AES-PHEAA

2019-09-01

San Jacinto, CA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I never received a bill and then I got negative reports on my credit that's effecting my credit..I called FED loan servicing and they said the report couldn't be reversed and it wouldn't show on my report because its a fed loan. was told this loan was going to be deleted off my report cause school went bankrupt.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-09-01

College Park, NV

Incorrect information on your report

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Account information incorrect
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-09-01

Oxnard, CA

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

2019-08-30

Cleveland, OH

False statements or representation

Debt collection: Federal student loan debt

Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-30

Winston Salem, NC

Incorrect information on your report

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

Account information incorrect
Complaint: I am having trouble with Fedloan Servicing and its reporting of fair, accurate and complete information per guildlines of FACTA/FCRRA to the credit reporting agencies XXXX, XXXX and XXXX, regarding the six ( 6 ) student loan accounts. I have submitted multiple disputes with the said credit reporting agencies, only for the information in question to return back verified, from the agencies. In the attachments you can see that they are reporting multiple late payments in excess 120 days in addition to comments designed to further hurt my credit score. Furthermore, Fedloan Servicing has also taken steps designed to further damage my credit by submitting that there is a Freeze, on my credit file. It is in my strongest opinion that I believe Fedloan Servicing to be in multiple violations of FACTA/FCRA. I am submitting proof that my account at that time, beginning XX/XX/2016, was in forbearance/deferment which would show that the negative reporting in fact are incorrect. Once forbearance/deferment is granted, it is good for twelve ( 12 ) months. At the end of the twelve ( 12 ) month period if one chooses to remain in the program, an addition application is to be submitted. In addition, as evident in my attached credit reports, Fedloan Servicing is failing in its reporting of complete information, as there is a number of months of unavailable account information, being reported. The failure of the company to report fair, accurate and complete information per the FCRA has severely impacted my ability to build relationships and obtain credit from other lenders/financial institutions. I have tried on mulitple occasions to have the XXXX, XXXX and XXXX remedy these errors
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-29

Bohemia, NY

Incorrect information on your report

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Information belongs to someone else
Complaint: i was a victim of identity theft
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-29

Heer Park, NY

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
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-29

MD

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: When I filed out my Income-Based Repayment ( IBR ) for 2018, I went to the student aid government website but somehow got redirected to my fedloan website. FedLoan is 1 of my 2 loan servicer 's. I filled out my IBR on fedloan.org, instead of the federal student aid website. I had never done that before and did not realize American Education Services ( AES ) didnt get my IBR. AES also did not have the correct contact information for me, even though I have had the same telephone number for over 15 years. Once I finally realized the mistake, I filed out my IBR for AES. Usually when I fill out my IBR, my current balance decreases, or is zerod out. With my other loan servicer FedLoan it decreased b/cthey immediately applied a forbearance to the outstanding amount owed before my IBR was processed. However, AES my 2nd loan servicer never applied the forbearance and let that large amount carry over each month. I noticed it was being carried over, but in the past it has taken a few months for that decrease to show up on my bill. I also recently noticed they were charging me a {$40.00} late fee as well, even though I was making my IBR payments on time. After receiving several bills with the large balance, I just went ahead & paid it in full. In the meantime, I had been making my IBR payments on-time every month. Currently, AES has reported me to all 3 credit bureaus as being over 180 days late even though I have been making my IBR payments every month on-time. I sent American Education Services a letter only requesting that they change my late status to all 3 credit agencies as on-time, however they denied my request. When I looked back at my online bills I noticed the late fees AES was charging me. I believe they never applied the forbearance and have no desire to work with borrowers so they can scam more money out of people. The late fee is almost {$40.00} a month. I was being charged {$40.00} a month for 8 months even though I was making my IBR payments on time. FedLoan servicing received my IBR, applied my forbearance and I have had no issues what so ever. I'm sure if you look further into American Education Service 's business practices you will find other victims of their fraudulent, and dishonest activities.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-28

VA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I am enrolled in PSLF program and FedLoan has miscalculation and overestimated the number of payments that I need to make in order to be granted loan forgiveness. I called over 10+ times to FedLoans to have them re-count my payments and update my payoff date. After 2+ years and a CFPB complaint later, they finally re-counted by payments and the count is still off. I have called them again to recount my number of payments but again they say it will take several months to years. My payoff date should be XX/XX/2022. Your assistance is much appreciated. The customer service reps are not helpful. Nothing ever changes no matter how many times I call. I know the correct date because I had them mail me all of my payment paperwork and prior pay off dates listed 3-4 years ago were correct.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-28

CT

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, I got a voicemail on my home phone from someone representing the Department of Education stating I qualify for a better repayment plan. On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted the phone XXXX. I spoke to a woman who said there is a push from the department of education and lawmakers on the student debt crisis. She spoke very good English and I could hear other conversations in the background about student loans/rates etc. She said I was overpaying from XXXX and said by the end of the loan term after paying it off, i'd pay over XXXX almost double what my loan amount was originally. She told me I would only pay a total of XXXX. She said there will be a larger payment over the course of four months of {$260.00} and then it would drop to approx. {$80.00} pending final loan amount. At no point did she say there were fees or what that XXXX would be used for and towards. She also said I qualified for forgiveness of the loan after 10 years, which is not true because I don't work for a non profit or govt agency. XX/XX/XXXX is when another payment of XXXX is to come out. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received my first mailing. It said at the end of my term, it would be over {$80000.00} paid WAY more than XXXX and Far more than the XXXX. XXXX was not even XXXX according to my last statement. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a courtesy call from XXXX asking me if I was aware someone was accessing my XXXX account and FAFSA information. My email had been changed to XXXX which is not correct. The auto debits were stopped all through XXXX. There was a lot of misleading information especially about the final payoff, if it's a government loan whether it's XXXX, XXXX or Fed loan directly everybody should have the same payoff amount. No fees should be accepted. at :XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, according the letter rec 'd on XX/XX/XXXX I can cancel within 10 business days of the dated letter XX/XX/XXXX. I went ahead and I canceled the loan consolidation process. I have also been in contact with XXXX to keep the loans with XXXX.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-28

Sebring, FL

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I consolidated my loans with Fed Loan Servicing back in 2012. The way they handled payments while my loan is in deferment is deceptive and unfair. I made a large principal payment to my loan and specifically requested the payment go to my unsubsidized loan, as I am in deferment and my subsidized loan is not accruing interest. Instead of Fed Loan honoring my request, they ignored it. I made the payment on XX/XX/XXXX. I emailed and called, and after much persistence they finally reapplied my payment on XX/XX/XXXX. Since I am knowledgeable about how loans work and how accrued interest is charged, I understand how deceptive this company is. Many others who have student loans do not know this nuances, and Fed Loan Servicing goes out of its way to scam unsuspecting college students. If a student is in deferment, all payments should go to the unsubsidized loan. They would have to refund consumers millions, so I know that no change will occur, and the CFPB will do nothing to help people who actually need help.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-28

Queens, NY

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem lowering your monthly payments
Complaint: I have been constantly asking for lower payments. They are not considering my cost of living and that is unfair. I am a XXXX, living on a XXXX 's salary in XXXX. My housing prices have gone up every single year and I have been trying to get on affordable housing for at least 5 years with no luck. I have tried to find cheaper housing with no luck. The loans do not consider this in my repayment calculations which is harmful to those of us who work in big cities. I had to get a XXXX to XXXX. I also had to live. I last spoke to the fed loan servicers on XX/XX/2019 and was told that with a repayment under the income driven plan, I'll be paying XXXX which is reasonable. However, once I got my letter back XX/XX/2019 it was back even more to XXXX. I already told them XXXX is really tough for me to pay with rent expenses, commuting, bills, and food. That's why they had me do another. I find it strange that they keep coming up with the same amount. I really need help with this. Please. Thanks.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-28

San Jacinto, CA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I have student loans that were previously serviced by XXXX XXXX from XXXX-XXXX. The servicer changed from XXXX XXXX to FedLoan. Fed loans only documented my payments with them but not XXXX XXXX, leading 2 years worth of qualifying payments for PublicServiceLoanForgiveness program, being lost to the record. I have contacted XXXX XXXX, which did not provide me with those records after several months of effort. I have also contacted FedLoans (XX/XX/XXXX ), who says they will do a manual count of the documents, but it has been 5 months now. I have tried to follow up several times, with automated replies. I have complained about XXXX XXXX before, in an attempt to obtain my record but have not been successful. If this attempt is unsuccessful, I will start writing to my representatives and senators and complained about the ineffectiveness of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to confront these companies and obtain accurate records of my payment history. I am approaching 9 years of service in the XXXX and I would like that to reflect in the PSLF qualifying payments.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-28

Williamston, MI

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

2019-08-28

Dallas, GA

Written notification about debt

Debt collection: I do not know

Didn't receive enough information to verify debt
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-08-28

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with the fees charged
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-28

Indianapolis, IN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: One problem I've had is that I transferred my loan to PSLF in XXXX. At that time I had worked XXXX at two different XXXX colleges since the winter of XXXX, so about 4 years worth of paying on my loans. I had my employment certified from both institutions. I called XXXX and they agreed I was eligible for the program. My loans were added and I began paying. It is now fall of XXXX, my payments from the span of XXXX ( my initial hire date ) to XXXX ( when I entered PSLF ) have still not been processed/calculated toward my 120 total payments. I called and spoke to them several times over the last few years, including today. I was told that waiting these are called partially processed payments, and that taking two years for the processor is normal. I asked if I could speak to the processor, no. Can I talk to anyone about this that can set some expectations as to when this will move from partially processed to processed, no. Is there any information missing, no. Can I know when this will done, no. And so on. I can't get them to calculate my payments, making it difficult to know what's remaining. Also, I am a salary employee and I take out XXXX ( income based repayments ) but my payments year-to-year have often fluctuated by XXXX of dollars, even with my salary changing maybe 3 to 5 % yearly.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-08-28

Reader, AR

Getting a loan

Student loan: Private student loan

Fraudulent loan
Complaint: I have tried several times to have them to send me documents showing that i signed for a loan. The loan i did get I paid it off through XXXX XXXX years ago. Under 5,000 I paid over 12,000 back. Now EAS are saying that I owe them for a loan that I did not receive. Never attended a college again. My credit report showed it as being paid off. AES stated if was paid in full but now it has started all over again saying that i owe them. AES even put on my credit report so im wondering what is really going on. Really stressing my out about this ...
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-27

Bloomington, MN

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Complaint: I am currently in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program ( PSLF ). I learned after initially submitting my employment certification form that the numbers of qualifying payments varied drastically between my loans, despite the fact that I have always paid all of the loans together. I initially brought up this issue more than 3 years ago and there still has been no resolution. When I first discovered the problem I called and was told to submit some sort of appeal which I was told takes 6 months because it has to go to the Department of Education. After longer than 6 months I received the results stating my qualifying payment totals remained the same. I called again and was told this time that maybe the problem was that my loans were on something called " paid ahead status. '' They said they would take off this status and then I would have to resubmit. Again after longer than 6 months after submitting again the qualifying payment totals were incorrect. I called again ( XX/XX/XXXX ). I talked to one employee who initially said the review was done incorrectly. I then asked to talk to their supervisor due to it having been years since I started this process. I then talked to XXXX ( employee ID : XXXX ) who said that he manually checked some of my loans and agreed the payment counts were incorrect. He said the old tracking system had problems and had been updated and he would try to escalate the case for higher priority review. I still have not had resolution of this problem or heard back about a third review. I have three supporting documents attached : 1. List of qualifying payment totals for each of my loans as of XX/XX/XXXX. ( This is when I had employment certified up to XX/XX/XXXX. I have since certified up to XX/XX/XXXX and of course made more payments. However this illustrates the main problem of the variable total of qualifying payments : totals vary from 9 to 45. As you can see below the total should be 49 for all loans as of the time of this letter ) 2. History of payments under XXXX ( this totals 36 payments ) 3. History of payments under Fedloan ( 13 done prior to XX/XX/XXXX )
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-08-27

Rochdale, NY

Incorrect information on your report

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

Information belongs to someone else
Complaint: there were some strange accounts on my credit report that I have no knowledge of. Ive never agreed to these accounts 1. fed loan XXXX - {$2200.00} 2. US /DEPT OF ED/XXXX - {$1100.00} XXXX 3. US DEPT OF ED/XXXX - {$1100.00} XXXX
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-27

Saint Paul, MN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: Hello- I have approximately {$75000.00} in student loans and my husband has approximately {$200000.00} in student loans, both being serviced with Fedloan Servicing. Prior to getting married, we filed our taxes as Individuals and were each on our Income-Driven Repayment plans with Fedloan Servicing. We got married in XX/XX/XXXXand so filed our taxes as XXXX XXXX XXXX for the first time for the XX/XX/XXXXtax year. At the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX, my husband was let go from his job. In XX/XX/XXXXof XX/XX/XXXX, I got a letter from Fedloan Servicing stating that I should start gathering material for re-certifying my Income-Driven Repayment plan. They stated that all information needed to be in by XX/XX/XXXX or else my loan payment would increase to {$800.00} per month starting XX/XX/XXXX ( this year I've been paying {$380.00} under my IDR ). I submit income information for IDR every year, and it's never been a problem before. This year, I submitted the income information for both my husband and myself- which included our XX/XX/XXXXtax return, my most recent paystubs from XX/XX/XXXX, and his unemployment insurance benefits letter stating his new income. All information was submitted well before XX/XX/XXXX ( I want to say around the end of XX/XX/XXXXXXXX, because I was nervous they might have trouble with the various changes to our income. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter saying that my new payment would be {$650.00} per month. This was terrifying, because our annual joint income right now is approximately {$74000.00} XXXX {$60000.00} for me and {$14000.00} for his unemployment ). My income last year was something like {$58000.00} and my IDR payment was {$380.00} a month. I thought perhaps Fedloan Servicing did not account for the fact that my husband 's income dropped so much, so I called them on XX/XX/XXXX to find out what was going on. They told me that the payment had not been calculated correctly- they correctly incorporated both of our incomes, but they did not account for both of our loans. They told me it should be closer to {$170.00} per month XXXX his recalculated IDR loan payment will be a bit higher, this is just for mine ). Fedloan Servicing told me they would put in an expedited request to have the calculation redone, and told me it should take about a week. I didn't hear back from them after a week, and so sometime last week ( I think XX/XX/XXXX ), I called to check in on the status of the recalculation. At that time, they told me that I should receive a letter today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) with the new monthly payment. I didn't receive anything, and so I gave them a call. The person I spoke with told me that they had again not calculated it correctly because they didn't take my husband 's loans into account. They told me they put in an expedited request to have it reviewed again, and that it should take me a week to hear back the results. I don't know what to do. Last time it took 20 days when they said it would take 7. It seems like they don't know what they are doing, and now I only have a month left before I'm supposed to start paying {$650.00} per month, which we can't afford. Please help me. Thank you, XXXX
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-27

Arlington, VA

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

2019-08-27

Tucson, AZ

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: This complaint refers to a misleading and deceptive repayment structure that FedLoan Servicing presents to repay my student loan. The description that follows is the Graduated Repayment Plan on the FedLoan Servicing website, " With Graduated Repayment, your payments start out low and gradually increase over the life of the loan ( typically every 2-4 years ). '' Since 2013 I have paid {$12000.00} to FedLoan. On time. I realized that {$1200.00} has been paid towards principal, with {$10000.00} paid towards interest. My loan started at {$31000.00} at the time of disbursement and the current balance on the loan is still idling at {$31000.00}. The interest rate on my loan is 5.5 %, so it puzzled me, until I realized the deception in the language used to present this, Graduated Repayment Plan. It is considered, deceptive language, to define a Graduated Repayment Plan as such, because this plan does not explicitly explain to the borrower that there will be no repayment but rather, you will accrue, as by definition : compound interest. Compound interest is not defined by any means in such text. Thus, no repaying '' has truly accrued, since they set the base of this plan lower than what market standard interest allows, so for years I have been unknowingly accruing compound interest on top of the interest that was owed without any such knowledge due to the definitive terms and text used at signing. I will add, and this goes without saying, the emotional and psychological duress of paying this loan back on time since 2013, never having missed a payment, never having had a payment arrive tardy, to only find out that I was sold fraudulent terms, undermining my trust with misleading terms within, have made me lose total hope of arriving at a place where I could be considered debt-free. Thank you for your time.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-08-27

PA

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem lowering your monthly payments
Complaint: I have tried and tried to work with American education services. They never send me the papers I need and never ever help me. My son is in the hospital and they do not even care about my financial hardship I am going through! Recently last month they charged me because I made two separate payments instead of my whole payment! What kind of XXXX is that? Why does it matter if I do two payments??? They want me to pay up over {$300.00} dollars just to cover my two separate payments. Um no. They are suppose to work with me, not me work with them. Its my money.i have report this company 3 times and nothing happens!
Company Response: Closed with monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-08-26

Akron, OH

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with the fees charged
Complaint: I was notified by phone on XX/XX/XXXX that loan was in default and told that I had until XX/XX/XXXX to set up payments on the rehab program or I would incur a 19 % fee which would be XXXX. He wanted info about my AGI from tax return so I did some research to make sure that it was legitimate then attempted to call back with that info from my tax return. The wait on hold to talk to someone at PHEAA was always a long time and they are unavailable on the weekends but I finally reached someone, XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX. The payment using my AGI was too high so we began the process of going over my income and my husband 's along with expenses then the call was dropped. I had to call back when he didn't and wait on hold again. I asked that he call back since he had my info. He did so on XX/XX/XXXX and I signed the form electronically to allow biweekly payments to begin XX/XX/XXXX while he was on the phone. He then said that he will email the agreement to me and my husband to sign and return. I had an email from them on XX/XX/XXXX but couldn't retrieve it. On XX/XX/XXXX a paper copy was received but didn't appear accurate so I tried to get ahold of them again to discuss it and did talk to someone else on XX/XX/XXXX only to be told that I now owe XX/XX/XXXX in fees in spite of the fact that I was trying to work with them.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response