Taken from an article at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/debt-collectors-went-student-loan-113015195.html.
“Debt Collectors Went After a Student Loan Debt… 50 Years Later” by Christine DiGangi.

Young people aren’t the only ones plagued with student loan debt problems. Recently, an Arizona man found a debt collection notice in his mailbox, which said he owed more than $1,900 on student loans he took out in the 1960s, reports 3TV in Phoenix.

About 50 years ago, after serving in the Navy, Ralph Caswell borrowed three loans totaling about $2,500. Caswell told 3TV he repaid the student loans decades ago, and while the collection agency shows his principal balance as zero, it claims Caswell owes about $1,400 in interest, $87 for a penalty and $362 in fees. Caswell said the agency asked him to provide proof he paid off the loans, but he doesn’t have those records. That’s not too surprising, considering how long ago he said he paid off the debt.

This situation suggests you should keep that type of documentation forever: alongside your birth certificate, Social Security card and passport, there’s your student loan statement. While that may sound a little overboard, it’s important to note that student loan debt is treated differently than other debts in many respects. These loans can generally not be written off in bankruptcy, and the consequences of failing to repay student loan debt can follow you for years. If you don’t repay federal student loans, the government can take some of your wages, seize your tax refunds or garnish Social Security payments.

Eduhonesty: I suspect many of my readers have outstanding student loans. This is a public courtesy post. We have had to deal with my daughter’s student loans in the last few years and I cannot think how many times we had to send duplicate copies of the same forms to the same fax number because no one could locate the previous fax.

KEEP ALL THOSE FORMS! This post was inspired by the nice young woman at the dermatologist who spent over 10 minutes trying to find me an appointment time. Given the current state of technology, the world ought to work more seamlessly than it does. I strongly recommend putting your proof of student loan payments in a safe-deposit box or similar place.