<human>: Can you give me a shortened version of the text?

I'm in my early 20s and owe $20,000 to a school. **But it's not a student loan**... it's money I owe directly to the school itself. (I didn't have financial aid at the time.)

I forgot about the payments for awhile (about two years) and just fell on hard times. Now they've sent a collection agency after me. **The school refuses to work with me — it's all in the collection agency's hands.**

They said they'll put me on a monthly payment plan of $250/mo for seven years. I'm fine with that (I'm willing to pay it back), but **they want $4,000 up front** before they'll agree to the monthly payments. I have about fifty bucks in my checking account and make $10/hr. They want the $4,000 ASAP.

**I don't have anyone to give me $4,000** (or even half that). I have **no collateral** to my name, so getting a loan from a bank would be very difficult. My **credit is terrible** and so is everyone else's in my family.

What am I supposed to do? The collection agency has said it could lead to legal repercussions. I would start making the payments if I didn't have to make a downpayment of $4,000, but they won't agree to it. Should I see a debt consolidator to work this out? To put me on some sort of plan? Am I going to get sued? Will I go to jail? I'm completely falling apart. I just want to be a normal college kid like everyone else.
<bot>: — Owe $20,000. Collections wants $4,000 now. I have no money, no collateral, terrible credit, and a family that can't help.