western international university I left the school 1 month in and now I owe $5000.00 phoenix, Arizona

I signed up for WIU in 2005, I was working part-time, and a pregnant single Mom. I started classes in August 2005, had my Daughter in July. Shortly after we had to move out of state and back in with my parents. I called the school, told them that I was having family issues and needed to stop attending for a while to get them resolved.

This, mind you, is after Federal Student Loans of about 4000.00 had already been paid to them.

A month goes by and we are still homeless. I called the school again and said I need to quit permanently. I had not even finished the first round of classes.

Years later (present day) I am paying off this 4000.00 debt, so that I can return to school, and I get a call from a collection agency representing WIU saying I owe them an additional 1700.00.

Whhhhhat!?

Apparently, they had charged a "tuition fee". So, on top of the student aid they received for me, including a cal grant and a pell grant, I owe them 1700.00. And I didn't even finish the first round of classes.

I am completely shocked.