Caitlin's Testimonial & Story

I went right into my master's program in Connecticut at the University of Saint Joe's, and ended up obtaining my master's degree in clinical social work.

I was receiving financial aid based off of [my mother’s] income, which was like nothing. She didn't have a degree, she was a receptionist.

Parents’ income is one of the many factors when applying for the FAFSA

Once it transferred over to my dad, well, my dad worked two full-time jobs as a mailman and a security guard.

He was making a substantial amount of money, and that's when the financial aid kind of just cut off.

Private student loans don’t have all the protection of federal student loans

It almost became a part of my personality to be very resistant to even answering the phone to the loan company. They were just so persistent.

I was almost so used to seeing their number and just clicking decline. At times I would answer and I would tell them that I cannot pay. And it was I was never supported, I never felt heard. It was usually a different person calling every time and me re-explaining why I can't afford these payments.

Yrefy helps hundreds of borrowers in similar situations, everyday

Obviously my long term goal was to pay my loan. I looked and looked and looked, and I called Yrefy. Tatum spoke to me and he listened, and she was the first person to really hear my story and why I couldn't make my payments. She was very honest with me. Transparency was huge to me at that time because I felt like every loan, department, or person I would call give me the runaround.

“Tatum truly understood my situation”

I said, “I don't want to go through with another program that I can’t follow and make on-time payments. I don't want to go into default again.”

She was like, “Hold on, hold on. Don't jump the gun. Let me go talk to some people.”

I am like, who is he going to to talk to? She calls me back and she’s like, “I talked to the CEO of the company, and he's willing to help you out. He heard your story.”

I remember driving in the car talking to her, and I was like, all right, is this really happening? I couldn't believe it.

Yrefy helped reduce Caitlin’s loan by over $600

That's amazing that people do really care. It made me believe in your company. For those struggling… I've struggled for many years at the thought of overwhelming loans that I would never be able to get out of. [So,] similarly, look into your options. There are companies like Yrefy willing to help and hear you as a person, and not a loan.

I would recommend Yrefy for those who are struggling with student loan debt. They've helped me so much and I feel a lot more comfortable to handle my finances.