Hey everyone, I got a call from collections saying I owe a college $1600. Here’s the thing, I spoke with an advisor in May 2023 just to get some info, but I never enrolled or registered for any classes. I didn’t get any emails or mail about fees or anything like that. Fast forward to October 2024, and now they’re saying I owe money.
I’ve been emailing the bursar and records office, sent the necessary forms to dispute it at least 5 times, but no one’s getting back to me. I’ve also called a bunch of times, still no response. Anyone got any tips on what I can do or how to handle this when I finally reach someone? I put the collection on hold for now.
Go to the college website and find the contact info for the higher-ups, like the President, Provost, or VP of finance.
Send an email to the bursar and copy everyone else on it. Make the subject line something like ‘Credit Score Issue - Potential Fraud.’ Also, copy your state’s higher education agency.
I guarantee this will get attention quickly. The President will forward it to the right people, and in higher education, that usually speeds things up. But make sure you really don’t owe the money, because if it turns out you do, you’ll probably burn any goodwill with the bursar’s office.
I definitely need to escalate this because no one is responding from any department. I don’t have any record of registering, but I’d be happy to review whatever proof they have. Just wish I could actually talk to someone!
@Vesper
What do you mean no record of registering? Did you apply to the college or not? You would’ve had to send forms and transcripts to apply. Are you sure you didn’t register for anything?
Grey said: @Vesper
What do you mean no record of registering? Did you apply to the college or not? You would’ve had to send forms and transcripts to apply. Are you sure you didn’t register for anything?
I applied to the college, but applying isn’t the same as registering for classes and agreeing to pay fees, which I never did.
Are you sure this isn’t a scam? Do you have a common name that could’ve been mixed up with someone else’s account? Have you checked your credit report for anything weird?
You should start emailing everyone you can—alumni departments, department heads, administrators, whoever you can find. It’s annoying, but keep spamming until someone helps you. Good luck!
@Macon
Thanks for your reply. It’s definitely a real college, so not a scam. I do have a pretty common name, so I’m going to ask about that. No weird activity on my credit card, though. I’m going to email everyone I can. At the very least, they need to give me the proof they have for this charge. Thanks again!
@Vesper
Yeah, it sounds like it could be a name mix-up. I used to work in a college admin office, and this happened sometimes. Hopefully, you get some answers soon!