Date Received: 2022-01-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have made many payments through the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) that have not been applied to my balance. I have submitted an employment verification since 2015 when I enrolled in the program. I have upheld my end of the XXXX contract, yet I do not see that in return. I currently should have XXXX payments counting towards my XXXX program. The system shows only XXXX eligible. I am still paying undergraduate and graduate loans. I have worked in education for 20 years as a dedicated teacher. I earned a XXXX 's XXXX in Education in order to fulfill the requirements for certain positions. I have filed my taxes as a single individual, although I am married, just to keep my monthly payments manageable given my salary. I currently work two jobs to maintain financial stability. Saving for my own child 's education is quite challenging given the never-ending circumstances of the XXXX program not meeting the agreed-upon contract.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 078XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-02-15
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Greetings, I am having an issue with FedLoan Service regarding my PSLF certification forms. I have been with the XXXX XXXX since XXXX and ever since I started making payments on my student loans on time. Under the new and revised PSLF program, I am way qualified for a student loan cancellation after more that 10 years of service with the XXXX XXXX Here is the problem, I submitted my application with FedLoan for PSLF way back in XXXX. I never heard anything until last XX/XX/XXXX after I called them requesting status of my application. Then they told me that one of my XXXXXXXX employer missed a signature on the form. I responded to them why I was never been informed for the past 3 years for the lack of signature from a previous employer. They asked to resubmitted another PSLF certification form. After I contacted the previous employer numerous times without any answer. I filled the form and checked the box # 3 stating that I was unable to get my previous employer. I signed the form and I uploaded in FedLoan system. I called FedLoan last week and first spoke with a customer service agent name XXXX. He was very nice and diplomatic. He advised me to upload copies of my W-2s for the employer in question. I needed to obtain W-2s from XXXX until XXXX. After I made numerous phone calls to the IRS and SSA, I found out that IRS and SSA does not keep copies of W-2s. 99.9 % of tax payers usually filed electronically therefore they can only provide TAX TRANSCRIPTS for previous years. Additionally, tax payers are legally liable to keep records of their tax return for up to 7 years. That take me way out of that 7 years period because I need tax records from XXXX to XXXX. I called back FedLoan and spoke with a customer service representative named XXXX. I tried to explain to XXXX that IRS and SSA can not and will not provide W-2s dated back XXXX to XXXX. However, I can get a certified copy of my tax transcripts for those years since I can not get my previous employer to sign the PSLF certification forms. XXXX insisted that I send or upload copies of my W-2s. He continued by making a smart comment : FedLoan does not make the rules, if I need to submit tax transcripts, I will meet contact Congress to make law for that. I found this very strange to see that FedLoan Services refuse to accept IRS tax Transcripts in lieu of W-2s while Citizens can get a mortgage or open a business by submitting their tax transcripts during the application process to the US banking system. US banks require tax transcripts during a mortgage application why cant FedLoan Service accept Tax Transcripts as well. I am under the impression that FedLoan is putting barriers and preventing borrowers to finalise their PSLF certification before the deadline this year. Please look into the matter. XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20902
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have contacted the ombusperson, and MyFedLoan ( current servicer ). I explained that there are payments that were made prior to my loans transferring from XXXX XXXX XXXX to my current loan servicer that are not recorded anywhere. I was able to obtain a record of at least one payment made in XXXX on my XXXX credit report that is not reported by the Dept of Ed ( they claim I did not enter repayment until XXXX which is incorrect ), showing evidence that the records of my prior payments made when my loans were under Direct Loan Servicing are incomplete. Given that I have been employed as a public service worker ( nurse, now nurse practitioner ) since XXXX for the same employer and my XXXX and XXXX plans are dependent on the number of payments made ( rather than the number of years given in service ) I require accurate records of my payment history. I was also placed on incorrect repayment plans in the past in error by my prior loan servicer. This is unacceptable at best, and fraudulent at worst. XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: IA
Zip: 52245
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I can not create an account because it says I already have one, but when I try to recover my login information, it says I don't have an account. I have contacted FedLoans and they could not help me at all. I need an account to qualify for public service loan forgiveness.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 085XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: I am a borrower who should benefit from the Biden Administration 's XXXX waiver. I have been employed for most of the past sixteen years by the United States Courts. I have made payments more than 120 months of payments on XXXX loans and XXXX XXXX loans during the months I have been employed by the courts. I submitted an application to Fed Loan Servicing last fall. I heard from them after the Biden Administration announced the waiver program in XXXX, informing me that I did not qualify because I had not made XXXX payments on a direct loan in a qualifying repayment program. I called Fed Loan Servicing to find out why they had sent me this letter after the XXXX announced that the rules had changed. I also called because they had failed adequately to process the dates of my employment. I have three periods of employment in the federal courts. The first was for three years. I then had a two-month pause, and worked for another two years. I then left for three years, and have spent the past eight years as a federal employee. Their calculations ignored the second, two-year, period. Fed Loan 's representative acknowledged their error on periods of employment, but suggested I submit another application, as well as certification that I continued to be employed by the federal courts. The representative with whom I spoke claimed that Fed Loan had no idea about how to administer the program because the government provided no guidance, but could not explain why the company sent out a denial when they knew that the terms had changed. Instead, Fed Loan said simply to wait until they received guidance and that they would process my application when new guidance appeared. I filed a new application to ensure that the company had my most current information and in an attempt to see if they could process this correctly. Fed Loan sent me a letter on XX/XX/XXXX stating that the company had received my application for XXXX loan forgiveness. Fed Loan said they would process the application. I have heard nothing from them since on that issue. I continue to wait for an evaluation, and I am frustrated. I am especially frustrated because the Biden Adminstration keeps announcing how many people have been helped by the waiver program, and my US Dept. of Education Account does not even acknowledge that I have applied for XXXX. I fear that my application has fallen through the cracks, and that I am going to have to wait for months to receive the forgiveness to which I am currently entitled. Such forgiveness will be costly for me, even if I receive it. I have continued to pay on my loan as I wait for forgiveness, as I remain skeptical about the possibility. I can read the law, but I worry about Fed Loan 's ability to do so. With that in mind, I can not ignore the possibility of paying directly on the principal and lowering my interest cost. Of course, if Fed Loan doesn't bother to process my loan forgiveness by XX/XX/XXXX, I will be required to pay in any case, and pay interest on the remaining balance as well. I should have access already to the money I'm paying on my student loans. Fed Loan 's dithering incompetence is preventing that. I filed a complaint with the Education Department after I spoke to Fed Loan in XXXX. They responded on XX/XX/XXXX ( that letter is not part of my on-line account at Fed Loan XXXX. That too is a dithering response. XXXX replied within a week to a complaint filed via the Education Department. That response explained that they had received my applications for XXXX and stated " [ w ] e 're currently reviewing to make sure your PSLF Form is complete and to confirm that you have been employed full-time by a public service organization or have served in a full-time XXXX or XXXX XXXX position. XXXX Once they make that determination and find me eligible, Fed Loan claims, the Education Department will transfer my loan to Fed Loan and they will determine how many payments I have made. After a paragraph explaining this process, Fed Loan appears to repeat itself, explaining that " [ o ] nce you are successfully enrolled in the XXXX Program, your student loan account will automatically be opted into the waiver. The Department will work with FedLoan Servicing to review your account, update any payment counts, correct any errors, and consider/reconsider any forgiveness that may result. '' Fed Loan will then seek any additional information. They end the letter by stating " [ b ] ecause the Department will ultimately determine how the waiver will impact your specific outcome, please refer to '' the Department 's website for more information. The back of the letter describes the eligibility requirements for XXXX. That statement comes from the pre-waiver era and is misleading, describing how only payments made on particular repayment plans and particular types of loans qualify for XXXX or TEPSLF. There is a note at the bottom : " The information contained in this communication is based ont eh current XXXX program regulations. FedLoan Servicing will implement all XXXX Limited Waiver Program ( LWP ) regulation changes as directed by the U.S. Department of Education ( ED ) when detailed instructions are provided specific to your account. '' Fed Loan 's conduct in this instant has been infuriating and discouraging. Though compensated to process applications, from the beginning of the waiver program they have shifted responsibility to the Department of Education. There may be some justification for that, but there can be no justification for continuing to send out information about loans that ignores the waiver program and discourages people who may qualify from applying for forgiveness under the waiver. The back of the form they sent me, if I had not read it carefully ( I am an attorney ), would seem to tell me that I am not eligible for forgiveness under XXXX because most of my XXXX months of payment were made on FFELP loans, not direct loans ( I took them out before direct loans were avaiable ), and not under the right repayment plan. FedLoan has been misleading borrowers and costing them money. CFPB should hold them accountable. Presently, FedLoan seems to be dilatory in processing claims and in updating applicants on the status of their loans. I have been waiting since XXXX to hear whether I am eligible for the program. I am. I currently have a direct loan. I have been employed by a qualifying agency. I have made payments on XXXX loans and on direct loans. FedLoan has not acknowledged that, and appears not to have informed the Department of Education about my loans. This has cost me money and caused stress in my life. In the end, it's difficult not to see FedLoan acting like an insurer : reflexively denying claims and hoping that insureds will not understand their eligibility under the policy and give up. Perhaps, too, FedLoan is compensated based on how many applications they process. Forcing me to file repeated applications when the answer in my case appears simple may be financially beneficial for them. All of this points to the supreme irony in having for-profit companies administer a program designed to reward public service. If your interest centers more on profits than the people you are supposed to serve, you serve those people as little as you can get away with. I hope CFPB will put pressure on FedLoan to do the job they have contracted to do, to make their correspondence with borrowers clearer, and to stop shifting blame to other parties for their own failing. I also hope the CFPB can claw back some of the funds our government has provided FedLoan for administration of the XXXX program. They have no performed adequately on their contract. I also hope that some interest on unnecessary payments can be provided for borrowers who had to wait an unreasonable amount of time for the forgiveness they were due.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 13850
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I applied for the temporary loan forgiveness program back in XX/XX/XXXX. My loan servicer is Fed Loan Servicing. They have denied my application numerous times. They have only counted my payments back to XXXX accounting for XXXX payments of the XXXX needed. I have been in repayment since XXXX and have all of my employment verified. They are blaming the XXXX dept but I don't believe that. I am seeing other people in repayment as long as me being forgiven every day. I have never defaulted on my loans and feel I am being overlooked for some reason. I have tried to call so many times only to wait for XXXX hours and have to hang up to get back to work. I've spoken to 2 people who were no help. They would just transfer me only to wait longer. I've emailed several times and they keep saying there is nothing I need to do. I just have to wait. I'm worried I will be cut out of the program when it ends because of my servicer. I've filed a complaint with the XXXX dept as well. Please help.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 078XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Consumer Complaint: I am filing because I believe that I am very close to or have reached my 120 qualifying payments to get public loan forgiveness. I submitted my employment certification form to Fedloan Servicing at the end of XX/XX/XXXX but have still not seen them update my count with this form as well as applying what benefits I should be getting because of the PSLF waiver the Dept. of Education implemented in early XXXX. I am not 100 % sure if this is more of a delay with Fedloan or more of a delay with Dept. of Education, but I '' M desperate to see that this will be updated especially because this waiver is supposedly only in place until XXXX of XXXX. Any help on getting this addressed or moving more quickly would be greatly appreciated.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 90038
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I graduated college in XX/XX/XXXX, I started working as a teacher in XX/XX/XXXX. I had four kids with a {$46000.00} salary. I could not afford my student loan payment. I called them, they told me to put my loans into forbearance. I started XXXXXXXX XXXX the following year, my loans were forced into deferment without my knowledge. I had no idea that I could have opted out of a deferment or that I would even qualify for a {$0.00} payment which would have counted towards my Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I heard about XXXX and that my payments could be {$0.00} so I contacted Fedloans again in XXXX. They told me that the best thing to do was consolidate my loans so I did. because of this, I am having difficulty removing the Deferment and Forbearance on my accounts from XXXX until XXXX which would allow my years of service as a teacher to count towards XXXX. I have proof of my income from XXXX until now. My payments were always eligible for XXXX and should have been {$0.00} per month. I should have 6 years of payments counting not 2 years. No one will help me, I have reached out to them through email, and XXXX. And, I can not get them on the phone.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 19446
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I am a teacher who is eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. I have worked in an eligible district for 18 years. Additionally, prior to the PSLF Waiver announced on XX/XX/XXXX, I was misled by XXXX XXXX XXXX into consolidating my student loans under the wrong program for PSLF. I consolidated my loans into a direct loan with FedLoan in XXXX and had to restart my payments under PSLF. I also held two FFEL loans that were not consolidated and was led to believe these loans would qualify for forgiveness after 120 payments by FedLoan and XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I began the process of consolidation. Prior to this process, I made several phone calls to FedLoan. I waited hours to speak to loan consolidation specialists. When I finally reached a specialist, I was told I could make a single consolidation of all my loans and that would not affect my PSLF loan count. At this time I added my Direct Loans to my consolidation application. After I submitted the consolidation application, I received a letter stating that I WOULD have to restart my payments for PSLF if those loans were included in the consolidation. I later received the consolidation letter stating that I would start my PSLF payments over again with this consolidation, that I had ten days to decide, and the consolidation would be permanent. I again tried to call a loan specialist upon receiving that letter on XX/XX/XXXX. I waited hours to reach anyone. I could not reach a specialist and had to make decision about canceling the application or lose the opportunity for loan forgiveness in the near future. Because I could potentially have to spend ten more years to see loan relief and because of lack of support from FedLoan, I canceled the loan application on XX/XX/XXXX. After I canceled the initial loan, I was also unable to re-submit another application for consolidation without the Direct Loans through Federal Student Aid. It took many hours to reach a specialist who informed me that I could re-submit an electronic application five days after canceling my initial application. This was false. On XX/XX/XXXX, I discovered that the only way to re-submit an application was to file a paper application. I did this and inexplicably, my first application was canceled without explanation. After calling FedLoan again and waiting hours for a loan specialist who never answered the phone, I emailed FedLoan and resubmitted the application. For some reason, it went through. At this moment, I have only included my FFEL Loans on the application pending further information. So far, my experience with FedLoan has been quite difficult. I have repeatedly reached out to FedLoan and Federal Student Aid to determine what is my best course of action for loan consolidation under the PSLF Waiver. Nobody has definitively said, in writing, whether I can complete a single loan consolidation of all my Direct Loans and FFEL Loans and satisfy the terms of the waiver or if I have to consolidate the FFEL Loans separately from the Direct Loans. This puts me at a disadvantage because loan consolidation is permanent. In my situation, if I can consolidate my FFEL and Direct Loans and receive credit for PSLF, my loans will be forgiven under the waiver. If this is unacceptable under the waiver, and I consolidate all of the loans, I have to start over and make 120 more payments. If I complete a second Direct Loan for the FFEL Loans, they will be forgiven under the waiver. It is unclear what will happen with my Direct Loans which are not accurately counted due to XXXX misleading practices. I have read all the information about the waiver on student aid.gov I havent found an answer for this particular situation. I think it is fair that a complete and accurate answer is provided in writing as to how I should proceed with my Direct Loan consolidation under the PSLF Waiver.
Company Response:
State: MO
Zip: 63021
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-01-30
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account status incorrect
Consumer Complaint: Pursuant to 15 USC 1681 ( a ) ( XXXX ) This is an alledged debt. This action was unfair in reporting this erroneous information without first consulting with me the consumer. There is no proof that this transaction even took place. The decision were made impartial because the FEDLOAN SERVICING allowed information to be reported while only hearing one side of the story. Also this process infringed upon my right to privacy by having a conversation about me with a third party and reporting this information as results of that third party.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 75043
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-01-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A