No garnishment, but are they gonna take my tax refund?

I would say no. The lien list was submited to the IRS in late November/early December. You needed to be in repayment last year or before the deadline.

THanks SoapLady, they took it (got the remainder of my refund electronically deposited today)...loans are paid in full now...question, how if this going to affect my credit? will it say defaulted and then paid? would it have looked better if I got into the rehad program where eventually the remove the defaulted status from your credit report?

You will need to check with the guarantor to make sure it is paid in full. The lien is placed in Novemeber/ December and interest continues to accrue until the guarantor is paid. So double check.

Yup would have been way better to rehab. Your loan will be marked paid/collection/government claim.

since my spouse was not obligated to pay my student loan, maybe i should fight to get her half of the refund back and then rehab the rest of the loan? would this help?

you could file for injured spouse. How much did you owe? You have to have minimum of $1000 remaining after making the payments for 9 months.

I have been in collection since, well lets just say a while now..
I attended college for 3 SEMESTERS. I got PELL GRANTS, which were not grants BUT LOANS...The $9000.00 which has been "OFFSET", as well as payments made over the years, then work gets slow and I cannot make payments..

Should I contact the DOE in DC or the collection agencies which call to SETTLE said amout.
Also,
Do I put into the equation all the collected funds to off-set the debt as well as payments?

Pell Grants are grants....they are funds that do not have to be repaid. http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html

You must have stafford or perkins loans.

You contact the CA who is handling the account. They will be able to access records from your guarantor as to what payments/offsets have been made to your account. Keep in mind that interest accrues daily plus you were charged collection fees up to 25%.....this is federally mandated.

I contacted the ombudsman office at the DOE they mentioned something about another loan..I just want to be rid of it.
What about the amount of money "OFFSET" does that play?
Can I take that off the top of the figures the CA gives me?

Now I have 3 CA companies calling and I am VERY confused.
I have not had a federal income tax return in YEARS, as well as state. Not to mention the amount of money paid, and my consulting the work has dried up.
Making any type of payment now is a detrement to my life.
How does that play with the DOE?
Also,
Do you know how many cases are in collection with the DOE?
Do they make a profit off of others misery?

I have yet to get a job from what I went to college for.
Not productive time spent, sad to say!

Look up your loans at http://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/

With 3CA's calling you, it is not likely that all of your loans are with the DOE.

If the
ED ombudsman office is telling me one thing,
collection agencies are telling me another,
the bottomline of truth....
is my wallet which has moths flying out when I open it.
what can we do?

I really dont have the cash flow to start paying,
my consulting work has dried up like this economy...
city and state jobs are few & far between..
Burger King and McDonalds is that the only answer?
and at 7 bucks an hour,
I might as well live in the joint because the amount of money generated from that gig...well, you know...

Thats why We go to college and get an education for?
To get a dead end job? and get treated like this?
Criminals get treated better. FOR FREE!

I shoulda signed up and been NYPD when I had a chance.

yet I dont want to be 99 years old still paying tuition at 60 bucks a month.
I guess it is "until death due us part!" & Be true to your school!

How do I get a straight answer?
Thanks

What is your question??

Soaplady,
I have a joint return I am about to file for 08. I have $40k in defaulted student loans and both my wife and I have been laid off from our jobs (me for 7 months, her's just happened).
I called the DOE and they said that the refund would be offset but to call the CA to work out an araingment.
I havent submitted my return yet as I want to do whatever is possible to get the refund. My wife is currently in good standing on her loans (for how long I dont know).
Should I file married filing seperatley or would that not help?
Much appreciate your reply.

Is your loan with the DOE??? or another guarantor.

soaplady,
I spoke with the DOE and they forwarded me to a collection company that is handling the account. I attempted to resolve it with the DOE first as to try to avoid the CA. The loans were originally with Sallie Mae but that was many moons ago. I believe the accounts have gone from the doe to a collector, back to the doe, and back to a collector now. While I was employed I was having wages garnished at the 15% clip.
thanks again for the response and advice.

Soaplady,
I went to the linked website you provided. Here is what its says for who my loan is with:
Servicer/Lender/Guaranty Agency Information Contact
This loan has been transferred to the Debt Collection Service of the Department of Education.
For answers to questions concerning this aid please contact
the service at 1-800-621-3115.

So basically you must deal with the CA you were assigned to.

Therein my original question. Can I work with them so they dont take my tax refund or is there a way were I can file the return (ie. 'married filling separatly' and have my spouse take all the exemptions and deductions and her get the refund??
Does the fact that the account is with a CA put me in a non-negotiable position? I guess there are a couple questions. Main one being how to 'file' to get the biggest bang for my buck.
Thanks again for your help.

Think all you can do if file injured spouse. For 2008 tax return, it is already too late, but if you get a rehab or consolidation done, you will get all of your 2009 back.

Sorry, last question. Is it already too late for 2008 if I havent filed them yet?

Liens are filed for 2008 last fall.

yes they will they took mine and mine are in rehab.it takes 9 months of on time full amount payments in rehab to get the offset taken off

call the IRS automated # 800-304-3107. you will be prompted for some info and then told if you have any offsets and who they are