AES-PHEAA
Consumer Complaints
There are over 9925 complaints on file for AES-PHEAA. Dated between 2019-12-11 and 2012-03-07.
Complaints Page 80
2019-01-21
AZ
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Complaint: I paid on my loan for 10 years. I learned about the loan forgiveness and switched to this plan. I was informed that they prior 10 years would not satisfy the plan since I was not officially on the plan. Thus, I changed to the loan forgiveness plan.
As I was beginning to monitor the 10 years to repay, I noticed that there was nowhere to see the end date of the loan forgiveness plan. XXXX XXXX told me the years I had paid since XXXX were not being counted toward the terms of the loan forgiveness. To date, I still have not had this reviewed and an answer provided as to why my payments since XXXX have not been added to the 10 year forgiveness plan.
When I re-applied this year ( IBR ), my payment increased due to my income. I stated that I needed a lower payment and I was told I had to resubmit my application. This was resubmitted. Since XX/XX/XXXX I have not had resolution, continue to get emails stating the I am overdue on payment. I have documented all phone conversations and submitted these conversations in writing to my account under 'uploads '. I am told I do not need to make any payment and that the issue is going to be resolved within 24-28 of today ( XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ). At this point, I want these 2 issues resolved and my account brought current.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-20
Glendale, CO
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I am following up on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. In a conversation on XX/XX/XXXX with the Federal loan program ( Direct Loans ), I had inquired about the PSLF. I was advised to make the 120 qualified payments with an eligible employer and to enroll in either the standard payment plan or income-contingent repayment plan. When I submitted my form last year after making 120 payments, my application was denied stating that I was enrolled in an incorrect repayment plan. I made many decisions based on the PSLF, as I completed my graduate studies in XX/XX/XXXX, when the program was first being rolled out and regulations were still being set. I believed I was following rules and would periodically check federalstudentaid.ed.gov to ensure I was on the right path. Being told last Fall that I was not eligible because I was not enrolled in the correct repayment plan was devastating. Is there any recourse for me?
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-20
Greenwood, CA
Incorrect information on your report
Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting
Account information incorrect
Complaint: XXXX XXXX is reporting incorrect information. I have requested several times to provide information that I received the student loan, I was not given this loan nor am I responsible for the loans. This is erroneous reported and have ask the Department of Education to investigate the matter.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-19
Foothill Ranch, CA
Struggling to repay your loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Problem lowering your monthly payments
Complaint: American Education Services ( AES ) has been servicing my student debt ever since XX/XX/2007, for a total debt of {$110000.00}.
In that time period, I have paid over {$77000.00}, but only have seen my principal drop by {$8100.00}.
During this time, I have had some difficulties making payments due to job loss and other mitigating factors that have forced me to enter forbearance in a few occasions. A few times, I paid late fees ( totaling {$610.00} ).
As of today, my total balance is now {$110000.00}, a full {$8000.00} higher than 11 years ago, despite paying {$77000.00} toward my debt.
At this rate, I do not understand how I can pay my student debt ever. It is not clear to me how this could happen and why I owe more than I owed 11 years ago.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-19
Atlanta, GA
Attempts to collect debt not owed
Debt collection: I do not know
Debt was result of identity theft
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-19
Portland, OR
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
Complaint: I HAVE 6 LATE PAYMENTS ON MY FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS. I WROTE TO THEM ( XXXX XXXX ) SAYING THAT THE LATE PAYMENTS IN QUESTION WERE DUE TO APPLYING FOR THE INCOME DRIVEN PAYMENT PLAN AND TO PLEASE REMOVE THE LATE PAYMENTS FROM MY CREDIT REPORT. THEY MISTOOK THIS AS ME ASKING TO BE DEFERRED AGAIN ( I HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAYING FOR OVER A YEAR WITHOUT MISSING A PAYMENT ), WHICH I DID NOT WANT.
I JUST WANT THE LATE PAYMENTS REMOVED FROM MY CREDIT REPORT DURING THIS TIME I WAS APPLYING FOR INCOME DRIVEN PAYMENTS, I COULD NOT MAKE THE PAYMENT INSTALLMENTS THEY ASKED OF ME, WHICH IS WHY THE MARKED THE PAYMENTS AS LATE UNTIL MY PAPERWORK WAS COMPLETED.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
ME
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: My Teach Grant was converted to a loan. I called XXXX XXXX XXXX to make this situation right as I have been working in a low income public school for 2 years and they told me I didn't re-certify in time. I never received an email from them. They told me it's my job to check their email frequently for notifications. I'm still working in the same school teaching low income schools, so I am continuing to fulfill my end of the agreement.
Secondly, my Public Service Loan Forgiveness keeps getting denied for things like : -the start and end date were on the same line -all pages need to be uploaded again even if you have already submitted a cover page in a previous upload
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
Bohemia, NY
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 on an income-based repayment ( IBR ) plan since I began repaying my federal student loans in XX/XX/XXXX, as I work in public service and am on track for PSLF. Every year I have to recertify for an income-based plan by authorizing XXXX XXXX to view my tax information and determine my monthly payment amount based on yearly income. For this year, I recerified online on XX/XX/XXXX before the deadline of XX/XX/XXXX and received confirmation from the IRS that my information was accessed by XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a message from XXXX XXXX saying they were changing my loans to a standard repayment plan rather than an IBR plan, which would cost me significantly more than I can afford per month. When I called, I was told this is because they never received my IBR application, though the customer service representative looked into it and acknowledged they did in fact receive it and this was a mistake. Because of this mistake, XXXX never processed my IBR application and still to this date has not completed it and informed me of what my monthly payment amount will be.
I have called XXXX customer service 5 times in an attempt to resolve this issue [ on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX ]. During each call I have been told to do completely different things in order to have my application processed ; I have followed the instructions of all 5 customer service representatives, and each time nothing happened and my application did not get processed as I was told it would be. The first and second times I called, I was instructed not to make any payments ( as they would not qualify for PSLF ) until my IBR application was done being processed. They assured me it would be resolved by the end of XXXX so I will not have to worry about delinquency or reports of non-payment to credit agencies. This instruction was reiterated to me in follow up calls when I asked if this was correct, as so much time has gone by that I have been getting past due notices from XXXX. When i called a third time on XX/XX/XXXX because my application still had not been processed, I was told I just had to pay a {$5.00} fee to have my IBR application processed ; the representative said I would receive a bill within a week and once I pay it the application would be processed within 1 month. I never received a bill so I called back on XX/XX/XXXX and was told I could pay it over the phone via debit card. I of course paid right away over the phone, and was told it would take 1-3 days to have the application processed and find out what my monthly payment amounts will be. When I last called on XX/XX/XXXX, I was told that a request to have my application processed was submitted on XX/XX/XXXX, and the customer service representative said he submitted a second request to have it processed. He said I would hear back within 3 days of that last call. However, it has been 2 weeks and still nothing has changed and my account has not been updated.
All of my federal student loans are in forebearance status until XX/XX/XXXX ; each time I call they resubmit the application for forebearance so they have a few more weeks to process my IBR application.
As a result of this ordeal, I have not made any PSLF-qualifying payments since XX/XX/XXXX, since I was directed not to make payments in XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. This means it will now take me 3 ( more if its not resolved by the end of this month ) months longer than it otherwise would have to make the 120 payments required to have my loans forgiven. It is completely unacceptable that XXXX XXXX can not complete such a routine process within a reasonable amount of time. I will likely have to call again this upcoming week, but I dont know if theres anything else I can do to get them to just process this application like they say they will do each time I call.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief
2019-01-18
Phila, PA
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Problem with product or service terms changing
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
Houston, TX
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I was diagnosed with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX metastasized to my XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, and have been undergoing treatment since that time. On Monday ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I became aware of The Department of Education Appropriations Act, XXXX ( XXXX. XXXX, the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act ) which provides the following : Student borrowers with XXXX can now pause their payments Borrowers are now exempt from their federal student loan payments throughout their treatments for XXXX and then for six months afterward.
Interest will not accrue during the postponement I am XXXX years old and have substantial student loan debt which accrues thousands in interest every year. This deferment program would help me tremendously, especially because I have a significant amount of out of pocket medical expenses I am incurring with each XXXX treatment, which includes XXXX, upcoming XXXX and XXXX etc. ; and because I have often not been able to work this past fall, secondary to the grueling side effects of XXXX. Although stage XXXX XXXX is incurable, I hope to work at least part-time as long as possible so that I continue to have medical insurance through the ACA ( rather than go on XXXX XXXX XXXX, which is my only other option ). However, my income is significantly reduced.
On Monday and again today, I spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with multiple people from my student loan servicer, American Education Services ( AES ) which is owned by PHEAA, to ask for the paperwork to start the deferment process under this program.
I was passed from person to person on the phone both days, and today I finally reached a manager who relayed that, although my student loans are Federal Student Loans, American Educational Services is NOT a Federal Student Loan Servicer, so they do not have to comply. My federal loan servicer has changed several times ( not by my choice ) and the loans were recently taken over by AES this past fall. I don't understand how my federal student loans can be taken over by a non-federal student loan servicer, or how AES can actually service federal student loans if they aren't a federal student loan servicer.
The manager from AES went on to say that although my loans are, in fact, federal loans, because my loans are older than XXXX, apparently the year when the Federal Student Loan program changed, I am not eligible for the XXXX deferment program ; and furthermore, " because AES is not a federal student loan servicer they do not have to comply with the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act anyway. '' The AES/PHEAA manager could not explain why the date when my loans were taken out made a difference, or how the federal student loan program had changed in XXXX.
When I got off the phone today I researched AES/PHEAA and discovered out that the company is less than scrupulous and that there have been numerous complaints made by loan holders.
I have already reached out to Congresswoman XXXX XXXX XXXX 's office on Monday ( I am a constituent ) and have heard nothing in return. Right now I am in tears and am physically ill and do not know who else to contact. I was hoping you might be able to help.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
Fall River, MA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
Austin, TX
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
Atl, GA
Incorrect information on your report
Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting
Information belongs to someone else
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
OK
Struggling to repay your loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Complaint: I shifted to XXXX last year because I am eligible for and going for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. I have been on the same income-based repayment plan since 2013. This last year, my income went up drastically. I've done my research and learned that I can stay on my plan, I just might need to pay more. I'm fine with this and it makes sense given the fact that I am going for PSLF.
I have now applied twice to renew my plan, and been denied twice. " A letter '' is coming to me, but I was denied the first time on XX/XX/XXXX and still don't know why. I re-applied yesterday and was denied again today. I have received no contact back from them when I ask why.
They are now moving forward with putting me on the standard payment plan, adding interest back to my loan so my payments are increasing even more, and ignoring my requests for an IDR repayment plan. I was with two other loan companies that were amazing, and am so frustrated that I have this experience now.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
Galena, OH
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-18
Saint Paul, MN
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief
2019-01-18
Yeagertown, PA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Complaint: I now have been enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for 10 years. I should have been able to apply for forgiveness by now, but between FMLA for maternity leave, and one stretch where I did not work right after after the twins, I have to work for an additional year. At this rate, I will be on track to apply for loan forgiveness in about XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX.
Here is the issue, and this is why I am writing you today. Beginning in XX/XX/XXXX, I began requesting a list of the total number of payments toward my 120 payments from XXXX, the current servicer of my loans. Between XX/XX/XXXX and now I would say I have contacted XXXX on more than 10 different occasions to follow up on this request. When I inquire about the request made in XX/XX/XXXX, I simply get the response your request is still being processed. I am VERY concerned that this will result a delay in my loans being forgiven.
Now, another issue has come up. When I went to look at my history of payments on the XXXX XXXX website today, I only saw about 47 payments posted. All the payments I made in XX/XX/XXXX are missing. In late XX/XX/XXXX I was told that after they calculated by income based payment, my monthly payment was {$0.00}. I couldnt believe this and was very skeptical. I asked MANY times you are telling me that a {$0.00} payment still is counted towards the 120 monthly qualifying payments? Over and over again I was told yes.
Today, after I saw all of these missing payments, I called XXXX and spoke to employee XXXX. I told her about my concerns about 1 ) My request from XX/XX/XXXX still not being processed and 2 ) my missing payments from XX/XX/XXXX. This employee told me your request from XX/XX/XXXX is still being processed and your {$0.00} payments will absolutely still count, but they are just not listed on the payments history, only actual payments are listed there.
After this situation today, I XXXX Public Service Loan Forgiveness Complaints, and I was shocked to see probably 50 articles written stating that " It has been one year since student loan borrowers have been theoretically eligible to have their loans forgiven under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) program. And yet, out of the 28,000 borrowers who applied, only 96 have had their loans forgiven. That is less than 1 percent of applicants. This is absolutely shocking and terrifying to me. I am not the mother or the wife that I want to be because I am tethered to my job and working in non profits that work their employees to the bone. I am XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. I feel trapped, and now I am scared there is no end in sight.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-17
Indianapolis, IN
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: 2 years ago I started my effort to Pay in Full my student loan Bill. I call XXXX XXXX many times to rehash the topic I was told by members of the US Department of Education loan officer that My loan was consolidated to my Ex-wife 's daughter, Not my " spouse and that I can not separate these loans apart. They said this is Fraud. I have called the Attorney General office, the Ombudsmen, and XXXX XXXX and heard them say the same word or term FRAUD! I have asked them to un-due, dissolve this consolidation going on for the past 2 years. Each agent I spoke with said the term '' FRAUD '' but send me down the road to another department having to explain to each agent the whole story coming back with fraud and consolidation could only be if it was for my Wife. Not " Step Daughter ''!
So once again they send me and my effort to pay my student loan to another department to Again repeat the story. I am now in the process of hiring an Attorney to sue each and every one of these US Department of Education! They allowed this consolidation to take place knowing it to be fraud and not a CO-SIGNING.
If you please advise me or procedures to have them do their business and stop pushing My Can Down The Road! This loan is now in Forbearance and I refuse to pay for a student who BTW works for a Non Profit organization and her real father was suppose to pat for most of her College education which UI believe this money 's was hidden from me by my wife at the time that she asked me to Co-sign. Thx You, XXXX
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-17
Phoenix, AZ
Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting
Investigation took more than 30 days
Complaint: Beginning XX/XX/XXXX and into XX/XX/XXXXXX/XX/XXXX XXXX began billing me without notifying me or sending me any bills. They did not call me, they did not email me, they did not send physical mail. I found out about the billing due to a 200+ drop in my credit score. I contacted XXXX through a conference call with XXXX XXXX XXXX. When I told the XXXX Representative what had happened he was unable to provide me with any other information other than " we contacted you through your inbox ''. Upon informing him that I have not received any emails from XXXX he repeated the same statement over and over until he mentioned they were notifying me through their own messaging account system on the XXXX website. I did not have an account active on the XXXX website at the time of the billing period, therefore I never received any notifications. If there was an account under my name active on XXXX 's server it was created without my authorization or my knowing. I rated XXXX on the XXXX website and they sent an unsolicited letter to my place of residence stating they were in the right and could not ethically reverse the negative reporting. I contacted XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX requesting an investigation, to which, they never replied. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act XXXX can submit a revision to the Credit Bureau removing the negative reports from my credit report. I also know, under the FCRA, I can file for an investigation in dispute of XXXX 's error directly with the Credit Bureau with or without legal representation. The error being in violation of the Fair Credit Billing Act, XXXX did not properly contact me regarding my billing and therefore all submitted overdue debts were submitted in error. According to the FCRA XXXX is also obligated to resolve this matter and report back to me within 30 days. All of which XXXX has failed to do. Upon filling this complaint I tried to gather my billing statements and other information on my current XXXX web account, but all of the billing I did not know about have been removed by XXXX, but the delinquent credit report they submitted has not been removed from my credit report. They are clearly aware of the issue -or- have attempted to hide the problem preventing any possible reporting to the CFPB.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-17
San Francisco, 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
2019-01-17
South Florida, FL
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Private student loan
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: When attending the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I was forced to take Private student loans. The financial aid office stating the federal student loans was not available to any students at this time and that I had to take the private. When taking the loan the financial aid office stated that I would be able to pay off my loans in about 10 years after starting repayment. When I tried to read the loan I was told that they have alot of people waiting and that I can get a copy. When I asked for a copy of the loan they said I can get it after I graduated. I could never get the copies. It has been over 10 years - I have borrowed XXXX paid over 40k and still owe XXXX. The lender is taking 99.9 percent of the money that I pay and applying it only to interest and never applying anything to the principle I have called several times to question this act and they said " if I don't like what I see I should just pay more " and that if I didn't pay they would garnish my income or take my cosigners house away. I have also ask for them to send validation documents of my loans to me and they do not. Out of fear of being attacked I constantly make payments that do nothing.
This is a prime example of predatory lending practices. I should not have to pay back 100 's of thousands of dollars for a XXXX dollars loan.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-16
Bloomington, MN
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I signed up for an income driven repayment plan in order to qualify for the public service loan forgiveness program. This year when i filled out my annual certification i was told that my payment would be raising 44 %, when i did not experience a corresponding raise in my income of that magnitude. I called on XX/XX/XXXX, and spoke to a representative who confirmed that the payment amount seemed too high. She told me that she would send through the paperwork again to have it reviewed. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called back as I had not heard from my student loan servicer ( XXXX XXXX ). I talked to a representative who said that what the first representative told me was incorrect and I would actually have to fill out a form and submit it for reapplication. While I was going through this process of reapplying I noticed that I had been set up for the Income Based Repayment Plan and not the PAYE or REPAYE payment plan. When I had initially set up my payment plan I feel I was given false information and that I was pushed to sign up for the Income Based Repayment Plan ( which has a higher monthly payment ) vs the PAYE or REPAYE payment option. I wasn't even made aware of the PAYE or REPAYE option even though I specifically asked to be put on the lower monthly payment plan. Over the course of 10 years, being on the IBR payment plan vs the PAYE/REPAYE plan would have cost me roughly {$50000.00} extra dollars. I believe that I was purposefully misled in order for the student loan servicer to collect more money from me and that I was taken advantage of because I am a young woman who happens to be a recent graduate with little knowledge of my options.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-16
Three Bridges, NJ
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I called three times and was on hold for ~20 minutes each. The first time I did not have the information available to complete the update, the next time the line dropped when the agent was about to finally help, and the 3rd time the agent hung up shortly after answering.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief
2019-01-16
PA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Private student loan
Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I am a military member in the XXXX XXXX. My military benefits include {$50000.00} of student loan repayment. I have GATE loans with AES/PHEAA as the servicing agency and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as the lender. The XXXX paid {$5200.00} towards my Gate loans in XX/XX/XXXX and {$5300.00} in XX/XX/XXXX. These payments go towards principal. I still have four more years of those payments plus one additional year of partial payment of approximately {$2500.00}.
I have been trying unsuccessfully to change my payment terms to interest only where there is a monthly interest payment. I WILL PAY THE INTEREST MONTHLY. Then once a year in the fall ( FOR 5 MORE YEARS ), the XXXX will make their government principal payment towards my loans.
The reason for this is so that I do not have to pay back money that the XXXX will be paying on my behalf. AES has stated that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX have been non-responsive and/or will not grant my request. I have faxed them two different letters and have spoken on the phone countless times. I am an XXXX Veteran who has earned these military benefits. The fact that these companies will not work with me to allow me to use the benefits is unacceptable. By changing my loan to interest only, the lender has the best chance of getting their money.
I have attached proof from the last two years of the government payment. I also have attached my contract for Student Loan Repayment Program.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2019-01-16
Discovery Bay, CA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Problem with customer service
Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX i called XXXX about my account ... a School loan debt forbearance. In late XX/XX/XXXX/early XX/XX/XXXX, i submitted a loan debt forbearance form ( but with the input of wrong dates ). I did get info that my request was pending on my XX/XX/XXXX request. I called on XX/XX/XXXX and the representative said the form submitted on XX/XX/XXXX was deleted because it was a duplicate request ; it was not a duplicate request. It was request with different dates and a different form.
The representative sent an inquiry to the claims processors for adjustment and stated i would hear from them in 3-5 business days. Its been longer than 7 business days. Ive sent in 2 online inquiries since and have not received any feedback about my conflict.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief