January of 2006 I attended a private university in Minneapolis, MN before I enrolled I called the financial aid desk to inquire what sort of funding I could receive, since I was entering a program within the school for recovering alcoholics and my parents had a large debt load from my going to treatment, halfway house, legal fees, etc. I was told that I would qualify for independent status even though I was only 22. I was assured that I would have sufficient loans and grants to cover my tuition. I went to the school and went the entire semester without notification of any of the loans I had gotten, I went in to the financial aid office 3 times a week and was told everything was fine. 3 days before the semester ended on a Friday I was called and told that I had not qualified for independent status since that is reserved for people who have been abused and I had gotten a 2000.00 loan leaving me with a balance of 12000.00 which if I did not pay by Monday I would not be able to return to school and would be sent to collections. I had no options to pay this amount of money so I moved out of the dorms and waited for a bill from the school, I have not received a single bill from the college and now I have been sent to collections with a 17000 debt instead of 12000.00 I received the collection letter and called to figure out a way to work it out, I was verbally accosted and told that if I did not pay in full it showed an unwillingness to pay and my wages would be garnished... is there any legal recourse I have against the school??

Do you have anything in writing? Your applications for independent status? Your financial aid applications etc? Do you have any statements from the financial aid office in writing?

I would be inclined to to tell the school that you relied on their advice and that you shouldn't be responsible if their advice was erroneous. Let them sue you then walk into court with whatever proofs you can come up with and explain to the judge that you would never have entered the program if you hadn't been assured that your tuition would be covered.