Educational Credit Management Corporation Charging inordinate amounts of fees and interest Minneapolis Minnesota

My case is simple: I defaulted on a loan in graduate school, because I wasn't able to get a job paying enough to pay it. It went up to $15 or $16 thousand (having started at I think $3000), and I started paying on it. This was from 2001 to 2003. Much of the fees and interest were dropped, as it was held by Fannie Mae, and I ended up with I believe a few thousand, $7000, I think, and went to Thailand to teach to build a resume to get a job in my field.

I returned three years later, having let the loan default again, not able to pay on it in Thailand. When I started paying again, it was up to $23,000, held by this organization, Educational Credit Management Corporation. I know that I have to face penalties -but this much?! I have been paying on it now for 9 months, and it is "rehabilitiated" to use their language. Does this mean the amount should drop, as well as reestablish my good credit? They tell me now that the amount of my payments is going to go up. What is my recourse - is there anything I can do about this blatantly unjust amount of money?

Sincerely, DoTine

Anonymous
Oakland, California
U.S.A.