An Update for those in Default
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:42 pm
Hello everyone,
In dealing with/organizing everyone currently in default there have been some developments that everyone should be aware of even if you haven't joined the Discord and been keeping up with the internal discussion (although it would be in your best interest to do so).
After getting congressional and other external pressure on SMART and DFAS due to the sudden and abusive debt collection terms, the MANY instances of SMART trying to extort participants for the program's own abuses and failures, and a COMPLETE AND UTTER lack of due process such that even DFAS didn't know what was going on debt collection has been suspended until at least December 2018 pending review.
To quote a letter one of a participants senators received:
"We are currently reviewing all SMART Program Education debts. We are collaborating with our Office of the General Counsel (legal counsel), the SMART Program Manager, and our Debt and Claims Management Office to address your constituent’s concerns. When we finalize our review, we will provide your office with a detailed response. At this time we do not have an anticipated completion date because of the complexity of the legal review."
In other words...the entire repayment process was a fly-by-night hack job that they didn't even seem to give cursory vetting before dropping on participants like a nuke.
Despite this, DFAS is still on headless chicken autopilot sending out letters/notifications. Should you get one and you haven't already (or you have got one and are already paying) it is in your best interest to file a dispute with your debt immediately as the collections WILL be suspended as this is a blanket review.
So everyone now has a good ~6 months of breathing room before we have to deal with this shit again. Nevertheless, unless you're just willing to repay whatever they say you owe on whatever terms they end up demanding I urge you to get in touch so we can get all our ammunition stockpiled in case the review outcomes take a turn for the worst.
Sisyphus
In dealing with/organizing everyone currently in default there have been some developments that everyone should be aware of even if you haven't joined the Discord and been keeping up with the internal discussion (although it would be in your best interest to do so).
After getting congressional and other external pressure on SMART and DFAS due to the sudden and abusive debt collection terms, the MANY instances of SMART trying to extort participants for the program's own abuses and failures, and a COMPLETE AND UTTER lack of due process such that even DFAS didn't know what was going on debt collection has been suspended until at least December 2018 pending review.
To quote a letter one of a participants senators received:
"We are currently reviewing all SMART Program Education debts. We are collaborating with our Office of the General Counsel (legal counsel), the SMART Program Manager, and our Debt and Claims Management Office to address your constituent’s concerns. When we finalize our review, we will provide your office with a detailed response. At this time we do not have an anticipated completion date because of the complexity of the legal review."
In other words...the entire repayment process was a fly-by-night hack job that they didn't even seem to give cursory vetting before dropping on participants like a nuke.
Despite this, DFAS is still on headless chicken autopilot sending out letters/notifications. Should you get one and you haven't already (or you have got one and are already paying) it is in your best interest to file a dispute with your debt immediately as the collections WILL be suspended as this is a blanket review.
So everyone now has a good ~6 months of breathing room before we have to deal with this shit again. Nevertheless, unless you're just willing to repay whatever they say you owe on whatever terms they end up demanding I urge you to get in touch so we can get all our ammunition stockpiled in case the review outcomes take a turn for the worst.
Sisyphus