Debt In Repayment Program

Thanks, Juno, for your positive feedback on the site. And thanks for sharing your experience, because a lot of people have been following the issue of the aid program deadlines.
 
If you weren't due for your next DRR 'round' until September, I think you've guessed correctly that they won't act on a July 31 application. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
 
It would be great if your daughter had the right timelines, since Debt Reduction would mean a big step forward. Whatever the outcome, I guess both of you will transition into the RAP program next. Next week, I'll publish RAP 201 as a followup to RAP 101. RAP 201 will cover the issue of people transitioning into the new RAP program after being in repayment in past years and using Interest Relief and/or Debt Reduction in Repayment. So I hope that's useful for you and if you have questions based on that or anything else, do send them to the forum.
 
But I also want to comment on the info you were given about deadlines.
 
First, I'm glad the NSLSC rep told you the form was available online until the midnight, July 31 deadline. That's a nice contrast to StudentAid BC taking down its application form for Permanent Disability loan forgiveness before the deadline and reps telling people it was too late to apply even though management told us it wasn't. So it's good that you got that form information from your NSLSC rep.
 
But I'm not sure about the rest of what the rep said. Just to be safe, I would advise people not to believe a rep telling them it's okay to fax in their application after a deadline. Writing a date on an application does not mean that you actually signed it on that date. In any case, most deadlines are governed either by date of receipt, not date of signing an application – unless a pre-deadline postmark is accepted. These days, programs with deadlines usually require applications to arrive by that midnight cut-off.
 
I wonder if the rep meant that you had to fax in by the deadline but you could send the supporting documents later?
 
That was the position at StudentAid BC during their Permanent Disability cutoff. If they received a faxed signed and dated application by that July 31 cutoff, they allowed leeway for the arrival of original paperwork or documentation.
 
As for the other rep's 20 days statement about DRR applications, yes, NSLSC seems to have a policy of making people start over if they don’t use an application form within 20 days of requesting it. I don’t see how that policy would extend a program cut-off date, but if it does, it's good to know about.
 
So, Juno, thanks for posting. Please tell us what happens. Programs vary so much in their operating rules that I won't make assumptions. But I wonder if your NSLSC rep was right to say you had extra days to fax in your application because of the date on your application - or if the rep's advice cost people their last chance at DRR. We'll learn from what you report back.