Date Received: 2021-09-29
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have been working with FedLoans ( PHEAA ) to get several monthly payments counted as qualifying payments towards PSLF for several years. Issue 1 : In XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, my monthly payment due was $ XXXX/month. During XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, my loans were transferred from XXXX XXXX to FedLoans, and I was placed in an administrative forbearance without my consent. Despite being in an administrative forbearance, I continued to pay my monthly {$0.00} per month even though no bill was generated. Therefore, I have been trying to get those two months counted as qualifying payments towards PSLF for over seven years. I have contacted FedLoans about this issue with no resolution. I then contacted the FedLoans Ombudsman after hearing nothing. I still have heard nothing. Issue 2 : In XX/XX/XXXX, I requested that my then-current loan servicer, XXXX XXXX, apply a loan interest reduction under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act ( SCRA ) since I was serving on XXXX XXXX in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX In that letter, I specifically stated that I did not want to enter into a military forbearance. However, XXXX XXXX placed me into a military forbearance against my wishes. This caused my loans to be in a military forbearance from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. ( More info below ). In XX/XX/XXXX, my loans were transferred to XXXX XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, I worked with XXXX XXXX to correct its mistake. XXXX XXXX requested that the Military Forbearance be removed from my account and that the $ XXXX/month ICR payments be counted toward PSLF. Finally, in XX/XX/XXXX, FedLoans removed the military forbearance for the period of XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. As a result, my qualifying payments were recalculated to include XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX to count toward PSLF. However, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX were not counted as qualifying payments even though those were still {$0.00} ICR payments. I made several inquiries about why those three months were not counted, and I have never received an update. I have contacted FedLoans about this issue with no resolution. I supplied copies of the paper work from XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX in that complaint. I then contacted the FedLoans Ombudsman after hearing nothing. I still have heard nothing.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 22207
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-29
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX I called FedLoan servicing and requested a copy of the XXXX repayment plan letter detailing my monthly payment amount ; the letter was originally sent to me on XX/XX/XXXX. I was told by agent # XXXX that I would receive the copy by 3 business days or by XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I did not receive a copy so I called again. This time agent XXXX who did not identify herself with a number told me it takes 5 business days and I would receive it by XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I did not receive my copy, so I called again and spoke to agent XXXX who NOW told me the request takes 7-10 business days. I have received different information every time I call. I want a copy of the XXXX approval letter sent on XX/XX/XXXX sent to me immediately.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 14094
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-28
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, I took a screenshot of my total loan balance of {$43000.00} shown on my Fedloan Servicing phone app. The interest balance is {$0.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my account at Fedloan Servicing 's website ( https : //myfedloan.org/ ) and printed out a Loan Verification letter where shows a list of loans and their balances totaled {$43000.00}, which matched the total balance found on XX/XX/XXXX ( mentioned above ). On XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my Fedloan app and found a total balance of {$43000.00} which does not match the balance above. I did not make any payment since XX/XX/XXXX ; all loans were on forbearance due to Covid-19 and the interest rate has been 0 since XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called customer service. XXXX ( employee # XXXX ) answered the phone and stated that she saw the current balance of {$43000.00} and did not know why I saw a different balance before. I showed her the printout letter on XX/XX/XXXX and the screenshot on XX/XX/XXXX. She was still not sure what happened. She stated that the loan balance should remain the same due to Covid-19 Forbearance.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 91324
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-28
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: The following complaints are being made against FedLoan 's handling of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and their practice of determining what payment is eligible vs ineligible. Complaint # 1 : I have been employed by an XXXX since XX/XX/XXXX. With this employment, I am currently involved in the PSLF program with anticipated forgiveness in XX/XX/XXXX. However, per FedLoan, fourteen of my payments do not qualify towards the 120 payments needed for loan forgiveness. As stated by the PSLF requirements, I have done the following : 1. Made payments after XX/XX/XXXX ( qualifying payments began XX/XX/XXXX ). 2. Each total amount required was made in full ( based on my XXXX account history ). 3. Each payment was made on or before the XXXX of each month ( well within 15 days of the due date ). 4. Each payment made has been under a qualifying repayment plan ( IBR/IDR ). 5. Each payment made has been while working full-time at a qualifying employer ( XXXX ). I have spoken with several reps from FedLoan wanting to remedy the issue of these fourteen " ineligible '' payments made in XXXX ( XXXX - XXXX, XXXX ), XXXX ( XXXX - XXXX, XXXX - XXXX ). Below shows my communications with the company : On XX/XX/XXXX spoke with FedLoan Rep XXXX ( ID # XXXX ). She stated she was marking all my ineligible payments for review. On XX/XX/XXXX spoke with FedLoan Rep XXXX ( ID # XXXX ). He mentioned my account was still under review. He couldn't tell me how long the review process would last. He hung up on me. OnXXXX spoke with FedLoan Rep XXXX ( ID # XXXX ). She mentioned the account was still under review. On XX/XX/XXXX spoke with FedLoan Rep XXXX ( # XXXX ). He mentioned that my account was under review. After I made mention that it has been under review since XX/XX/XXXX. He asked for more detail on my situation. He stated the ineligible payments were not placed under review. It was my entire account placed under review. He stated he placed my payments in question under review and that I should hear from someone soon. On XX/XX/XXXX spoke with FedLoan Rep XXXX ( # XXXX ). This was the rudest call I have experienced with FedLoan by far. She stated that my case had been closed ( though I haven't received any update about my case ). She stated that I had been late on payments starting in XXXX. I mentioned to the rep that this was incorrect. She stated that nothing was going to be changed. Asked to speak with someone else, she hung up on me. On XX/XX/XXXX spoke with FedLoan Rep XXXX ( # XXXX ). He stated that though I made payments on time, they were not applied to my federal loans. And in spite of what my account history states with my previous loan servicer, the payments I made in XXXX & XXXX were distributed in a way that did not go towards fulfilling my monthly balance. So, on " FedLoan 's end '', I did not make full payments within the time frame needed to be counted as an eligible payment. He stated that the only solution he could give me would be to fill out a forbearance form for XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. This would make my loans current for XX/XX/XXXX, and then my fourteen ineligible payments would be counted towards PSLF. Per rep, he was emailing the form to me " right now ''. Also, I asked him to send the document explaining the distribution of my payments. He stated he would send it but it will take 30 days. I am not receptive to signing a forbearance form as I was never late with any federal loan payments. Also, it was never explained to me how this would affect my current loan status, credit report, IDR plan status, and PSLF participation. Complaint # 2 This company has removed the majority of communications regarding my PSLF from my account 's inbox. Some of the forms that are listed for viewing show an error. Also, there are no billing statements in my account 's inbox. Complaint # 3 This company has changed my eligibility date for loan forgiveness, even after a former PSLF application result shows otherwise. For example, I have one PSLF document stating I am eligible for loan forgiveness on XX/XX/XXXX. Another state I'm eligible for loan forgiveness on XX/XX/XXXX. A third form projects my eligibility date to be XX/XX/XXXX. On the form with the later date of eligibility for forgiveness, I have a high number of eligible payments already made. Of course, I do not agree with the dates that are given due to evidence I have showing I have made qualifying payments which should result in me being eligible for loan forgiveness in XX/XX/XXXX. Complaint # 4 FedLoan does not communicate well with student borrowers. I have been promised documentation that has not been sent to me. I have sent emails inquiring about the document promised. FedLoan has not responded. On XX/XX/XXXX, while speaking to the representative, he stated he was emailing the forbearance form to me " right now. '' I have not received this form yet.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 23238
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-27
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Consumer Complaint: Yesterday XX/XX/2021, I logged in to my Fedloan account to update some information since in XXXX I will restart paying for my student loan since it was paused due to COVID and I was also looking for information regarding if I qualified for the student forgiveness loan, well today at XXXX I received a call from a suppose XXXX XXXX number XXXX that I prequalified for a forgiveness loan and to call her back at XXXX as I couldnt picked up the call since I was at lunch and of course wasnt thinking to look for the number in the website it self, since it was a coincidence that I was just looking for the information the day before I called back that number, I spoke to a guy name XXXX XXXX who was able to log in to my federal student aid got the information of the amount that I owe along with my social security number. I stopped the call immediately he asked for my debit card information or my banking account and routing number. He then called me back at XXXX from a XXXX number asking me if I wanted to continue the application. I started yo ask him questions about his company and his government ID who he couldnt respond to and hang up on me. In the meantime of all of this I also received a message from a XXXX at XXXX saying they were from the XXXX XXXX for the student loan and that my application was put on paused due to a missed monthly obligation and that my program may be subject to cancellation to call their customer service number at XXXX.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 07840
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-27
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have been trying to work with Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to review qualifying payments that they are not counting toward PSLF. They have said that they are under review for over a year, with no resolution. I have made every payment since the disbursement of the Direct Loan in XX/XX/XXXX. However, they are currently excluding 18 payments for which I have not received credit toward PSLF for the following month/years. XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX. I made payments dating back to XXXX while being employed with a qualifying employer, but was not informed that I was under the wrong type of loan until XX/XX/XXXX at which point they were consolidated into a direct loan. I have been employed with qualifying employers since XX/XX/XXXX. I am escalating this because I am approaching 120 payments that have been counted and if the 18 payments are included, I would qualify for forgiveness in XX/XX/XXXX. It is reprehensible the way individuals who have dedicated themselves to public service have been misled, misrepresented and generally treated by PHEAA. I am beyond pleased that they are terminating their contract. I only hope that another equally dishonest and incompetent servicer does not replace them. Thank you and I hope you are able to help me and the thousands of borrowers that have held up their side of the agreement, but have been taken advantage of by PHEEA.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 76013
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: Hi, I am currently trying to become eligible for the public service loan forgiveness program. As you are aware, in order to qualify, you must make 120 timely payments on the loans to be eligible for forgiveness. Over the past 8-9 years, I have been making timely monthly loan payments under the IBR program . I make a single lump-sum payment, and the servicer applies the payment to the nine different loans that constitute my universe of law school student loans. For eight of my nine loans, I am right on track for forgiveness -- - I only have a year and a half to two years left of payments to make left. For one of the loans, the servicer said something like five full years of payments were untimely. The servicer agrees that I made them, but has deemed them untimely. However, as stated, during those five years, I made a single payment to the servicer, and they attributed the payments made to the individual loans. So, even when I made a timely payment ( and they correctly attributed the timely payments to eight of my nine loans ), the servicer delayed the attribution of a portion of my payment to one of my loans, such that the payment ( in their internal system ) is late. But that " lateness '' is due to their actions, not mine. Accordingly, for one of my nine loans, they state that I will not be eligible for forgiveness until XXXX or XXXX ( my other loans will be eligible for forgiveness in XXXX or XXXX ). I raised the issue with my servicer, and after considering it for 8 months, they rejected my request.
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20910
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-10-06
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-25
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account status incorrect
Consumer Complaint: To whom it may concern! Hi, my name is XXXX XXXX, the reason of filing this complaint is due to some recent reporting on my credit report. Back on XX/XX/XXXX, I received a credit alert that left me in shock when I saw that my credit score when from XXXX and XXXX and XXXX to XXXX in one day. It was my student loan with XXXX and managed by American Education Services. According to AES I was 60 days past due and in a delinquent status. I want to let this agency know that I was not aware of the status in this account because since I have been in school ( XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX, online ) I was not aware that my forbidden application was expired, I was thinking that as long I have classes register even thought I am waiting for the semester to start my student loan account was going to be in good standing, but unfortunatelly that was not the case. American Education services reported my account to the credit bureau as a " 60 days past due delinquent '' and for this reason my score droppep drastically. The reason I am requesting help from " Consumer Finance '' is because AES never sent me a letter to my new address, they did not called or leave a message in my machine. The reason I know the did not acted properly is because when I reached out to AES customer service line. As I was speaking with one of the AES representative I learned that they did not have my current information in their system, for example ; my new address, but I thought they have my cell phone because I provided to them long time ago, which is XXXX. Please believe me if I have found out on time that my student loan account was past due or that my forbearance application was expired I would get my account current, but I was unaware of everything that it was going on since I was very busy taking care other urgent matters. As per my mailing address since I have recently moved and due to the pandemic and everything going in my life right now I may have forgotten to update the address in the AES system. The reason is because during the days I moved to my new address I was also dealing with a legal matter that affected my XXXX years old boy. I want to humbly request this agency to assist me in getting XXXX and AES to restore my credit to its original score as it was before XX/XX/2021. If you guys ask for a copy of my credit report you will notice that I have been working very hard to re-build my credit, I have been paying most of my bills on time. My main goal right now is to purchase my own house and when XXXX and XXXX lower my credit score for more than 109 points that made a great damage in my credit report. I even reset my account with American Education services and when I logged in to make a payment and get the account current I learned that AES has approved me a forbidden application until XX/XX/2021. I believe their decision was based on the fact that they know it was unfair because they never sent me a correspondence or gave me call to make me aware of the status on my student account. Also because I explained to the AES representative during our conversation that I was in fact in school and due to a personal emergency I had to drop two classes and re-register both of them for this coming XXXX, XXXX. As of matter fact, the exact start day for my classes is XX/XX/2021. Hopefully since they provided me with the forbidden extension until XX/XX/2021 by that day it's pretty sure that the school will have sent AES all the updated information for my enrollment status for the " School Deferment '' to be approved by AES. Please I beg you to make everything possible for me to have my credit score restored to what it was before XX/XX/2021, which was between XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. My account number with AES is as follows : XXXX. Please do not hesitate to contact me in case you guys have any questions or concerns regarding this complaint. My contact information is as follows : XXXX and my email address is : XXXX. Thank you very much for your attention to this urgent matter! Hoping to here some positive results. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 43026
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Don't agree with the fees charged
Consumer Complaint: I never received any contact from FedLoan Servicing from XXXX XX/XX/2018. Suddenly I got a bill with interest accrued for all that time, at 8.5 % interest accrued. Now I owe over {$150000.00} for my son 's education through a PLUS Loan from XXXX. The usual amount borrowed was about $ XXXX per year. It was through XXXX XXXX in New York. I am going to be XXXX years old next year, and i will be paying this for the rest of my life. My son doesn't work due to XXXX, even though he graduated with honors. I don't think they should have compounded interest during the time I was lost from the system. It wasn't my fault I never received a bill. They even took 30 % of my social Security out for a half year until my representative, XXXX XXXX got them to stop. Is there anyway the interest can be forgiven?
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 180XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-09-24
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Keep getting calls about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I received a call from a company called Federal Student Debt Relief phone # XXXX, claiming to be with Fed Loan Servicing. They said I qualify for 70-80 % of my debt to be relieved. I asked what information they had about me, and his reply was everything from when you applied for the loan. I then asked what all that was. He gave me my maiden name, birthday, email, and current address, didnt say whether or not he had my SSN or IEN. He also asked about my school status and I replied with, if youre with Fed Loan Servicing you would know the status of my education. I really think this is a scammer, and am worried this company may have more of my information than they let on.
Company Response:
State: IN
Zip: 47630
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-09-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A