Date Received: 2020-10-26
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't temporarily delay making payments
Consumer Complaint: Hello, and I hope all is well. Fed Loan Servicing continues to furnish repeatedly with the same account number XXXX with multiple late-payments. Due to the abundance of identical accounts, these actions from the credit reporting agencies caused a major decline in my overall credit and creditworthiness. Requesting one account with the overall amount owed.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 17110
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-25
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone
Consumer Complaint: I have two student loan accounts open with Fed Loan Servicing in XXXX, PA. The problem at hand occurred in XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX. I had graduated from my university and no longer had access to my .XXXX email account. For some reason, Fed Loan Servicing was only sending my bill to the .XXXX email address, even though they had my mailing address AND personal email address on file. I didn't notice until XXXX of XXXX that my account was overdue and marked delinquent from no payments from XX/XX/XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX, for 2 accounts, which would equal 16 late payments in total. Upon contacting Fed Loan Servicing, they provided me no resolution and told me nothing could be done except for me paying the overdue accounts, which I did immediately. This practice is extremely unfair and has brought down my credit score significantly, for a problem with this Federal Servicing agency, that is taking advantage of students by not communicating or providing notification through the proper channels for payment and billing. The fact that it took me 6 months to realize my account was overdue by pulling my credit is very alarming. I could only imagine how many others have faced similar problems with this agency. I have started formal disputes with credit score agencies as well, but have received no resolution on these matter as my credit still stands and these late payments will tarnish my credit score for long-term and prevent me from buying a home. I am not receiving and help or solutions from this Federal Loan Servicing department, nor the major credit unions on my dispute to get my credit score fixed so i can move forward. I could even pay off all the accounts in full today, so it's unfortunate that I have to suffer because of a systemic issue of this Federal student loan agency from years ago that made a big mistake and refuses to take the action necessary to make it right for someone to move on in their future and purchase a home.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 22204
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I'm being inappropriately being denied Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( TEPSLF ) ( passed under The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ) by Fed Loan Servicing and the Department of Education. I have had years of miscommunication regarding the original Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and found that that I qualify under the TEPSLF I requested that Fed Loan Servicing conduct a payment audit in XXXX XXXX to document my payment history and received that documentation outlining all payments. I received official documentation from Fed Loan Servicing in XXXX XXXX that acknowledged that I needed seven more payments to qualify for the TEPSLF, therefore I made payments ( some credits earned during Covid forbearance ) and received credit and reapplied to the TEPSLF in XX/XX/XXXX after meeting the requirements previously stated to me in writing by Fed Loan Servicing in XXXX XXXX and today the Department of Education sent me an email stating that in XXXX there were 12 months of payments that were made while my account was in forbearance and because it was in forbearance those payments will not count. I don't recall putting my accounts in a year forbearance, I think this was done in error by the servicer because why would I continue to make payments on an account that was in forbearance. Also Fed Loan servicing did an audit of my payment history and communicated that seven more qualifying payments were needed. I satisfied that requirement as outlined in the XXXX XXXX Fed Loan Servicing Letter and the loans should now qualify under the TEPSLF. I received a new official letter today ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX ) stating that I need eight more payments. I have NO confidence in any information I receive from Fed Loan Servicing because last year ( XXXX XXXX ) they said I need seven more payments, I made those payments and now ten months later they say I need eight more payments. They keep moving the finish line ; this is unfair and deceptive practice and serving mismanagement and incompetency at best.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 94590
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: I am on track for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. At one point my loans were serviced by the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX - that was shut down and my loans were transfered to my current servicer, Fedloan. Fedloan is alleging that payments I made in 2012 are not " qualifying. '' I have asked them for a copy of my payment record from 2012, which they say they are ordering a review of, but refuse to provide me with. How am I supposed to prove that I made payments in 2012 without access to these records, my bank doesn't retain records older than 7 years. Fedloan is refusing to provide me with a copy of my payment records.
Company Response:
State: LA
Zip: 701XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-22
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have my student loans currently with FedLoans. I am trying to qualify for Public Student Loan Forgiveness. I initially had my loans with XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX ) which all have counted towards forgiveness except for my payment on XX/XX/XXXX. I then transferred them to FEDLOAD in XX/XX/XXXX. I made my payment on XX/XX/XXXX as shown in my bank records I uploaded ( see page 2 on both documents, payment to XXXX ). I looks like when these were transferred, my credit for the month it happened was not given credit but I clearly made my payment. I tried to have FedLoan fix this but they have never done this. Please help!
Company Response:
State: IN
Zip: 460XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-21
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: After paying on my loans for 12 years, with a couple forbearances, I summited an Application for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I was employed with the XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. My loans were then transferred from XXXX XXXX to Fed Loan. Apparently my employer put XXXX as my start date rather than XXXX and sent my signature page as a separate scan. Fed Loan then stated the form wasn't signed and the top was cut off when faxed. I had another form sent and faxed my copy as well. Fed Loan then stated they wouldn't count most of my payments because of the date discrepancy. They wouldn't even count all payments since XXXX. This was soon corrected by having my employer send yet another form to Fed Loan. Fed Loan then stated they couldn't count the payments since XXXX because there was a prior discrepancy two forms ago and they needed to speak with my employer. They stated a call was placed but the payroll office ( during COVID ) didn't answer. After I checked my account I again contacted Fed Loan and they stated the employer needed to call with my account number. I asked if they could call because my employer may not wait on hold for my student loans. I was told a call could be placed some time in the next two weeks. I asked for a date/time so I could tell payroll when to expect a call and was then told my employer would need to call. I called out the obvious. How would Fed Loan know it was my employer? Anyone could call and give my account number and state they are the payroll person who signed the form. I was then told it was " an honor system ''. Of course, if it was an honor system ( which it shouldn't be ) they would accept the second or third CORRECTED forms. Anyone can make a clerical mistake. It seems with all these hours of communication and repeatedly asking of my employer ( a government entity ) to repeatedly try to help with my loan forgiveness, Fed Loan is trying hard to not approve my loan forgiveness. This process is ridiculous and I don't understand why Fed Loan can not communicate ALL needs in the beginning. If Fed Loan wasn't going to accept the first form and needed to receive verbal confirmation from my employer, why not state that 5 calls and 4 months ago? Now I continue to wait and hope my employer has enough time to wait on hold to call Fed Loan.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 627XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-21
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2020, my student loan servicer notified me that payments for my loan were temporarily suspended due to legislative action effective XX/XX/2020. The servicer collected payment from my bank account on XX/XX/2020 after the effective date of payment submission but, before they notified me that payment was not required. On XX/XX/2020, I requested by electronic message on their website that they refund the {$450.00} payment that they collected on XX/XX/2020. They did not respond to this request. I made a second request for refund on XX/XX/2020 by written letter. The servicer responded on XX/XX/2020 with a form letter denying my " credit dispute. '' I did not make a credit dispute but, I assume the servicer 's intent was to deny the refund that I requested in my letter of XX/XX/XXXX.
Company Response:
State: NM
Zip: 87114
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-21
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Please see prior filed complaint which was not satisfactory addressed. 1. How do I made the payment of XXXX $ mentioned in the response? 2. The count is still incorrect. Loan sequence 1-2 should have a qualifying date of XX/XX/XXXX ( even with your logic re consolidated ). 3. The remainder of the loans should all have the same number of qualifying payments as they were all paid together and on automatic payment, with a qualifying date of XX/XX/XXXX ( at latest ). 4. Please review and submit payment overrides for months that bills were not appropriately sent and therefore payments were not counted. 5. Please recount my number of qualifying payments.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60611
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-20
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account information incorrect
Consumer Complaint: I have been repeatedly denied for a mortgage loan due to the wrong information being reported on my credit report. I have student loans and am currently in the Public Service Forgiveness Loan repayment program. According to government guidelines, a creditor ( mortgage company ) may use the payment that is reported on the credit report as the monthly debt. However, they are reporting my monthly payment as " XXXX '' ( {$0.00} ) despite the fact that I make monthly payments. As a result, I have been denied a mortgage loan for the past two years. I have attempted to resolve this with the Federal Student Loan Servicing Agency and was told that the only thing they report to the credit bureaus is the balance and if it is paid on time. This is absurd. I have an auto loan and it clearly states what my balance is, what my monthly payment is, how long I have had the account, etc ... They are unwilling to change their practice of not reporting the actual monthly payment and as such, many of us are being denied mortgage loans. I have been attempting to resolve this issue over the past two years and it is wrong for them not to report a monthly payment amount. It makes no sense that I am paying on a loan that shows a XXXX monthly payment amount. Does this mean that I don't owe anything every month? Of course not. Why? If I didn't pay because it says a XXXX monthly payment, they would garnish my check and report it to the credit bureaus and my student loans would be in default. This practice of reporting a XXXX monthly payment amount is hurting a lot of us who have student loans. We are being turned down for mortgage loans left and right despite having good credit and income. I need help as I have been waged in an uphill battle with this and can not get any resolution.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 30228
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-10-19
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have been a professor at XXXX XXXX XXXX College since XXXX of XXXX. The PSLF program began in XXXX, XXXX have been enrolled in it since it began, over 130 months ago. Like many in the PSLF program, I have had plenty of problems with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency ( PHEAA ) over the years, including some that have required the intervention of the CFPB and my members of XXXX. In the first case, I have asked numerous times for copies of the promissory notes the PHEAA holds for the loans the service for me, and any person they may claim has cosigned for any loan under my name. They have never responded to any request I have made on the matter. Next, PHEAA faults me for its own errors in payment processing delays and an involuntary " administrative forbearance '' due to its shoddy of records transfers in XXXX, XXXX and XXXX of XXXX. PHEAA has been made aware of this oversight repeatedly and has never corrected it, despite various assurances. This results in three non-qualifying payments, according to PHEAA. Further, in XXXX, apropos of nothing, and without warning, PHEAA removed my loans from the IBR program and returned me to the standard repayment plan, which required another " administrative forbearance '' I had no choice in the matterwhile they reevaluated my suitability for IBR for three months in XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX of XXXX, after I protested the change and made them aware of their error. Despite there being no fault on my part, these months are also counted as non-qualifying, and they have refused to change their records. You may view this at the attachments labeled Payment Chart PDF and Payments List PDF. NB : I have been on ACH automated debit payment since I have been dealing with PHEAAany delay or late payment recorded by them is, by definition, due to their action ( s ). Seeing a pattern, I began saving receipts ; e.g., see Payments XXXX XXXX and Payments XXXX XXXX showing 26 and 34 qualifying payments, respectively, even then, with approximate PSLF dates in XXXX. In XXXX, I was forced to seek help from both the CFPB and members of Ohio 's Congressional delegation, the Hons. Mssrs. Rep. XXXX XXXX and Sen. XXXX XXXX when that XXXX, again, for no ascertainable reason, PHEAA recounted my qualifying payments and subtracted a significant number. See XX/XX/XXXX XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX XXXX. After repeated attempts to sort out the matter directly with themand receiving either automated, garbled, nonsensical, semi-english, or gibberish repliesI filed the complaint and reply that you will see as CFPB Complaint and Reply XXXX XXXX. Replies from my congressmen also contained an analysis from XXXX XXXX, a loan analyst at the Department of Education, whose count, notwithstanding the undercount I describe above resulting from six forced " administrative forbearances '', agreed with the corrected count described in the correction and apology in the PHEAA 's reply to the CFPB. Notwithstanding the undercount I describe above resulting from six forced " administrative forbearances, '' the PHEAA and I moved forward using this number as the qualified number of payments. I continued to certify my employment on an annual basis and recertify my income for the purposes of IBR status. See, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX. The XX/XX/XXXX Qualifying Payment Count shows 123 of 120 necessary qualifying payments, which is obviously 3 in excess of the statutorily required number. See XX/XX/XXXX PDF. These issues I have described directly relate to the present problem, which is the deliberate miscounting of qualifying payments and what is either incompetence or malfeasance on the part of the PHEAA or the Department of Education, or both and all. On XX/XX/XXXX my employer, XXXX XXXX XXXX College, submitted a certified PSLF loan forgiveness application ( See PSLF Application PDF ) to the PHEAA via the proper fax number. I also uploaded that document to the Fedloans website myself, as experience has taught me to duplicate efforts when dealing with the PHEAA. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an acknowledgment email stating the PHEAA had received my PSLF application and would begin processing it. See Acknowledgment XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from PHEAA alerting me that they had reviewed my work and payment history and that GOOD NEWS! They'd determined I was eligible, and it was TIME TO APPLY FOR PSLF! See Apply XXXX. Needless to say, this does not make chronological sense at all, and does not inspire confidence that any human being is actually tending the wheel at PHEAA. In fact, it's clear to any observer that much of what's being done at PHEAA is automated, and poorly so. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an updated qualifying payment count from PHEAA showing 123 qualifying payments. See XX/XX/XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, a Friday, at nearly midnight, I received two pieces of electronic correspondence from PHEAA : a new qualifying payment count, and a denial of my PSLF application. The new qualifying payment count ( See XX/XX/XXXX XXXX ) was, instead of 123, suddenly 111. My estimated eligibility date for PSLF was fully 12 months from now, in XXXX of XXXX, despite there being supposedly only nine of these newfound qualifying payments left to be paid. One will notice that the change in the counts table shows a marked decrease in date ranges that include dates outside PHEAA service years, or else may require human adjustment. This new " count '' is arbitrary, capricious, absurd, and without any grounding in mathematics that I can understand. Notwithstanding the undercount described in the first section resulting from six forced " administrative forbearances, both PHEAA and I have been using the same numbers for nearly three yearsnow, suddenly, when it's time for PSLF, things are very, very different. The denial letter is even worse, in terms of nonsensicality. See Denial XXXX. It states that I am NOT ELIGIBLE YET, as I have not made 120 Qualifying Payments. The letter estimates my eligibility as XX/XX/XXXX. I can only assume it's estimating the remaining three months of this year, plus 10 months, which is in either ignorance or contempt but certainly in violation of the CARES Act and President Trump 's executive orders on Covid-19 Relief forbearance as relates to PSLF. Should I, or the CFPB have to remind PHEAA of this? Nobut the fact is, it shouldn't matter at all BECAUSE THE COUNT IS WRONG. Remember, this is the PHEAA, denying an application on XX/XX/XXXX, after having told me on XX/XX/XXXX to apply for PSLF, which I had ALREADY done on XX/XX/XXXX, receipt of which they'd confirmed on XX/XX/XXXX, before they'd confirmed 123 qualifying payments on XX/XX/XXXX. The letter also claims to list qualifying employers somewhere, and no matter how hard I look, I can not find them! It's like reading something out of XXXX. Furthermore, when trying to make sense of this maddening development it seems the website 's available data has been either altered, or scrubbed, to comport with these inexplicable and unacceptable changes, or to limit the ability to challenge them. Where previously my 123 qualifying payments were displayed there is now written " 44 unqualified payments, '' none of which are explained or justified. My correspondence with PHEAA has been eliminated prior to XXXX, and there is no independent way for me to count or evaluate qualifying payments on my own using their tools. Attempts to communicate, reason, or work with PHEAA are in my experience futile. To date, PHEAA has only responded with any affirmative action when a third party has become involved. PHEAA harms. The borrower begs for redress, is ignored, or lied to, or put off. PHEAA moves on. So, here we are. ( I have included, for further background regarding the Department of Education 's, and the PHEAA 's, malfeasance, intransigence, and mistreatment of borrowers vis a vis the PSLF program, a complaint for declaratory relief filed by the California Attorney General against Education Secretary XXXX XXXX. The complaint shows that my experience is quite typical, and provides myriad citation to legal and other well-sourced authorities regarding governing statutes, cases, regulations, and administrative actions. See CAL AG INJ XXXX )
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 45459
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-10-19
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A