A nurse sued for $55,000 in student loans is navigating a court battle on her own: ‘I’m just trying my best to juggle it’

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figcaption>Bates said that conflicting information from Sallie Mae made it difficult to reverse her default status.That was the case for Bates — after defaulting, she lost access to her account and couldn’t find her payment information. Bates could not afford a lawyer to help navigate her lawsuit, so she used ChatGPT instead.

That research prepared her for the first hearing in her case on March 6, 2026, held over Zoom in Michigan’s Third Circuit Court. Bates asked the judge to set aside her default judgment. The judge denied the request and encouraged her instead to reach a settlement or agree to a payment plan with Sallie Mae’s lawyers.

“I’m seeing this happen more and more,” the judge, Annette Berry, said. “They’re going after people for unpaid student-loan debt. And so if you think you’re the only one, you’re not.”

Bates is now waiting for a response from Sallie Mae on the next steps.

“I am representing myself. I understand that there are some obstacles that come with that, and I’m trying to learn the processes as best I can because this is the only option I have to do so,” Bates told the judge. “I’m just trying my best to juggle it.”