School Tuition

by Skeet
(Springfield Oregon USA)

I have been paying school tuition on a regular basis but the last payment was returned telling me my balance has been sent to collection. I did not receive a notice to pay and did not miss a payment. Now the collection service wants an additional $40.00 for a $95.00 payment.
Can this really be legal.
Thanks
Skeet

Comments for School Tuition

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Apr 07, 2011
 School Tuition In Collections
by: Debtcollectionanswers.com

If you have been paying your school tuition according to the terms of your agreement, I don't understand why it's been sent to collections. So, the first thing I would do is ask the debt collector to validate the debt he is trying to collect from you, which means provide you with written proof that you owe it. Put your request in writing and send it to the collector via certified mail with a return receipt requested. Make a copy of your letter before you mail it.

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act gives you the right to ask for validation of the debt and also requires that the collector respond to your request. If the collector's response is not clear, write another letter and ask for a clearer accounting.

As for the matter of the amount of money that the collector is asking you to pay, he is not entitled to collect more than the specific amount that you owe unless your tuition agreement allows for other charges and those charges are legal in your state. For example, the agreement may authorize late fees, interest on the past due balance, attorneys fees, and so on.

Read your agreement to see what it says about additional fees. Also, call your state attorney general's office to find out if your state allows such fees. If your agreement does not authorize extra fees or if your state does not permit them, I suggest you write a letter to the debt collector notifying him of that fact, once you get your debt validated. (You may want to send a copy of your agreement with the letter.)

If the collector does not respond to your request for validation, if you do not believe that your account should be in collections or if the collector persists in demanding more than what you believe you are legally obligated to pay, set up an appointment with a consumer law attorney in your area for advice about what to do next. Find out how to get FREE or low cost legal advice about debt collection from a consumer law attorney here.

Good luck resolving your problem!

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