for himself or anyone else, that even on that day he would be the reason why someone can get up and go to work instead of feeling like there’s just no point. Whatever way you look at it, this person helped me in more ways than just dealing with collectors. While not living in constant fear is a major achievement of his help, so too is my ability to see a future for myself and to give my past accomplishments the credit they deserve, rather than looking at them as the worst mistakes of my life.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jamjam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07/April/2004 at 7:27pm
You are right in everything you say about John Leblanc.  He is a good, decent man who cares deeply about people.  I wish there were more people like him.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red74 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/June/2004 at 7:30am

My student loan nightmare with a happy ending.

 

 

 

I will keep this post short stating only the important details.

 

 

 

My story is a 3-year nightmare. Some of what follows sounds exactly the same as previous forum entries but read on because I have a happy ending that will make you smile. Enjoy.

 

 

 

I work in BC health care, originally from Newfoundland and due to cutbacks, cost of northern living, partial layoff etc I could not live up to the student loan repayment obligations. I applied for interest relief that was wrongfully rejected. (I discovered that important info 2 years after submitting the application)

 

 

 

The collection officers representing CIBC harassed me at work and at home as well as harassed my friends and family. “What else is new?”

 

 

 

Months would pass between calls. Each conversation with a collection officer started and ended the same. I was offered two possible resolutions to my “bank risk CIBC portion” student loan. 1) Pay in full the $37000.00, or 2) Pay $8000 as a down payment and then a monthly payment arrangement may be considered. My credit rating was ruined by these people and could not obtain a personal loan to settle. I continuously offered a payment I could handle – and kept telling the collector(s) that I have tried every way possible to get a loan.  Amazingly my payment offer was refused repeatedly unless an $8000.00 down payment was applied. The collector(s) even advised me that payments on a monthly basis were completely unacceptable, and if I were to submit a payment it would be returned to me. I contacted C.I.B.C. to see if they could help but they just referred me right back to the offending collection agency and completely disregarded my pleas for assistance to the matter.

 

This scenario of me offering payments played out several times, months apart. As my economic situation improved so did the amount of my offered monthly payment.

 

 

 

Then one day I was given a subpoena for court. The CIBC was suing me for 37,000.00+ on recommendation of the collection agent. The day after I was served the summons the collection agency called offering the previous mentioned solutions. I informed the collection officer past experiences with my failed attempts to obtain a personal loan but with my first fulltime position I tried again. The agent said “Since you’re willing to work with me I will contact the legal department and put a hold on the summons.” My credit is ruined to the point a full time position could not obtain me a loan to settle. I left a message offering a 300.00 a month payment. The agent called me and said “I was confused and did not understand. A monthly payment could not commence without  $8000.00 down or we are going to court.” I said OK… I will attempt to raise $8000.00 once again from family and friends. This process took a few days and failed. My friends said the refusal was illegal and I was being bamboozled! They told me to contact a lawyer.

 

 

 

OK this is where it gets really good!!!!

 

I surfed the internet, found this site and contacted Johnny. I explained my case and Johnny sprung into action. What we both did not know is the collection agent lied!!!!!!  The summons was not on hold; instead the collection agency proceeded and obtained judgment against me regardless. The agency was about to launch an execution order through the courts and start a garnishment.   

 

So I am out of luck right!!!  WRONG!!!!!!

 

After Johnny reported back to me about the judgment ruling, I panicked, went into deep depression and became physically ill missing work. Luckily I saved the collection agent’s phone calls to voice mail. This proved I was acted against wrongfully. The collection agent lied, did not keep any documentation of my offered payments. Unfortunately CIBC had the judgment and did not want to let it go. They claimed that they were well within their right to act and stated that once a student loan goes into default, they can proceed with legal action if they feel that they can get more from a garnishment that what I was offering!  

 

John stepped up to the plate strapped on the big guns and went to work! 

 

I do not know how he does these things for people but it has saved me from the pit. Thanks to Johnny’s expertise the problem is solved. The press even contacted me at work wanting to publish my story – which they did. Johnny’s work caused the bank to overturn my wage garnishment and drop $15000.00 from my loan. The end result is that I am now student debt free. Johnny, you have certainly made a difference in my life and without your guidance and intervention, I would have remained lost and in a really bad situation I thank you so much!   

 

My problem has been solved and will never have any further harassment from collection officers and will never deal with the CIBC bank. Finally my future is looking bright.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote peewee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/June/2004 at 8:14am
what a great ending.  congratulations!!!  but just to clarify, what do you mean when you say you are now "student debt free".  if $15000 was dropped from your loan, do you not still owe $22000+?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red74 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/June/2004 at 8:27am

My student loan is now dissolved.

 

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote colly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/June/2004 at 9:02am

Wow, great story!  Good for you for persevering and calling in the "Big Guns". I am curious, how were you able to get 15K dropped from your debt?

Congrats, it must be a relief!!

 

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red,

is it dissolved because you paid off the balance? 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red74 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/June/2004 at 2:51pm

peewee

my issue has been resolved - and due to certain restrictions it cannot be discussed. Is it paid? Yes it is paid and dissolved

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CARGO1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/June/2004 at 4:29pm

 congrats red 74...

i think the moral isnt how? or how much? but rather that it can be done if executed by a pro.

good job john,

troy

 



Edited by CARGO1
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote diana Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23/June/2004 at 5:29pm
My problems are also with the CIBC Student Loan Centre or I should say were with the student loan centre. They are now with Global, CBCL, and CBC. I also know my solution is with John, if he can call or email Peterborough. The collection agency has put my sister on the automatic phone recordings and I can't stop it.
diana
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sarahtoo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30/June/2004 at 12:33pm
How do I get in touch with this John person?  My story is similar, I could go on and on.........blah,blah,blah.  I would love to talk to him. Maybe it will be okay eventually??!!
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You can contact John LeBlanc at (902) 464-8727. Just ask for him by name.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote canucky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/July/2004 at 4:08am
I have been looking at this site for the last couple of months now and thought maybe someone out there might benefit from hearing what I have experienced with the student loan system and with this website in particular...

I attended university between 1991-96 and, when I graduated, I was left with a very hefty debt (in the range of $40K with Scotiabank). As most people have experienced (judging from what I've read on this website), I did not get a well paying job right away and when the interest free period came to an end and the bank tried to collect from me, I had no other choice but to go into default with the loans. I desperately tried negotiating with the bank to reduce the monthly payments but to no avail. Very frustrating to say the least…and stressful.

At the time, I was given an opportunity to leave the country and work abroad…I took it without thinking that I was going to be avoiding the student debt - but if I did, I was willing to take that chance. While I was away from Canada, my family was harassed for a couple of years by the collection agencies but they were very supportive and simply told them I no longer lived there.

All in all, I was out of Canada for 5 years and I have since returned home and - to be honest - was dreading what would happen when I tried to work in Canada again. After 6 months of working and shortly after I applied for a credit card, I started to get phone calls from one collection agency. As I was out of the province for a month, I never got any of the phone calls myself, but it put lots of stress on me while I was away. I panicked and everything went through my mind - I even considered leaving the country again.

But my saving grace - and luck - I found canadastudentdebt.ca and I have to say it was a HUGE relief to find others who were in similar situations…I also found out about John LeBlanc and the Canadian Financial Wellness group. Thinking this was the best option, I contacted John and gave him a rundown of my situation and asked - or rather begged him - to help me. I found he was more than willing to offer any advice and more importantly - to offer lots of comfort. I couldn't have made a better decision. It took little over a month for me to get it all sorted out and now I know that since I was away for the last 6+ years without any activity towards my student debt, the loan has been successfully barred and I don't have to pay anything! John put in more time and energy into my case than was expected and I cannot thank him enough…he made the experience easy and stress-free.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not trying to advocate travelling to avoid student loans. What I am hoping to do is communicate to everyone that there is help and ways to get through this headache…I found it through the canadastudentdebt website and the CFW group. If you are in anyway stressing out about your student debt or trying to find ways to avoid them - your best bet is to stay informed.

If I had known what I now know through the advice/help from John and canadastudentdebt, I wouldn't have been so reluctant to return to Canada and face what turned out to be not such a bad thing after all. I hope your experience will be as easy as mine was and that I was able to help anybody in a similar situation. Good luck to you all.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Calgarian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/July/2004 at 7:09am

I had a CIBC student loan that went to a collection agency. I always dreaded to talk to them due to their manners and demands. I had to switch phone numbers and get a mailbox so that they won't bother my family and me at home.

One day I came across this website and have been following almost all the posts ever since. After reading several testmonies, I finally decided to contact Mr. John Leblanc at CWFG.

As people have said about him, he's very enthusiastic and welling to help. He used his expertise to guide me through everystep through the negotiation process. Not only this eased my mind and reduced my stress, he actually saved me lots of money by negotiation a very good deal on settlement. Of course, John charges a fee but it was minimal compared to the savings he had got for me. With his help I finally go my student loan behind.

I highly recommend John to anyone who wants to get his student loan dealt with AND save.

Regards to all

Dan

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote danny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/July/2004 at 4:37pm
when i get a job im going to call john too

my story is the same except that when i graduated from university i couldnt get a job anywere because i had a criminal record.

But one day out of the blue i found this cite and posted my stuff. And the same day john emailed me and basically said to hang in there and dont give up.  He said there are many places i probably hadnt even considered--like starting a consulting firm of my own. And he basically said to look at the big picture and that all the stuff im going through would help the youth that i want to help

and basically if i needed assistance he would help/





Johnny save me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Student_2004 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18/July/2004 at 9:50pm

Hi Everyone,

My situation is very challenging if not as extreme as that of others in this forum, yet I think the fear and desperation we all experience is the same.

I am presently working on a graduate degree abroad. I have $ 45,000 in loans from my studies in Canada (BA, MA). I sent in my Schedule 2 forms on time each year in order to extend my interest-free status. In October 2003 my Schedule 2 form came back from the Royal Bank with a form letter stating that my institution was "not recognised" by the fed. and prov. governments. That was new to me, as there were no problems with this in the last couple of years since I've been away from Canada at school.

I then called the RB to inquire what I should do about the forms. Their call center person informed me that "there is actually a different problem". Namely, my loans were already due and I was two payments in arrears. The third payment was due in 10 days, otherwise my loans would go into default and then I would have the pleasure of dealing with collection agencies. I was in shock. If I hadn't have called, then I wouldn't even have known that default was looming.

I tried to discuss the matter with the collections department at the RB, explaining that I am in school full-time and although I earn enough with my side job to cover my costs without having to take any more loans out, I still don't have enough to make the enormous payments (approx. total for prov. and fed. SL $ 500/month).

I did not want to default, I just wanted to negotiate payments that I could afford. The fact that I am still in school interested no one, as I had exceeded their "520-week rule", that is 520 weeks since my first loan was issued. I contacted the folks at NSLSC - they were friendly but couldn't help me. I asked the RB call center person if there was any way to help reduce the payments and I was told that there were "no possibilities" and that I should just "make the payments". I wouldn't qualify for interest relief, as I am not residing in Canada. So I took all of my savings and paid off the arrears in order to buy a (very small) bit of time, as I could not afford to make the further payments.

At this point I was desperate. I discovered this website and through the forum I met John LeBlanc. He at first calmed me down and requested the facts of the matter. He made a very professional impression and started working on the problem. He dealt with the banks and the government on my behalf and cut through the red tape. I sent him the same Schedule 2 form, which was sent back from the RB, and he submitted it for me. 

Within a couple of weeks he had gotten my CSL back on interest-free status and fixed the prov. SL payment at an amount that I can afford. With an apology from the RB to boot! My repayment road is very long but I am confident that I will be able to make it. I don't know how he achieved all of this, but I just am totally relieved that because of his help and expertise I was able to avoid certain default and financial ruin.

His rates are very reasonable and he is very flexible with payment options. Above all, he understands the problems student loan debtors face and unlike the banks, John does NOT make you feel like a worthless bum because you have student loan debt. Most important, he offers peace of mind and takes the heat off from the banks, collection agencies, etc. - regardless of how hopeless the situation may seem.

I can highly recommend John and the CFW Group - they truly have helped me.

Best regards and best of luck to you all!

Student_2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Janet View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Janet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23/July/2004 at 9:14am

I would recommend John LeBlanc to anyone who is being weighed down by the stress of student loans.  I am a Canadian living in the states who accumulated about 14,000 in csl debt from 1991-1996. I am currently in repayment for 18,000 (14,000 + interest).  The monthly payment is fairly high but it is much better than being summoned to court and hiring a lawyer which is where I was headed.  John's knowledge is very reassuring and helpful - He is a wonderful advocate.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CarMad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20/August/2004 at 8:19am

Emmerson wrote...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded.  Thank you John:0)

If you wake up in the morning, and you have to consider whether you should make your own coffee, because you really shouldn't spend that buck something on a Timmy's...or you better take the bus because pay day isn't until the end of the week, and you may not have enough gas to get you through...you are like me, and so many others with severe financial stress.  I spent hours searching for answers, ways to make extra money..yes those cheesy at home business scams:0)  One day I came across this website.  I read thorugh all the posts for what seemed like days.  I couldn't get over the expert advice given by Mr. John Leblanc of the CFW Group.  I was skepitcal at first, but I have learned to go with my gut instinct.  Something about his confidence, and guaranteed answers told me I had nothing to lose.

Here is my story....

My husband and I declared bankruptcy over two years ago.  Of course, student loans are not allowed to be included. They automatically go into default, then once discharged you are hounded by collection angencies to repay the entire amount plus interest from the banckruptcy date IMMEDIATELY!!!!  When we came to John, he assured me things would work out.  At this point I wanted so badly to believe him , and went ahead and signed his service agreement. I knew there was nothing I could do about this situation single handedly, and I knew I could trust John.  He got to work right away.  Our situation is about as complicatied as it gets.  Because of the bankruptcy, our lives have been turned upside down.  We have to negotiate student loans, mortagaes, car payments, establish a savings pattern,  rebuild our credit, and most importantly stay above the water and remember that this too shall pass. 

The stress accompanied by screwed up finances can ruin your life.  It makes you feel as though you don't measure up, you worry about the future, and wonder if and when you will be able to get rid off that tight ball that lives the middle of your chest.

The most important thing John has given to me, is hope.   Not only has he begun to set us on the right financial path, he has been there when no one else could be.  He listens, comforts(he has an awesome sense of humour),  makes me aware of my own ability, and helps me to set and achieve my financial goals.  I can also honestly say, after only a few short weeks...I breathe easier, and not every waking thought is about money.

For all those who have lost hope, don't give up.  There is an angel who lives in Halifax...who always has time, and really can help you. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20/August/2004 at 4:10pm

You're absolutely right!

Your life can be better! Check out the expats' stories.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Withnail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07/October/2004 at 10:52am

I also have an long outstanding CIBC loan.  I have been dealing with a collection agency for over a year now and the situation has just seemed to become worse with each phone call.  I instinctivley dread the sound of the phone ringing and am extremely suspicious of everyone after witnessing some of the tactics used by this particular Collection Agency.

I have contacted numerous lawyers in the past who were unwilling to help or would help with an enormous fee attached. 

Recently I stumbled onto this website.  After a particularly disturbing call from the collection agency I decided to call  John at the CFW Group(even this I did with suspicion as to motive) and you are all correct!

He immediately collected the basic details of my case...directly called the representative who I have been dealing with and worked out where I stood.  Alll this in a few minutes.  Plus, he is going walk me through the remaining stages of my loan (I am attampting to settle).

I am still in the negotiation stage of the settlement but John's help and advice have taken an enormous weight off of my shoulders.  I feel like I am on the right path with some qualified, informed and honest backup.  I will update this site with any further events.  I plan on letting as many people know my experience as possible once it has come full circle.  At any rate, I just wish I had reached John a long time before today! 

What a bloody relief!

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