Date Received: 2023-10-24
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: My federal student loans are now managed by MOHELA. During the pandemic I put about {$36000.00} on my loans. I then realized since I am in PSLF I do not need to do this, and I took advantage of the COVID student loan payment refund prior to XX/XX/2023. I did receive confirmation from MOHELA this was submitted and approved. In about 2-3 weeks my loan balance went back up to where it was prior to these payments. I then asked for information on when I would receive the refund and for how much exactly. I was told twice they can not give me the refund amount and that since U.S. Treasury handles refunds, they can not give me more information. I tried to find contact information for Treasury regarding this issue, and could not. I am a federal employee and am familiar with navigating government, and I could not find anything to help. I asked MOHELA again and they answered my question with nonsense that made it clear the person did not read my question- they said I was past the cutoff, but I had already been approved and was asking about the status ( this message is attached ). I messaged again and asked for contact information and I have been ignored since. I tried to call but the wait times are so long I can't get through. I now have about {$36000.00} floating around for the last 3 months with no way to track it, know the exact refund amount, or contact anyone to check the status. This is insanely unacceptable and scary - MOHELA was able to increase my balance instantly but refuses to provide me with information or a third party contact to track this refund. This is money I could put into the economy and it is essentially being held hostage with no ransom information.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: MD
Zip: 20902
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-24
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have been using MOHELA for several months prior to the current repayment pause ending. I have been on the PAYE and recertify my income annually. This year I submitted an IDR recertification on XX/XX/2023 and noticed that my payments went to {$0.00}. I called to inquire regarding this and was told that " due to an error on MOHELA 's processing, my XXXX was input as {$0.00} ''. This is completely incorrect and I am worried that this may look like fraud. I have made several attempts to resubmit my application as listed with the appropriate response on MOHELA website : XX/XX/2023 - denied. When I called to inquire, they told me that this was because my IDR would result in higher payments, essentially going from $ XXXX to the actual amount. I was told to resubmit and wait XXXX days. At this time I also asked for my forbearance to be lifted which I was told would take XXXX days. I have since called multiple times and as reflected on my MOHELA account have had service representatives resubmit my XXXX on : XX/XX/2023, XX/XX/2023, XX/XX/2023, all of which have had no response or any information regarding the status. I am also still on administrative forbearance despite being told that this is being lifted.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: WI
Zip: 531XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't temporarily delay making payments
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/23, I requested a 90-day payment deferral or reduction on a private student loan that I currently have with the company. After going over the reason for the request ( my husband was off work for 3 months on unpaid XXXX ), my income and my expenses, I was informed that I don't qualify for their one and only option - interest only payment - because I didn't have anything left over to pay the interest only payment. I asked the representative if this was the only option that the company offered and she confirmed that it was. I said to her that the reason I was requesting a deferment was because I had a loss in income and that if I couldn't pay I'd be penalized by a bad credit rating as well as the possibility of wage garnishment. Her response was that if the company let me defer my payment they would be breaching the contract. So, you will cause people default on their loan with you so that they can breach their contract with you and you will cause them a hardship as a result which is terrible business. Her response was to try to find the additional income in order to make the interest only payment. I make the regular monthly on-time via recurring ACH debit and this is the treatment I receive when I need help. I want to pay but need at least 3 months to get caught up with all of our bills but my good repayment history doesn't count for nothing with this company. Sad!
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: PA
Zip: 151XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem with forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge
Consumer Complaint: I am currently at 120 payments for PSLF. The only hang up is that MOHELA is not counting the last 15. ( their counter says 105 with 15 'pending ', which have been for months now ... even though it's the same employer ... a public school district ) In addition, I requested a forbearance over three weeks ago on XX/XX/XXXX from MOHELA so I didn't need to make my first payment on XX/XX/XXXX. ( I shouldn't have to, because I have reached 120 qualifying payments ). The agent let me know that it would take 2 business days. I have since called back at least 10 separate times, many times with the phone just hanging up randomly, no call backs etc and have been told it would be 5 business days, then 10, then 30 (! ). There is no consistency or rhyme or reason to the messages from agents.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: CA
Zip: 90042
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Reporting company used your report improperly
Consumer Complaint: I am filing this complaint to MOHELA for allowing fraudulent accounts on my credit report and for no corrective actions taken on these fraudulent information. As I checked my recent credit report, inaccurate account is reporting on my credit report and no further actions have been taken. I have filed an FTC report which I included here with report number XXXX for your reference and as proof.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: TX
Zip: 77584
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Mohela is applying unfair, deceptive and abusive practices resulting in my payment to be approximately five times higher than the amount it should be and is delaying processing of federal government forms so I can not tell how many payments are left to be made on my loan. I used Mohela 's online self service tool to submit an IDR application on XX/XX/XXXX in order to receive a lower payment that I am eligible for under the terms of the student loan program during the income self-certification window. The form input on their website showed my payment should decrease to {$430.00} per month. Mohela processed the form wrong and has instead increased my payment to $ XXXX. I called and spoke to customer service on XX/XX/XXXX who acknowledged that the form appeared to have been processed erroneously and stated it should be corrected in a week. They have not made the correction and have in fact accelerated the end of my administrative processing forbearance so now show that the incorrectly high payment will be due even sooner. I submitted an updated PSLF application and employer certification on XX/XX/XXXX to have my PSLF counts updated. Although Mohela 's website says these are generally processed in 30 days and, at most in 90 days, my form still shows as " processing '' after almost five months. Until Mohela processes this form, I am unable to determine how many qualifying payments I am due to still make under the XXXX program.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: NC
Zip: 287XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: Three separate times in the last three years I have re-uploaded my Public Service Loan Forgiveness recertification. This is the re-certification that would put me over the 120 months needed to qualify for forgiveness. My account has not even been looked at ... in three years! I have tried calling multiple times but face hours on hold. I have emailed their customer service with no response. I keep re-uploading the certification as each time I log in to check progress, it is like I never uploaded it in the first place. This is quite frustrating as I have done everything on my part to complete the PSLF program but if they won't even acknowledge my recertification in three years, what is the point. Interest continues to accrue, and it is incredibly frustrating as this recertification is what I need to fulfill the terms of PSLF. I have over {$100000.00} in student loans in the balance until they finally address my account.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: WI
Zip: 53095
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account information incorrect
Consumer Complaint: My student load with Mohela was completely forgiven as of XX/XX/2023. It still has not been reported to the credit bureaus as forgiven or paid. I've emailed Mohela and filed a dispute with XXXX to no avail. Thank you. XXXX XXXX
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: ND
Zip: 58103
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have had several conversations with customer service at Mohela ; on XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with XXXX ; on XX/XX/XXXX, I Blessing ; on XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with XXXX ; on XX/XX/XXXX, I talked to XXXX, and on XX/XX/XXXX with XXXX, and each time the customer service representative quoted a different amount to repay. I only have XXXX loans and XXXX parent plus loan. Mohela 's customer service representative quoted that the XXXX loans placed on the savings plan would be XXXX, and the parent plus loan would be on an XXXX plan, costing XXXX. The customer service representative told me the XXXX loans would cost XXXX, and my parent plus loan would cost XXXX. I am a state employee, and I can't afford to make that payment. I need to resolve the issue to make payments on my student loan. As it stands now, they are saying I am past due, although a forbearance was requested and issued by the customer service representative on XX/XX/XXXX. I waited on the phone for over XXXX hours each time I spoke with a representative. Each representative was in training and could not assist me.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: NC
Zip: 27105
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Don't agree with the fees charged
Consumer Complaint: Prior to the pandemic, my federal student loans were serviced by XXXX XXXX. When the forbearance and 0 % interest period began, I paid off two of my federal student loans. Then, once XXXX XXXX contract with the federal government ended, I was moved to MOHELA as my federal student loan servicer. After that transition, I requested a refund of monies paid toward my student loans per the CARES Act and received {$10000.00} back through the Department of Education. That refund was received in XX/XX/2023, when the 0 % interest period was still active. This amount equaled the principal balances of all monies paid toward those two federal loans in addition to payments made to two other federal student loan balances. In a financial activity summary I received from MOHELA, the amounts returned to the principal balances of each loan sequence directly equal the amount of my refund. However, with the two sequences that were paid off, additional interest balances were added to the account. I repaid each of the principal balances of those loan sequences in XX/XX/2023, again during the 0 % interest period, but still have interest balances owed. I called MOHELA on XX/XX/XXXX and was told that I must have owed interest prior to the pandemic ; I disputed this claim ( as I had paid extra toward my student loans every month since graduation ) and asked for evidence that this interest was owed. I was told that this issue would be investigated and that I would receive a response from MOHELA within 3-5 business days. I did not receive a response within 3-5 business days and followed up via the messaging feature twice to no response ( the messages were later " answered '' only to say that MOHELA saw I called and " assumed my issue was resolved '' ). I then called again nearly a month later on XX/XX/2023. The associate let me know that the inquiry had been marked as resolved with no follow-up. However, this associate was more committed to working through the issue and finally came back with the response that the interest was supposedly interest I had paid that was refunded back to me from the Department of Education. It was then that I laid out the math previously stated : that the principal balances returned to each of my loan sequences exactly equaled my refund through the Department of Education. Therefore, if I had paid toward any interest, I certainly was not refunded it, nor could I owe it. I was told once again that it would require further investigation and I would receive a response within 2-3 business days. I then received a case number for my request for documentation of the interest balance. I called back on XX/XX/2023 to inquire about my case ( total hold time : over three hours ) and was told that cases can take up to 30 days from when they are initiated ; in asking for a decision date, I was told no later than XX/XX/2023. About a week later, ALL of my loan sequences were placed on forbearance with an end date of XX/XX/2023. I did not request this, nor was it communicated to me until it happened. I did, however, pay a monthly payment on all of my loan sequences ( per the guidance of the associate from my XXXX XXXX phone call, when I asked what I should do, since those loan balances were now accruing interest. That associate also said I would be refunded if the case was found in my favor. ). It is XX/XX/2023 ; I was on hold for two hours and the associate said the case was still open and she would have to transfer me to a higher agent who would " call me back '' ( since I had to work ). I have not received that follow-up call. In general, MOHELA does a poor job of documenting issues in a way that the consumer can access. I am only so certain of these conversations because I have recorded every phone call. I received multiple, conflicting answers to my question and sheer lies about the timelines of my requests. My first inquiry was opened and closed without documentation. My case number and status is not visible to me on MOHELA 's online platform ; it was not emailed or otherwise documented ; I only received the number verbally when the case was opened. My loans were placed on forbearance without my consent or acknowledgement. I am thoroughly annoyed by MOHELA 's practices and firmly believe that I do not owe the balances on two of my loan sequences. I can not find any documented evidence that I do owe these balances, and apparently, neither can they. I ask that these loan sequences are discharged.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: OH
Zip: 452XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A