Date Received: 2019-05-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I consolidated my subsidized loans in XX/XX/XXXX and began payments in XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX. I immediately enrolled in an Income Based Repayment Plan and have stayed in the IBR plan ever since. I submitted Employer Verification Forms for each employer demonstrating I worked at non-profit 503cb. XX/XX/XXXX I was notified that 25 of my payments did not count, even though I was in the same repayment plan and working at 503cb companies. FedLoan processing told me they had 12 months to conduct a manual review. I've called a few times to check in during the past year. Today when I called FedLoan and spoke to a customer service agent, I was told that FedLoan has no timeline and can not tell me when my employer certification forms/payments will be reviewed. They also can not tell me why those payments do not count towards my 120 payments in Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. I understand that my 120 payments won't be done until XX/XX/XXXX but I'm upset FedLoan originally told me a year to review and now is telling there's no timeline and no requirement that they correctly service my loan.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60651
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I asked fedloan servicing to recount the number of eligible payments toward PSLF in XX/XX/2018, as their statement seemed incorrect, and they told me it was probably because some payments went into paid ahead status and that the recount would take 6 months. Now when I call ( XXXX, XXXX ) they say it hasn't been done and can not give me an estimate how long it will take.
Company Response:
State: TN
Zip: 37215
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I am having trouble with Fedloan serving and my income driven repayment program and my loans in general. Last year for XXXX I submitted pay stubs and schedule of retirement payments for my self and my wife 's pay stubs and payment was {$XXXX}. I did the same thing for XXXX pay stubs and schedule of retirement payments for myself and pay stubs for my wife. Payment for XXXX is {$XXXX}. No employment or pay changes for either of us I have called the Fedloan servicing trying to get an answer as to why, I can not get a good answer. Today I was told I will make {$XXXX} more in XXXX then XXXX. That is why my payment has changed. I receive around {$XXXX} a month retirement and receive {$XXXX} an hour working XXXX. My wife makes about {$XXXX} a day as a XXXX XXXX working the XXXX year. The last week of XXXX to first week of XXXX. The loans I have were also consolidated before they should have been. I was told they could not change this because it is to late. I seem to get different answers to my questions when I call.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 172XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have been making payments towards PSLF since XX/XX/XXXX. I have confirmed that I meet all of the mandatory specifications to be enrolled. I verified my employment and was told since XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX that I had only made 26 qualifying payments.. This was a major surprise as I had been making payments every month on time with the exception of 2 times since XX/XX/XXXX. The problem lies in the transparency of Myfedloan in stating the " minimum balance '' correctly. For example, on the screen in black and white text, it would say my minimum due was " {$130.00}. '' I would then make an on time payment for " {$130.00} and I would receive an email saying " my payment was accepted and received. '' However, when I went to verify my employment with PSLF and have my payments credited toward my 120 qualifying payments, they claimed there have only been 26 qualifying payments since XX/XX/XXXX!! Without my knowledge and consent, they were applying the overage ( since I was rounding up payments ) to my principal, then the following month they would deduct that overage and say THAT was my minimum due ... Then I assumed, the minimum due was ALL I OWED to make a qualifying payment -- but it wasn't! Why am I being jeopardized for making an on time payment ABOVE the minimum? This was VERY misleading and NOT transparent. For instance, if I make a payment to XXXX, and pay the minimum due ( let 's say min is XXXX and I pay XXXX ) my payment is applied to my overall balance and the next month the minimum due STATES what I owe to make a qualifying minimum payment most likely still {$100.00} -- whatever I apply to the payment ( as long as it meet the MINIMUM required -- anything extra above and beyond the minimum still counts towards my payment!!! ) I am asking for my previous on time payments to be applied towards the 120 qualifying payments. I am also asking for there to be a change in myfedloan 's system -- where they are mandated to report the CORRECT minimum due according to " the persons 120 qualified payment amount '' regardless of what the person pays over and above that minimum.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 18966
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-06-05
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: Good Morning- I submitted a request to FedLoan Servicing on XX/XX/XXXX to qualifying my employer, The Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management , for Public Service Loan Forgiveness . They denied my employer, even though they are a qualifying employer because my loan was consolidated after the time I worked there and my payments during that time do not count toward loan forgiveness. Regardless of whether or not my payments qualified, I would like my employer verified. I have attached the letter of denial from FedLoan Servicing and an email chain showing how I tried to resolve the situation with FedLoan Servicing. Again regardless of whether or not my payments were qualifying, my employer should be verified. FedLoan Servicing did agreed that my employer qualifies as a government organization. I was employed from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. Additionally, the payments I made during this time period, XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, do qualify for the PSLF program. I was paying through a 10-year Standard loan program. Everything I have reviewed for PSLF states that these payments should qualify for the PSLF program. Please help me resolve these issues with FedLoan Servicing. 1 ) I worked for a qualifying employer from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, the Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management. 2 ) I made qualifying payments from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, in a 10-year Standard loan program. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 960XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke to XXXX ( Customer Service Rep - AES ) in regards to my student loans that were sold to AES in XXXX. According to AES, the promissory note provided from XXXX Bank ( original loan servicer ) does not include the fixed interest rate and loan term for my student loans. As a result, I have been given a variable interest rate of 7.2 % instead of the fixed interest rate of 4.5-5.0 % that I initially agreed to. I have requested a copy of the original promissory note from AES and have not received the information. I was instructed to contact XXXX, which is my current loan servicer, as AES sold my student loans to XXXX in XXXX.
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20774
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-30
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't temporarily delay making payments
Consumer Complaint: For the past two weeks I have tried to get them to postpone payments as I have no money. I am a XXXX ill shut in and havent worked since 2009. I can not verbally communicate so I emailed them off their secure website 4 times and they have not replied once. Now my payment is late. I need help. Please.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 31601
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Applied to be part of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program in XX/XX/XXXX. Was surprised to find out that in XXXX, my loans would be moved over to My Fed Loan. Surprised because the information from FedLoans was insufficient in explaining what was happening to my loans, what the terms of the loan would be, and what payment I would be expected to make to maintain a good status with the PSLF program. Paid my student loans on time and in the amount of {$290.00} for XXXX through XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX called ( XXXX ) and spoke with " XXXX XXXX '' about monthly payment increasing from {$290.00} to {$730.00} in XXXX. FedLoan has my tax and student loan information that indicate what my income is and that I have 2-student loans in repayment. My recalculated loan payment under the PSFL did not take into account that I have a larger student loan payment being made in addition to the FedLoan. As part of the Public Service Forgiveness Loan Program, I am on an Income Driven Repayment Plan. I have no idea if this is the best plan for my particular situation. " XXXX put me on hold and connected me phone to " XXXX XXXX '' because she said she doesnt handle PSFL and had me call XXXX. The new customer service person XXXX XXXX said she would investigate the matter as to why my payments ballooned. In the meantime, she put an " administrative forbearance '' on my FedLoan while the investigation was going on. In addition to the administrative forbearance, my automatic payments were suspended. XXXX indicated that Fed Loans needed to recalculate my loans. Nothing was ever communicated about the outcome of this investigation and my loan amount did not change. Using the limited number of " forbearances '' to investigate matters reduces my chance to resolve payment issues over the life of a 10-20 year payment plan. Both " XXXX XXXX '' and " XXXX XXXX '' could not resolve my issues because neither understood my problem ( multiple student loans and extremely high payments according to my income ). I have had an outstanding student loan payment since XXXX that accrued interest and I have lost several months of the forbearance allotment for these student loans. Called XX/XX/XXXX and spoke with XXXX XXXX who told me that my administrative forbearance issue was still being processed ( from XX/XX/XXXX ). She informed me that it usually takes 60 days despite the fact that I have an administrative forbearance for 30 days. I could make a payment for {$730.00} but I continue to pay on time my original amount ( {$290.00} ) in XXXX and XXXX. XXXX XXXX created another forbearance request to cover the XXXX bill at the higher amount. XXXX XXXX said she is going to request that my IDR plan payment be lowered ( this is the second request ). She said in 5-7 days this would be processed. On XX/XX/XXXX I received email notification that my monthly payment for my Revised Pay As You Earn ( REPAYE ) plan is now {$290.00}. FedLoan will now use my income documentation and family size to determine my monthly payment. This is effective for all payments from XXXX. It states, " If I wish to leave an IDR plan, [ I ] must have time remaining in the repayment plan [ I ] want to change to and [ my ] new payment amount will be based on the balance of [ my ] eligible loans at the time [ I ] leave IDR. '' Prior to this notification, I was on an IDR plan. I am now getting notification that I am in a REPAYE plan. I did not receive information from " XXXX XXXX '' that this is how lowering my payment would be resolved. Still had a balance due on my account in XXXX that is accruing interest. Still paying my student loan, however, none of these payments are applying to my loan forgiveness program ( PSFL ). Continued to pay student loans at the original payment amount despite the forbearance placed on my account ( was told by customer service that paying on time {$290.00} for XXXX during a forbearance is NOT necessary ) despite the fact that this problem of recalculated my loans has still not been resolved. On XX/XX/XXXX called to resolve the delinquency flag on my account. Spoke with XXXX # XXXX who said she will apply the payment that is due back to my principal. She said she would put a forbearance on my account for XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX so my account will not be delinquent ( my account is already suppose to be on an administrative forbearance from the XXXX ). " XXXX XXXX '' suggested that I put my account on a 90-day forbearance to resolve this issue of having my account delinquent, despite saying that she would apply the balance due back to my principal. When I asked " Why do I need a 90-day forbearance? '' " XXXX XXXX '' said that she was just suggesting what is available. I told her that I don't need 90 more days of forbearance. I just need the amount applied back to my principal so my account is not delinquent.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 950XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-29
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: Last year I worked hard with a PHEAA 's Consumer Advocate Associate and a Fed Loan Services Consumer Relations Analyst to get an accurate count of my payments towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness. After some back and forth with a Dept of Education staff member they arrived at 92 qualifying payments of the 120 needed for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I submitted the yearly employment verification form to get the next batch of payments to qualify towards the 120 needed. Fed Loan Servicing still has not processed the form, which PHEAA Consumer Advocate Associate can see in their system, from XX/XX/XXXX. This is my 2nd request to process this form. It is almost time to recertify for the next year 's batch of payments. I have read a number of articles and seen on TV a number of news clips showing PHEAA and Fed Loan Servicing are having trouble processing PSLF paperwork and I don't want to get lost in the shuffle. By my count, I should be done with paying the student loans in XX/XX/XXXX ... that will be my 120th qualifying payment. I have placed a request to process the XX/XX/XXXX form with XXXX XXXX @ PHEAA office of consumer advocacy. I have reached out to Senator XXXX 's office to see if they can prompt Fed Loan Servicing to process the form from XX/XX/XXXX. I plan to reach out to Fed Loan Servicing borrower 's advocate. The Dept of Education 's " Ombudsman '' office was subcontracted out to a company called XXXX, and they didn't have much power, but I will generate a service request. I plan on reaching out to XXXX XXXX XXXX, a vice president of PHEAA Loan Operations to see if he is still with PHEAA and can assign someone to assist me.
Company Response:
State: CT
Zip: 063XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-05-29
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem lowering your monthly payments
Consumer Complaint: I started paying off my loan over a year ago ( I believe it was in XX/XX/XXXX ), and it was out of sheer frustration and lack of a better option. I finished school at XXXX ; my job prospects were nowhere near as high as they were when I was XXXX, as a result it took me a long time to find decent work and so I had a lot of deferments on my loans. When I finally started to work again I tried to get a repayment program that would meet my ability, and was told my payments might be in the 700/month range, and was told to continue with another deferment while they worked the plan out. When I checked back at the appointed time they had no answer for me and told me to defer again, and at that time they told me my payments would 1300/mo or thereabouts. I asked why the large change in payment, and was told this was my only option. I was told my wife made too much money, and I told them my wife also has large student loans herself ; they said they would take a look at that I could just defer again while they did so. Finally and again I had to contact them, they did not contact me they said they got my payment DOWN to XXXX/month. I asked what happened to the XXXX/month payment, they told me it went up because of the deferments I said that they themselves told me to defer while they worked it out, without saying that it would affect the pmt. They replied they were sorry, they cant do anything about it. I could not get a lower payment, I could not defer any longer, so I started paying XXXX/month. I recently lost my job ( end of XX/XX/XXXX ), and contacted FedLoan again ( week of XX/XX/XXXX ) to see if I could temporarily lower my payment until I could find work again. The agent I spoke with directed me to the website where she walked me through what I needed to do to LOWER MY PAYMENT temporarily, and I had my wife do her part in sending her information. I got a reply a few weeks later, saying that my new payments would be almost XXXX MORE than they were when I was working. I called again ( on or about XX/XX/XXXX ), asking the agent how on earth it was possible that my new payment for me being unemployed was now way higher than my payment was when I had work. She said that was the only program I was qualified for. A PAYMENT THAT WAS MORE THAN IT WAS WHEN I WAS EMPLOYED. She said my wife made too much. I asked why they took total household income into account but not total household outflow of cash. She said, oh, you want us to take her loan payments into account, we can do that, we just havent done that yet. So I asked how they could give me a new higher payment amount when they hadnt even taken my wifes loans into account, and I got some lame pat answer that made no sense to me. She said it would take a few weeks to set a new payment plan. I asked what about the XXXX payment coming due on XX/XX/XXXX she said No, that plan is finished, you owe XXXX now. I asked how I could possibly owe XXXX if they hadnt finished taking my wifes loans into account yet. She told me I could defer it until they figured it out. So now I am unemployed, stuck with a XXXX payment which is XXXX dollars higher than it was when I was employed, on a program their agent told me to apply for knowing I was now unemployed, and my only options are : Pay it ; dont pay it and incur more charges and constantly be behind ; or defer yet again incurring more fees and interest. I do not want a free ride, I took out loans expecting to pay them back, I had a lot harder time finding employment than I did when I was younger and FedLoan instead of helping me find a sustainable way to pay back what is owed chooses to make it extremely difficult for me to do so, demanding I make payments that are not sustainable, and hitting me with more fees and interest the whole time. This is not the behavior of an organization that wants to help ; this is the behavior of a for-profit machine that cares not about the people it serves, but only about making money. Their practices are misleading, confusing and intentionally skewed toward incurring more costs to the end user. They are taking advantage of peoples desires to better themselves through education to gouge them with interest. I want to pay back what I owe ; they are making it practically impossible to for me to do so without a severe negative financial impact on myself and my family.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 78613
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-05-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A