Today, I was informed by my school to re-apply for the Stafford and Graduate PLUS loans, then was surprised to find that I wasn't able to go through the same process on the Sallie Mae website - they only have links to the Smart Option student loan. A quick Google search explained to me why that was the case:
Sallie Mae can't offer those loans anymore. They've been replaced by the U.S. government as a direct lender.
I should know better than to ask why the Sallie Mae rep didn't tell me this (because like any scumbag lending operation, they're only looking to get money in their own pockets, not to give people the best option for themselves when they themselves can no longer offer that best option) or why my school rep didn't tell me this (honestly I have no idea, other than that overwhelmed people often aren't able to cull forth the common sense of a simple answer, and I know 'cause I've been there, with that answer being it's a brand-new website called StudentLoans.gov, ya dummy! It's not Sallie Mae anymore!)
Added hilarity is that the first Google result brought up a Fox News article that touched on how the student loan overhaul was buried within the health care bill. (Maybe they're wrong on that, even; it is Fox News after all, but it's late and sourcing it really doesn't matter at this hour.)
So, now I apply for the same student loans that "were cancelled by my school on July 2nd" (screw you, you duplicitous Sallie Mae jackass) on a different website. And in the spirit of idiot-proofing, I'll let them know the website I used to apply for them. I could have avoided a wheelbarrow full of B.S. if I'd just been informed of the right way to go about it with the new process that just began on July 1st...but now's the time to celebrate the small victory, knock down that second aborted funding attempt, and scale the walls for the third attempt, which will hopefully be the charm.
Money may buy happiness for some, but it sure doesn't guarantee common sense for the rest of us.
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