Loan Me A Helpful Answer

(I’m getting ready for a semester abroad but haven’t received my loans yet. I’m only a couple weeks away from leaving and anxiously call my school’s financial department.)

Me: “Hi, I’m [My Name plus all my relevant information]. I’m supposed to be getting [Loan] for this upcoming semester and I thought I was supposed to get it already. Could you tell me when it’s supposed to come in?”

Rep: “Loans aren’t going to be distributed until [Date a week into my abroad semester].”

Me: “Yeah, here’s the thing. I’m doing a semester abroad and it needs to be paid in a week, plus I still need to get my ticket. I was told when I talked to your department months ago that I would receive it by now and it’s still not in. Why isn’t it coming in?”

Rep: “All financial aid isn’t going to be distributed until [Date].”

Me: “Except I was assured that I would have my money by now because I’m doing a semester abroad, and the semester in [City] starts before the semester here, which means I’m supposed to get my money earlier! That’s what I was told by the study abroad office AND the financial aid office.”

Rep: “Well, it’s not going to be sent out until [Date].”

(We go back and forth for a while.)

Rep: “Why don’t you just pay for it yourself and use the loan to pay yourself back?”

Me: “If I could pay for it out of pocket, I wouldn’t need a loan!”

(I hung up and called back after I cooled off. Thankfully, the second call connected me to someone who actually was able to help.)