i agree with this full heartedly.

I don't know you personally, but here is my opinion on the situation you laid out ...

You should change the title to "How irresponsible, unaccountable, and entitled am i?"

You owe money, you are able to work, and you have assets.

Be responsible and pay others what you owe them. What's wrong with that? Sell your car if you have to, buy a bike or take the bus, get a flip phone, cancel cable, find a smaller apartment, take on a second job, etc. You received an education and you stiffed the one that provided that to you with the bill. That is the situation - not all of the other white noise of who do i negotiate with to get the best deal for me ... what happens to my credit score ... can they withhold my diploma or transcripts .... what is the statue of limitations, etc. That's all secondary to the real issue.

The real issue is you really do have a means to pay your debt (over time but in full). However, doing that would require sacrifices by you and you are unwilling to make those sacrifices. You just want the benefit without any sacrifice. That is the real issue.

You have a choice to make of being a responsible and accountable citizen or not being one. Being responsible in this situation will now require sacrifices on your part.

There is a difference between negotiating the best deal for you now and doing what is right and being a man of your word.

We live in a world today where being accountable for your own actions is no longer a higher priority than just seeing what you can get away with; because after all it is difficult to do what is right and that required sacrifice sometimes.

You want your "damn diploma" then find a way to pay your "damn obligation".