BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) --They graduated college nearly 30 years ago yet they're just now getting hit with a bill for student loans. Last month, Bridgewater State began sending some graduates letters explaining the school neglected to bill them decades ago.
The university emailed FOX25's Kerry Kavanaugh saying they are looking to collect $1.9 million in outstanding Perkins loans payments from 1,900 former students.
According to the letter a FOX25 News viewer sent us, the school and the federal government discovered the outstanding debt through an audit and, now they're collecting.
"I would have assumed I paid everything off,â Tom Martin told Kavanaugh.
He showed Kavanaugh the letter and the bill that stated otherwise.
Martin graduated Bridgewater State in 1987 and thought his student loan days were over.
According to the letter, Bridgewater State, along with the U.S. Department of Education conducted a comprehensive review of all records and activities of the schools longstanding participation in the Federal Perkins Loan Program
"All this money's been out there that they haven't collected that the tax payers have given to students in the form of loans. How efficient is this program? What's going on,â Martin asked.
The letter also stated given the amount of time that passed, he wouldn't have to paid accrued interest.
"But Bridgewater State is responsible for the interest so they need to pay 28 years." Martin says that's what the bank collecting the $500 debt told him. He says the bank also told him he wasn't the only one getting the letter.
"If I borrowed the money and I owe it back then I do owe it,â he said. "I think it's kind of ridiculous that they wait 28 years to try and collect something and then try to collect afterward."
In their statement Bridgewater State said this was the result of a processing error.
Of the $1.9 million they are seeking to collect, they say the majority, 60%, was granted between years 1984-1994.
The say the average loan from that group of former students is between $500 and $600.
Bridgewater State did not say what prompted the audit.