I have been paying on my student loans for years, I originally took out $16, 000 and as soon as the deferment period ended, my balance shot up to $27, 000! My balance is at $22, 000 now and I have no job, no extra money as unemployment has not even paid me yet (2 months laid off now) and they refuse to provide assistance or options to pay. I'm not allowed to contact the original lender, they do not provide any original information regarding the lender and claim they are the only people who I can speak to. I filed bankruptcy 8/9 years ago, and was told this could be included since I had applied for the loan through Chase bank. It ended up being a private student loan and was owned by National Collegiate Trust, sold to AES to service. They defaulted my loan and forced me into an agreement to bring me current instead of discharging my debt. I lost my home during the housing market crash and my job. This company is rolling in the money on the backs of students who are being taken advantage of.