GREAT LAKES
Consumer Complaints
There are over 1568 complaints on file for GREAT LAKES. Dated between 2019-12-12 and 2012-03-26.
Complaints Page 40
2017-04-27
Washington, DC
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: Started XXXX XXXX , under XXXX XXXX , in XXXX . The institute continued to call for me to begin classes. I informed them because my background would impede my ability to secure employment. I was told it did not matter what my background was they would be able to secure me a job. Upon completion of the program, they were unable to assist me with a job due to my background. XXXX began charging me for the loan XXXX XXXX . XXXX would no t pay for my certification. According to the intake process, they were supposed to cover the cost of the certification. A class action suit was filed again XXXX and XXXX XXXX for defrauding a student. There was a misrepresentation of information. To date, they have not been able to assist me with employment based on the program I completed.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-27
Muncy Creek, PA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-24
Atlanta, GA
Struggling to repay your loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Complaint: I am on an IDR plan. I have tried several times to get Great Lakes who is servicing my loan to explain how they are charging me interest and explain why my balance keeps going up instead of down each month. They are charging me interest for the entire year up front on the loan. On top of that they are charging me per diem interest based on the year 's worth of interest and my " new '' principal balance. I have now figured out that what they are doing is charging me up front for the interest. They set aside that interest amount and all of the payments I make go towards that and only that interest. Nothing I pay extra goes towards the actual per diem interest accruing. I figured out how much interest I should be charged on the per diem rate and paid over that amount for a month to see what happened. My total balance due and total interest due still went up. Each month they are charging me interest on top of interest. To be clear - my current principal balance is {$77000.00} which would be an estimated $ XXXX interest for the entire year. They are charging me the interest up front so that there is no way possible for me to pay it down or off. They have been doing this since I started the IDR and it 's just compiling the interest on top of interest. I had no idea. I 've contacted them several times to figure out why my total balance just keeps going up each month. They have tacked on thousands of dollars worth of interest I had no idea was accruing. And it goes up each month instead of any amount getting put towards the actual per diem rate. Even at the {$77000.00} balance a per diem rate would be less than {$400.00} for the month. I have a spreadsheet that I use to figure out how much interest I should be charged, but since they have put the interest up front for me to pay I would have to pay over {$5000.00} in one month to get the interest for the year paid off and then they are still charging me interest on top of that amount. I want my loans either serviced by someone honest or refinanced so that the actual amount I owe is put in place as well as any additional amounts I pay going towards the principal balance due. This is crazy. I am working an extra job to pay down my loans and they keep tacking on interest that I will never pay off. At the rate they are charging me interest my loans will have a balance of over {$200000.00} within the next 10 years. The original loan amount was {$63000.00}. Great Lakes is making it impossible for me to pay off my loans or even come close to getting them paid down. I do n't have an extra {$10000.00} to pay towards interest in one year. They are using the IDR as a way to make sure that they get all their interest and fees up front. For the month of XXXX and XXXX I paid over the interest per diem amount on my calculated interest per loan and nothing went to principal and they added additional interest to my principal amount due. They show my balance due now at well over {$83000.00}.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-24
Birch Run, MI
Written notification about debt
Debt collection: Federal student loan debt
Didn't receive notice of right to dispute
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-21
Texarkana, TX
Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed
Debt collection: Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Debt resulted from identity theft
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-20
Derry, NH
Incorrect information on credit report
Credit reporting:
Account status
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2017-04-19
Kings Ferry, NY
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: I was told I could not pay off my loan because Great Lakes ( XXXX was the representatives name ) lumped all of my loa ns into one payment. XXXX told me that I have to satisfy my minimum monthly first before I can pay off my loan. My monthly payment is one monthl y payment for all of my loans. Each loan was given a " token number '' but was rolled in to one payme nt. Each loan has different interest rates. I am trying to payoff one specific loan that is a low balan ce but high rate. They told me that even though I have a monthly automatic payment set up that I CAN NOT PAYOFF THAT LOAN. They said I have to make the minimum monthly payment FIRST! I am trying to payoff one loan that they took upon themselves to roll into one big loan. This is costing me daily interest that the company is profiting from by not allowing me to payoff my small loan that they rolled into one big loan.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2017-04-19
Colts Neck, NJ
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: XXXX XXXX fraudulently enrolled me. said that i might be eligible for scholarship when the rep knew it was for working students. I was rushed through the lending process when I should 've gotten financial aid. I was in default of the loan, so I had a lien on my taxes refund.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2017-04-19
Navasota, TX
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Having problems with customer service
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2017-04-19
Lk Buena Vis, FL
Can't repay my loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't decrease my monthly payments
Complaint: {$5000.00} loan has a balance owed now over {$50000.00}. I have been consolidated to Great Lakes and in forbearance for many years now. I work, but could n't afford {$400.00} plus each month so they put me on income repay at {$140.00} per month but with hardships they put my debt on the back end and capitalized the interest and auto forbearance every three months. I ca n't afford repaying all this interest and penalties!
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2017-04-19
Hephzibah, GA
Can't repay my loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't decrease my monthly payments
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2017-04-15
Harsens Is, MI
Can't repay my loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't decrease my monthly payments
Complaint: I have been trying to enroll in an income based repayment plan for 2 months. The first time I tried the loan company said they needed my tax information when typically in the past they electronically obtained it. This year, ironically I had to submit the document by mail, email or fax. I faxed the information and they wrote me telling me they could not enroll me in a program because they did not receive tax information. So I resubmitted an application to enroll in the plan and they said I was approved but told me I needed to fill out the, application again! My XXXX payment is due on XXXX XXXX and it appears as if they are stalling me on purpose to ensure that I reach repayment status and end up in default. I can not afford to pay {$2000.00} in repayment. This is unfair to me as a borrower. I am depressed and going to see a psychiatrist because of this issue. This will ruin my life and I will certainly be in default by the end of the year if I can not enroll in this program.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-14
Chicago, IL
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: I try to make sure that student loan account is current whether employed or not. I was not employed at one point encouraged to fill out for a forbearance period ( instead of a deferment so that I was not responsible for the interest accrued due to not having a job ). I explicitly stated that I did not have a job and I was encouraged to fill out for IBR. What the rep told me was that since I had no income or employment then I wouldnt have to pay anything. However, what they did not mention is I would be responsible for interest accumulated. In addition, studentgov sent the IBR form to other loan companies so those companies took my submission as permission to change those accounts. For example, if I was already placed in a forbearance or deferment status with another company, upon receiving my application, they would remove me from that status and place me on the IBR plan.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-13
MA
Can't repay my loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't decrease my monthly payments
Complaint: i have been applying for income driven repayment for almost five years. the application is either lost or they claim they need additional info from me when i have sent it multiple times throughout differing means ( Postal sevice fax and email ). they are continuing to charge me interest and will not defer the loan when i have financial issues. They al ; lso ask for every piece of information to validate the account when they are not required to. I have spoken with 4 reps today two were supervisors and all refused to help even tho i have provided them with 3 pieces of personal information to authenticate the account. I just want an income driven repayment plan and to have my bill lowered please assist. as i am getting nowehre calling them
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2017-04-13
FL
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: I was reported 90 days past due on my student loan, I have never been late. I never received a written communication letting me know there was an issue with my payment. I was under the impression that it is a requirement for the Student Loan Servicing companies to communicate in writing with the borrowers regarding their loans.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-13
Covington, KY
Can't repay my loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't decrease my monthly payments
Company Response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response Closed with explanation
2017-04-10
Tucson, AZ
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Having problems with customer service
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-09
Fort Worth, TX
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: I asked to be assisted with stopping garnishment of my check what they did was basically had me pay a sum and then told me to start paying XXXX a month I 've been doing that but now I find that the insurance policy that was on my loan has been cashed in so my school had been paid what 's owed Great Lakes is now placing my account on my credit as a collection account and I 've been paying them every month since XXXX. When I call no one has a answer. I 've asked for the copies of my loans with them so I can read over them and they have failed to provide them. They are not supposed to create more of a hardship on me and make it harder for me to pay my debt.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-08
Raymond, NH
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are handled
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-06
NE
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Having problems with customer service
Complaint: I believe my student loan servicer, Great Lakes, is engaged in some shady practices. I have personally stayed on top of it, but I am tired of having to constantly make sure I 'm not getting screwed over and I 'm concerned that other people are getting screwed over because they do n't know any better. Here are some examples : I 've been repaying since XXXX XXXX. I started on IBR and moved to RePaye when it became available ( XXXX ). When I attempted to renew my IDR app in XXXX, Great Lakes " misprocessed '' my application and used my salary rather than my XXXX from my tax return. I know they are supposed to use XXXX, but none of my peers appeared to know that at the time. How many students are n't getting the relief they need or forgoing retirement and healthcare spending in order to make their student loan payments?
When I renewed this year, they tried to move me off of RePaye to the more expensive IBR plan. After I called, their customer service rep said this was a mistake and that I would remain on the RePaye plan.
Finally, Great Lakes claims that if I do n't renew my IDR app yearly, my monthly student loan payment will go up to {$1300.00}. However, when I use the studentloans.gov estimator, the standard repayment plan payment is only {$790.00}. The {$1300.00} number is the number that I am expected to pay at the END of the RePaye payment term. This does n't seem correct to me.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-05
Ft Belvoir, VA
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: http : XXXX? XXXX & XXXX & XXXX & XXXX & XXXX Imagine if one notice from the federal government could cause you to question your major life decisions.
More than half a million people may have found themselves in that situation after a new legal filing by the Education Department.
Under a program known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, some student loan borrowers were supposed to be able to have the balance of their student loans forgiven after ten years of both on-time payments and eligible work in the public sector. Meaning, a qualifying nonprofit, federal, local, state, or tribal government.
The program started in 2007, so the first debt was set to be forgiven this coming fall.
Last year a small group of borrowers learned that their eligibility for the program had revoked. These include four people, all attorneys, working for the XXXX, the XXXX, and XXXX.
Student Loan Debt Has Nearly Tripled In The Last Decade NPR Ed A New Look At The Lasting Consequences Of Student Debt Nonprofits like these are not 501 ( c ) 3 charities or foundations, so it may be ambiguous whether they fall under the law 's definition of " public service ''. But the four argued in a lawsuit last XXXX, joined by the bar association itself, that their status should n't have been revoked, certainly not retroactively.
They had followed all the necessary steps to qualify for forgiveness. They 'd enrolled in the correct repayment program and filled out an Employment Certification Form with XXXX, which acts on behalf of the Education Department. That form certifies that borrowers work for a qualifying organization or a federal, state, tribal or city agency. It 's suggested borrowers file an ECF every year.
On XXXX, the department responded to the suit, saying, " XXXX XXXX 's response to the ECF does not reflect a final agency action on the borrower 's qualifications for PSLF. '' Meaning, in essence, all those years that borrowers submitted certification forms, the department was n't making any promises about forgiveness.
Technically, the department is only responding to the narrow question about whether this small category of organizations is considered public service or not. However, " The retroactive aspect of this filing reasonably causes people to be nervous, '' says XXXX, a senior fellow at the XXXX and a former Deputy Undersecretary of Education under Obama, where he was responsible for overseeing the program during its early years.
Nervous is right. More than half a million borrowers have signed up for the program. So we put the word out to find out how they were feeling. We heard " frightened, '' " anxious, '' " uncertainty, '' " regret, '' " betrayed. '' XXXX, who works for a nonprofit providing legal services to the elderly in XXXX, Idaho, has about {$80000.00} in debt. Like many borrowers, she told us, " A lot of my life-planning decisions were made factoring the loan forgiveness into the equation. '' She says she turned down higher-paying jobs in the private sector, for example. " I would feel very betrayed, for both myself and my XXXX sons, if this program is taken away, '' she says. " I would likely end up paying on my loans until I was in my XXXX and would have no ability to save for retirement or to help pay for my children 's college. '' XXXX is a parole officer in Texas with about {$30000.00} in loans. " It 's horrible, '' he writes, " because I was really depending on that to move on with my life and I do n't know what I 'm going to do. '' Not only have many people made financial and career decisions based on the program, some told us they avoided gettin
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-05
Mesa, AZ
Disclosure verification of debt
Debt collection: Federal student loan
Not given enough info to verify debt
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-04
Gr, MI
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: I made an extra payment to pay off the balance of a loan within an account of XXXX separate loans. I was current with my monthly payments and was explicit that I wanted to payoff that specific loan within the account. Although the student loan company, My Great Lakes, applied the extra payment as another regular payment monthly payment that went towards interest and prinocipal of the XXXX different loans in the acccount. So now I the loan that I wanted to pay off In full still has a balance and is accruing interest. Also, the monthly payment that was scheduled for XX/XX/XXXX is currently still " processing '' and therefore accruing interest.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-04
Williamston, MI
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: I a writing in regards to an issue I discovered last regarding communication received from Great Lakes, a federal student loan servicer, about my eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. I have worked for the State of Michigan for over 17 years. After graduating from school in XXXX I contacted my loan servicer to consolidated my loans. In those discussions with the loan servicer we had conversations regarding the PSLF program and eligibility requirements. I ended up consolidating my loans under the assumption that I was under the correct program.
Several years into repayment ( XXXX ) I reached back out to my servicer to ensure that I was under the correct loan repayment program to qualify for forgiveness under the PSLF program and was assured that I was. Several years later ( XXXX ) I did the same and was assured again that I was in the appropriate program. In XXXX I also completed the paper work necessary to formally certify my employment with the State of Michigan. Subsequent to this paperwork being filed my loan was transferred to XXXX. Last week I received noticed that the repayment plan that I am under is not an eligible repayment plan. I immediately made contact with Great Lakes and they indicated that they would be able to provide me with any assistance regarding their misrepresentations and misstatement of facts and that I should contact the FSAOmbudsman. For 5+ years I have been paying in the wrong repayment program. I trusted the Loan Servicer in providing the appropriate expertise in this area and in relying on this information I have suffered a loss.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2017-04-04
Ft Belvoir, VA
Dealing with my lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: Great Lakes is a contractor for the Department of Education. I am on an income based repayment ( IBR ) plan requiring 120 months of on time payments under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Great Lakes is skipping one payment every year while they " set up a new payment plan '' and then the payment gets added to the end. Because the payments only get higher every year on the IBR and the interest is accruing, this means a significantly longer time to pay ( an additional 10 months if totaled ) and at an increased amount due to the skipped lower payment, higher back end payment and accrued interest. I was making a monthly payment on the XX/XX/XXXX. This year, they approved my IBR in XX/XX/XXXX, informed me in XX/XX/XXXX, skipped the XX/XX/XXXX payment and then started the higher payments due on the XX/XX/XXXX of each month. Today I attempted to correct their mistake and they told me I was wrong in my point and told me nothing could be done and that correcting the mistake by making an extra payment to cover XX/XX/XXXX would n't count for my Public Loan Forgiveness Plan. This issue has been identified by the Department of Education and XXXX has lost their contracts for the same problems. They are intentionally skipping one lower payment each year in order to add it to the back end for higher payments. This feels like an unfair practice since at no point in time is the loan being " reserviced '', " refinanced '', changing hands or doing any of the other things that normally triggers a financial institution change billing cycles or amounts. However, even if this were the case, they approved me in XX/XX/XXXX, Notified me in XX/XX/XXXX, took XX/XX/XXXX payment, skipped XX/XX/XXXX and billed XX/XX/XXXX. There is no reasonable way that they needed almost 4 months to set up a new payment plan. Please address this issue.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation