AES-PHEAA

2019-10-08

MD

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I have been waiting approximately 4 months to get an answer back from FedLoan Servicing when I requested that they recalculate my payments dating back to XXXX. The reason I made this request was because I would be eligible for public service loan forgiveness in XXXX. I have never missed a payment and have been on a qualifying payment plan the whole time. I was told that one of the two of my loans would be eligible in XXXX and the other would not be until XXXX. They said they would go back and review my payments and I never heard back, this was 4 months ago. My other complaint is that I got notification XX/XX/XXXX that I no longer qualify for the Income Based payment plan and that I had to apply for the Repay as you Earn plan ( Making me still eligible for student loan forgiveness ) I did all of this, submitted my documents immediately, and gave FedLoan immediate access to my tax records. On XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter stating that for now I am on a standard payment plan ( not eligible for loan forgiveness ) until I can get on the REPAY plan. I asked how long this process would take and was told two months. I verified with the customer service rep that for two months my payments would not be applied to my loan forgives and they told me that was correct. I spoke with that persons supervisor ( ID : XXXX ) who told me the same thing. I asked, so essentially Im being penalized because it takes your company that long to process loan transfers and was told that was correct and they would try to put in an expedited request. I asked if I would be receiving verification of this request and was told to just call back. Consumers should not be penalized because the servicer takes two months to transfer loans therefore delaying public service loan forgiveness. I would like to know how long this has been going on with my loans throughout the 8 years Ive been paying them back. Im sure there are other consumers that dont even realize that this is happening to them.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-07

Gerry, NY

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I have learned that loans are being taking out in my name my name is XXXX
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-07

Arco, CA

Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Complaint: This particular account situation that is lately filing on my own credit document has a seriously unfavorable relation to my personal ability to obtain a present loan application. I highly recommend you generate verification that FED LOAN SERVICING has been reported completely in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act regulations, it's really a serious problem to mis-report. Moreconfirmation of the aforesaid item too. My proper request mustover, I was never 30 days/60 days/120 days late in any of my payments and I'm not greatly tuned in to the date opened so I prefer to ask your be investigated as soon as possible and confirmed to be correct. Thanks!
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-07

Santa Ysabel, CA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I took out $ XXXX of school loans for a degree. he loan went from $ XXXX $ XXXX and it keeps growing. $ XXXX in 8 yearsand no one is helping me. Its a Federal school loan.. I am in financial ruin.. Threats of increasing interest rates from the people at AES. I am being old i now have to agree to pay $ XXXX in additonal interest, to transfer my loan again to another federal program..i owe $ XXXX, not {$130.00} but they say i owe them the money. Its not fair, its not true, I have been not paying because my loan repayment and interest rates are fraudulent. * failing to count qualifying payments that were made to previous servicers ; * failing to count qualifying early payments that were not received within the billing period ; * falsely reporting to third parties that students loans were in default when they were current. * Increasing and decreasing interest rates without communicating with me or letting me know. * Outrageous interests rates and hiring predatory loan collectors. * Trying now to get me to re-consolidate in order to get off my credit report. I cant agree to a reconsolidation when this original loan is fraudulent. No one is helping me. I tried calling attorneys, I tried calling consumer advocate groups. No one is helping because this is a FEDERAL LOAN. I need help! This is ruining my life, I cant buy a house, I cant buy a car, I cant do anything. My credit is shot $ XXXX in interest in 8 years>? I need help! My entire family is on the verge of homelessness because of this outrageous loan. I dont know where to turn.. I need help please. XXXX XXXX XXXX
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-05

Gloucester City, NJ

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: XX/XX/XXXX To Whom It May Concern : Please refer to complaint ID # XXXX-XXXX for previous information about this current complaint. I wanted to write to you to follow up on the response that Fed Loan Servicing has recently provided. I have already called them directly many times throughout the summer, talked to several Ombudsman representatives, and tried to resolve this issue through Congressman XXXX office only to be told the same unfair information, which I really find preposterous. I have recently contacted Senator XXXX office as well. The fact that they can raise rates and extend payment time is totally unfair and unjust. Especially, when the only action I performed was to fill out an application to ask for loan forgiveness to help with the financial hardships I am currently experiencing. If my application did not meet the criteria for loan forgiveness I can not comprehend why my payments and term could not remain the same as before, as opposed to now being set at a higher amount or a longer term, creating more of financial burden for myself and my family. I will be turning XXXX years old this year, and I have worked very hard in obtaining my degrees, working full-time and raising a family. By completing the PSLF application for Loan forgiveness, I was looking for help. Unfortunately, to my dismay due to unclear terms and conditions in the fine print on this application, I feel unjust practices have been put in place and take advantage of those individuals like myself who struggle to make a better life for themselves. Instead of relief, they have increased the cost to pay off the education that I worked so hard to complete. In response to Fed Loans communication, I would like to say at XXXX I have XXXX XXXX XXXX for small print even with glasses. The application was filled with small print and language that was not only difficult to see/read, but language and terms that were hard to understand. I did not see or read anything that said my loan would be in forbearance, or that servicer or payment would change. Otherwise, I would have never applied. I did not understand the terms of what I was signing. The response about TEPSLF was incorrect. One representative had suggested that I send an email to have them review my application making me think this is what I was supposed to do, but after learning that this would not benefit me, I sent a follow up email that said my previous email was sent in error, and I was not interested in TEPSLF. The terms are income based and my payments would end around the same time as my original loan payments, so I am not sure why TEPSLF was offered as a suggestion in the first place. They continue to say they are waiting for my income, even after I have made it clear that I am not interested in an income based repayment plan. In addition, during this whole ordeal the best part is that at the end of the ten years, roughly only {$120.00} would be forgiven if I was even approved for the program. I have been paying my student loan since XXXX, {$120.00} does not even cover a payment for one month. Although they continue to say, we understand and sympathize with her concerns they are continuing to extend my loan ten years or pay {$1000.00} more a year. The response also says they had to increase the amount, or extend the loan so that it is paid off in time. In XXXX my loans were consolidated. A payment of {$200.00} until XXXX were the original terms set by XXXX, so how could Fed Loan Servicing determine different terms using the same information XXXX had. It should be the same. Also, the response eluded to a short time the loan was in a bankruptcy stay. It did accumulate interest, but not {$10000.00} worth which is what they are asking me to pay until XXXX. No company can punish a person for seeking financial relief through bankruptcy or use that as an excuse to raise rates especially since they are unaware of the reasons that prompted the action in the first place. Since I was denied loan forgiveness due to not having 120 consecutive payments, my loan should be returned to XXXX, or continue at the same repayment terms. I am a law-abiding citizen. I work hard as a XXXX XXXX XXXX in a poor underprivileged community, and I pay my bills. I am raising XXXX small children and am the primary caregiver of my mother in law who is XXXX years old and is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX My income is the main financial resource for my household. I can not afford almost a {$100.00} more a month, or agree to pay ten more years of this loan with the increasing cost of living each year, raising children. I have not made any payments to this company and will not until this situation is rectified especially that the response states that any payment over the money due will go to interest first. I have not received correct information from any representative that I spoke to thus far. I dont want any payments to be understood as in agreement with anything they have said or set forth since they have taken over my loan. At the end of one of their supervisors response ( Mr. XXXX ), he suggests to contact The Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, which I did two weeks ago only to be told by the representative, It is what it is. Clearly, an unkind response in that he does not have to come up with the funds to meet Fed Loans 50 % increase. I want my loan returned to XXXX under the same repayment terms. The stress and anxiety that this situation has caused is unbearable and unnecessary. The Public Loan Forgiveness program is a ruse, and should be replaced with a program that will really help hard working American people not take advantage of them because of lengthy hard to read fine print or terms that are hard to understand.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-05

Canton, OH

Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Complaint: This particular account situation that is lately filing on my own credit document has a seriously unfavorable relation to my personal ability to obtain a present loan application. I highly recommend you generate verification that FED LOAN SERVICING has been reported completely in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act regulations, it's really a serious problem to mis-report. Moreover, I was never 120 days late in any of my payments and I'm not greatly tuned in to the date opened so I prefer to ask your confirmation of the aforesaid item too. My proper request must be investigated as soon as possible and confirmed to be correct. Thanks!
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-05

Washington, DC

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-05

MO

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Complaint: I have been trying for YEARS to get Fedloan servicing to set up a income based repayment ... For some reason it is always stalled out, or can't be processed, or needs more documents, or a signature is missing, even though I am doing everything they ask or tell me. I keep having to put my loans in forbearance which accrues interest and nothing is ever resolved. I have spent hours on the phone, I've tried the website, it just never works. This is the most ridiculous process I have ever seen. I am certain I am not the only person having this problem. Please help
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-05

MA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I have been repeatedly treated in a reckless manner by representatives at Fedloan. They have offered unsolicited advice to put my loans into states of forbearance and deferment without explaining to me the consequences of such actions. This reckless advisement has resulted in over {$13000.00} in additional capitalized interest on top of my original balance. I am seeking a resolution on this action.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-05

MA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: Dear CFPB, Please assist in any way you can. I have loans from law school with FedLoan Servicing. I am a former member of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Having served in this XXXX program for two years, I received the XXXX XXXX Education Award. I make my loan payments with this education award through an online XXXX portal. FedLoan servicing consistently applies my payments late. I fear that the late payments will damage my credit score, appear negatively on my credit report, and that some of the payments will be ineligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I currently work in legal services for a nonprofit, and all my payments should be PSLF eligible. When I make a payment through the online XXXX portal, it lists my payment as " Pending Institution Action. '' It lists the payment in this status for weeks at a time, such that my payment to FedLoan ends up being late and not PSLF eligible. For example, FedLoan currently lists my payment due XX/XX/XXXX as late even though I created a payment request on XX/XX/XXXX. This payment has still not been applied to my balance. Today, I created a payment request for my payment due XX/XX/XXXX, and I fear that that payment will also be applied late. This is an ongoing issue. When I look at my ledger of payments submitted through the XXXX portal, many payments over the last 3 years are not accepted by FedLoan until close to a month after I submit the payment. I spoke with FedLoan about this roughly two months ago. They told me their system for dealing with this issue is admittedly imperfect because they only send requests to XXXX for the payments once every few weeks. This causes many payments to be late. I told them this is very unfair. I told them I had submitted complaints and inquiries about this issue before via FedLoan 's " Email Us '' tool on their website. When I asked for copies of all correspondence I submitted, they told me I would have to subpoena them to get it. Thank you for any assistance.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-04

IN

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem lowering your monthly payments
Complaint: I started at XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/2008 and did not finish my degree. I have student loans and the college has since closed. My loans were sent to collection company as I could not afford the HIGH payment they wanted me to pay. I am currently making {$14.00} monthly payment to collection because they have withheld my Tax return. I have asked several different times of lowering my payments to a reasonable amount and can never get anywhere? I would figure they would work with me instead of not getting paid. I just received a phone call from XXXX stating my loan was accepted into the Navient lawsuit and to call this number for 90 % loan forgiveness and gave a ref # XXXX to use when I call back. I'm not sure if that is a scam. I owe over {$30000.00} In student loan debt as I'm not saying I don't owe this but these companies will not work with me.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-04

Bloomfield, NJ

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem lowering your monthly payments
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-04

Bel Alton, MD

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-04

Sandy Hook, CT

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-04

Bristol, RI

Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-04

Bloomington, MN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Private student loan

Problem with customer service
Complaint: I've have file a complaint once before about American Education Services aggressive collection practices. Per the recommended resolution of my 1st complaint, i enrolled into their direct debit program. I stopped the scheduled direct debit from happening on XX/XX/XXXX using AES online website. On Thursday XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX CST, I called to ensure that my direct debit was in fact cancelled for the XXXX of XXXX and the payment moved to the XXXX. The agent i spoke with on XX/XX/XXXX informed me " the payment I submitted to be debited from my account on XXXX was already in process, in fact it was already sent to my bank for withdrawal. '' On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, i received an email saying that my account was more than 8 days past due?? When i called American education services, i was informed that my payment was cancelled with no notes on when, who, or why it was cancelled. Nor was i sent ANY correspondence telling me it was cancelled. I repeatedly asked the 2 agents i talked to today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to pull the call record from Thursday XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX. The agents did and said nothing, only that they had no information the cancellation of my payments BUT they have already repeatedly contacted my cosigner ( and not me the borrower whos making all payments and whos contact info is listed ) multiple times again using aggressive tactics, mis information and not giving any type of accurate information. I was also hung up on by someone in the complaint department after providing my bank account information to pay the " past due bill ''
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-04

Niverville, NY

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: Starting in XX/XX/2019, I was so far ahead in my monthly payments that I was allowed to stop making payments for a few months. I received a summary of my accounts with this information monthly, with the date of when payments would need to start again. So in XXXX and XX/XX/2019, I stopped automatic deduction from my checking account. Each month, I paid a large chunk of money on one specific loan in an effort to pay it off. I successfully paid in full one loan in XXXX, and received a " Paid In Full '' letter in the mail a few days later. My plan was to, each month, make a payment for one specific loan to pay it off, and by the time my paid ahead staus was finished, I should have 3 loans paid off. However, on XX/XX/2019, I received correspondence that my loan terms changed, and suddenly I was mandated to make payments again starting this month. When I called for further clarification on XX/XX/2019, the customer service representative informed me that my paid ahead status was canceled PER MY REQUEST. I assured her that I had not made that request ; in fact, I had not spoken to anyone at fedloan in months. The representative shared with me that the important information that should have been documented in my account, such as the identification number of the representative who made such change, was missing. This is alarming to me, that someone at fedloan made changes to my account WITHOUT MY CONSENT. This is the reason for my complaint. The representative did submit a request to reinstate my paid ahead status ; however, this will take time to process. In the interim, I have to make the mandated payments for XXXX, and possibly XXXX, and my plan to have 3 loans completely paid off by spring is no more. I am angrier, however, that someone at fedloan made changes to my account WITHOUT MY CONSENT.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-04

Lb, CA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: Earlier this year I learned of the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity and have applied as I have made the correct amount of payments and met all other conditions. However, I have been locked in an endless dialogue with FedLoan Servicing about my payment count for months. My payment count has constantly changed and my eligibility for TEPSLF turned down multiple times. I have called regularly and kept very accurate records of the content of my conversations. Attached you will find a detailed timeline of the runaround I have been given by FedLoan Servicing and the Department of Education. For some time, I wanted to believe that it was just a misunderstanding, or at worst incompetency, that prevented my application from being approved, but I am now under the distinct impression that my payment count is being purposely manipulated to keep me from qualifying for loan forgiveness under the TEPSLF program. Whatever the case, it is clear that their directive is prevent me from accessing total information about my loans and helping me in any way. I believe that some representatives are trying to do what they can it just seems something over them has put a halt to any progress. I know that FedLoan Servicing is up for a new contract with the current administration and I fear they are being overly zealous in preventing people from being approved for loan forgiveness to help in their bid for that contract since that is clearly what the administration wants. Also, there is a constant confusion between PSLF and TEPSLF. Having to apply for PSLF and be turned down and then request to be considered for TEPSLF has caused considerable confusion as to the actual number of my payment count. Furthermore, no one at any loan servicing agency ( XXXX XXXX XXXX or XXXX ) ever told me about PSLF or that I was on the wrong payment planand that I could switch to an IDR, let alone told me that making reduced payments and/or a forbearance would impact my payment count.Nothing they told me absolutely nothing and advised me to make an adverse decision about my loans rather than a very positive one.I learned about the PSLF program from a colleague at school in the summer of 2014. That means the program was in existence for 7 years and no one at my loan servicing agencies ever mentioned it. I began dealing with FedLoan Servicing after having my loans transferred there in the fall of 2014 so I could participate in the PSLF program. Currently, I am still waiting for the most recent TEPSLF count as I am once again under a lengthy review. I have also asked my Congressional Representative, XXXX XXXX, and the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to intercede in my case. Representative XXXX has opened an inquiry into the case and the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is waiting on FedLoan to receive some mystery documents from XXXX before they do anything. I do not expect much from them as they are an arm of the agency causing the issues.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-03

Clifton, NJ

Incorrect information on your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Account information incorrect
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-03

Yuma, AZ

Getting a loan

Student loan: Private student loan

Confusing or misleading advertising
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-10-03

Aurora, IL

Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with product or service terms changing
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-03

La Pine, OR

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Complaint: I am having difficulty getting timely response from my loan servicer, FedLoan Servicing, regarding an error they made in processing Public Service Loan Forgiveness Employment Certification. In XX/XX/XXXX I submitted the Employment Certification form in anticipation of qualifying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness in XX/XX/XXXX. I received a response in XXXX where FedLoan Servicing failed to certify payments made from XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX that should count toward the requirements for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I have spoken to FedLoan servicing monthly since XXXX regarding this issue. They have informed me that these payments werent certified due to an error made by their automated system in their initial review which listed payments from this time period as occurring prior to consolidating my loans with a Direct Consolidation Loan. In fact, I consolidated in XX/XX/XXXX. They have informed me that in order to correct the error they will have to review these payments manually and can not give me a timeframe for when this review will be complete. They have stated that it can take several months. They can not provide any additional information about steps that have been taken to correct their error. Despite the error occurring during their review, they have consistently blamed the delay and inability to provide more information on response time from previous loan servicers. I have asked directly about mechanisms to formally lodge my dissatisfaction and been told that all they can do is flag my account to show that I am not happy with the time it is taking to correct their error. I find their inability to accurately review paperwork and correct their errors in a timely manner and their inability to provide useful information regarding the status of a review including any commitment on their part to meet a deadline unacceptable. FedLoan Servicing and the Department of Education have been subjected to quite a lot of negative press regarding their poor performance in providing their clients accurate information and processing paperwork accurately and in a timely fashion. This negative press is well-deserved in my experience. I also find it troubling that they can not provide their clients avenues for providing feedback regarding their experience, nor can I locate anything on their website to provide feedback. It appears that they have no interest in improving their performance in these matters.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-03

Montclair, NJ

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-03

WI

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-10-03

Bueche, LA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: The Fedloan Servicing ( U.S. Department of Education ) is providing consumer misinformation which warrants investigation. I have called this department almost every week to attain information regarding the status of my Income Driven Repayment Plan. On the last week of XXXX, I spoke with XXXX ( XXXX ) who indicated that I had the option of not paying the XX/XX/2019 amount of {$540.00} because my forbearance ( {$5.00} ) had been approved and I should be receiving it soon. It was received on XX/XX/2019 stating the forbearance had been approve, but dated for XX/XX/2019 to XX/XX/2019. This forbearance was supposed to cover XX/XX/2019, but now I am getting different information. Today, XX/XX/2019, I was told that the {$540.00} was still due and that they ( XXXX and XXXX ) work Id numbers ( XXXX and XXXX ) respectively did not understand why XXXX would tell me that this payment wouldn't be due. If you listen to the recording, it would confirm and support everything I have stated. An investigation is urgently warranted. This could be impacting thousands of borrowers. I was disregarding and told they were sorry, but the payment still had to be paid. There is illegal activity and the consumer does not know if the information being received is accurate. The public service forgiveness representative indicated there was missing information when there was none. Another confirm that information stated missing was not missing such as the end date. I am still employed which is indicated. This is outrageous. I was not provided the information until much later and had to resubmit the form which is now requiring a longer processing time.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response