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I am a single mom of 2 kids. After leaving an abusive marriage I decided to go to University so I could provide a more financially stable future for my family. I got my teaching degree (B.Ed) in August 2004. I incurred huge legal costs ($20 000) in fighting my viscious husband for child & spousal support. In Sept. 2003, I was notified by student loans that I'd reached my maximum $40 000 loan limit and I thought I would not be able to complete my final year of University. I moved my children to Edmonton in order to complete my university to start with. In the meantime, my ex ended up $65 000 in arrears in support and Maintenance Enforcement was seeking a jail sentence for him. He reluctantly coughed up $24 000 at the last moment and it was a situation where I had to accept it and wipe out the rest of his debt completely or risk not getting anything ever...but he'd do jail time. I accepted the $24 000 which I had promised to pay back my family the debts I had with them, when I got a settlement. I owed $4000 for a vehicle that was given to me as well as countless other financial aid that my family gave me - help with food, rent and bills, kid's school fees etc. I am also diabetic and had expenses for insulin etc. as well on a monthly basis. While on student loans, taking into account all grants, bursaries and loans minus tuition and books, we were left with about $1300 per month to live! Some Spring and Summer sessions, after tuition and books, we had $800 to live! We definitely have not been living the high life!
So, to get to the point: After I received the settlement and paid back debt to family (which is documented) I was left with $7000. This did not include paying back family for the legal fees they covered for me to fight for the support to start with! So, after I paid the debts, student loans approved me for money for my final year. After I graduated, they audited me (for the second time in 4 years) and sent me a notice demanding back $33 000 and I had 30 days to pay it. I had neglected to report the very scarce and sporadic child support payments that I received throughout the past 5 years - that Maintence Enforcement managed to guaranshee (my husband at the time was making about $10 000 per month) but changed job sites and dodged ME as much as possible. They guaransheed a tax return. The largest sum of money I received was one of $2300 (this was once) the rest of them were $200 - $800 payments...on average I managed to get maybe 2 or 3 guaranshee payments per year. I NEVER knew if or when I would receive support. At one point he went to Russia to work! In any case, I have battled SL now since 2004. Initially they were uncooperative and unrealistic. They would not allow any extraordinary expenses incurred such as big vehicle repairs (I drove to a nearby city for an entire year for classes - 1 1/2 hours each way). They just refuse to acknowledge that there are MANY expenses associated to having a family that are essential! WHO is going to pay the $300 school fees per child???? Of course I am! With what? With my SL money because that is what is supposed to be supporting us while I attend school full time while maintaining a family. One of my children has a learning disability as well, which required extra care and attention from me.
K - So I've fought them now forever...I have provided an entire binder full of receipts of expenses they have not considered (70 pages actually, with 2-5 receipts on each page). I've got them down to $15 000 (from $33 000). We went to court, the judge made it very very clear that they HAD to take into consideration the legal expenses I incurred to get the child support that they are now penalizing me for. Because they had refused to even consider the legal expenses, they had also not mentioned that the statement of my legal expenses was not sufficient documentation (had I known that I could've given them what they needed)...so the judge charged me $500 for not having the right documentation in court that would have prevented us from going back to court. It has now been an entire year...nothing has come of this situation. My parents have offered to pay them $6000 just to get this HUGE stress off of my head! They have refused it. Are there laws as to how much they can guaranshee from me if it comes to that? I DON'T have savings! I DON'T own my car! I DON'T own my townhouse. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OF VALUE! Also...I do not have a continuous contract for teaching yet. I am presently subbing and occasionally have a temporary teaching contract. When I'm teaching full time I have a potential income of $50 000 per year, minus $1000 per month of deductions (ATA fees etc.) Unfortunately I do not know what making that kind of money feels like because I've only managed to get one 3-month full time contract, a 6-month contract of part time (83%) teaching time (my first year) and another 5 month (part time) teaching contract. The last contract I had (for 5 months @ 73% teaching time) brought in $2000 per month...this was the highest I've made. Now, subbing, I am bringing in almost that much...but no health coverage.
The REALLY HYPOCRITICAL thing is that I also have what I call "valid" student loans totalling about $40 000. I am on interest relief for all of these loans because of my low income...and I have been on interested relief from the beginning.
Any info or advice? I am just afraid of them guaransheeing my wages. I am fully willing to take responsibility for the "valid" loans, but this other stuff is complete BS!
Sorry for the very long posting, but I wanted you to have a clear picture.
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