Date Received: 2022-03-04
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I am being illegitimately billed for my federal student loan when it's eligible for the federal student loan pause. American Education Services ( AES XXXX XXXX Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency ( PHEAA ) hasn't adjusted my account to reflect that. On XX/XX/XXXX, my AES account showed that I didnt have a current payment due, it also shows my account has a past due bill for the {$320.00} I was illegitimately billed for in XX/XX/XXXX. Then I received an illegitimate bill on XXXX bringing the total due to {$650.00}. PHEAA/AES only services my federal student loan and doesnt not own my federal student loan. AES even acknowledged that in the attached American Education Services letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, AES clearly knew that I have a Federal Family Education Loan Program ( FFEL ) loan serviced by American Education Services/PHEAA . AES/PHEAA and contacted me last month to notify me of my Public Service Loan Forgiveness ineligibility since I have never been nor am I currently a public service employee. In the letter, you also see that because I have a Federal Family Education Loan Program ( FFEL ) loan AES suggested that I visit the PSLF Tool at XXXX : XXXX to see if I can take advantage of the limited waiver. BECAUSE I HAVE A FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN THAT IS ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS. As I stated several times in my previous emails to AES ( see here for previous emails I sent to AES : XXXX : XXXX ), I applied for my student loan through FAFSA ( Free Application for Federal Student Aid ) in XXXX, graduated in XXXX, and American Education Services XXXX PHEAA started servicing my federal student loan in XXXX as seen in the attached letter from AES dated XX/XX/XXXX XXXX After my deferment expired on XX/XX/XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX I received a surprise bill for my federal student loan for {$320.00} with a XX/XX/XXXX due date despite me being eligible for the federal student loan pause expiring in XX/XX/XXXX. Normally before my deferment or forbearance ends, AES/PHEAA send me a letter in my AES online account inbox AND in the mail to notify me about the deferment or forbearance end date and about my upcoming bill plus usually how much it will be afterwards. I received the attached letter dated XX/XX/XXXX from AES/PHEAA before my deferment was ending and the only mention of the bill amount but it does state the following : Why We Are Contacting You To remind you that the deferment on your loans will soon expire. What This Means To You Your loans listed below will be due for payments within 60 days of the deferment end date. Since my deferment ended on XX/XX/XXXX that means if there was no federal student loan pause my first bill after deferment would have been due XX/XX/XXXX not XX/XX/XXXX. Regardless, I should have no bill due until after XX/XX/XXXX if and when the federal student loan pause is lifted. I have a Federal Family Education Loan Program student loan serviced by American Education Services/PHEAA . According the attached screenshot below of the studentaid.gov site, my Federal Family Education Loan Program is eligible for the federal student loan pause expiring XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX also states some FFEL Program and HEAL loans are held by commercial lenders. XXXX a direct link to page with the listed eligible loans : https : XXXX I contacted AES/PHEAA executives, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX, about the matter several times since XX/XX/XXXX yet they continue to allow XXXX crime ring to play games with my account. In the attached screenshot of the email I received from an AES XXXX, XXXX ( NMLS # XXXX ), on XX/XX/XXXX. She clearly didnt review my account thoroughly and is contacting me on behalf of XXXX crime ring ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX Makeup XXXX XXXX aka @ modernmarv_, etc ). XXXX ( XXXX # XXXX ) acknowledges in her email that the Federal Family Education Loan Program is eligible for the federal student loan pause. She just fails to acknowledge that it is the type of loan I have. Furthermore, XXXX stresses that American Education Services only services bank-owned loans which is impossible because again I have never taken a bank-owned loan out in my life yet. It should be noted that American Education Services website contradicts XXXX email and states the following which can also be seen in the attached screenshot : American Education Services ( AES ) was established by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency ( PHEAA ) to guarantee and service a variety of Federal Family Education Loan Program ( FFELP ) and private ( alternative ) student loan products for our lending partners throughout the nation. Heres a link to the statement on their site : XXXX : XXXX Then on XX/XX/XXXX, I received the attached email message from Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX American Education Services XXXX AES ) stating in short that there was an investigation underway but I wasnt given a timeline for when the investigation would be completed. Also, the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office is being mentioned in the letter addressed to me when Ive never been a resident of Massachusetts, I live in New York, the U.S. Department of Education is based in Washington, XXXX, I attended college at XXXX XXXX in Pennsylvania, and PHEAA/AES is based in Pennsylvania. I have proven repeatedly in my numerous emails to AES/PHEAA that includes correspondence from AES stating XXXX have a federal student loan that I have a federal student loan eligible for the pause which should be info that is readily available to AES/PHEAA. I contacted AES/PHEAA to ensure that if the investigation unnecessarily passes the XX/XX/XXXX due date for the illegitimate {$320.00} bill I received from AES on XX/XX/XXXX that my account is not reported to the credit bureaus as delinquent as this matter is the wrongdoing of PHEAA/AES not mine. It is clear I have a Federal Family Education Loan Program student loan and it is clear my federal student loan is eligible for the Federal Student Loan Pause expiring XX/XX/XXXX. Yet, my AES account has yet to be corrected and I continue to receive bogus calls and correspondence from AES on behalf of XXXX crime ring.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11226
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-04
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: XXXX sent me a letter around fall in 2021 stating that one of my student loans had been cancelled out. FedLoan took over the loan servicing from XXXX, FedLoan has not made adjustments to the amount owed on my federal loans.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 75219
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-04
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: As per the XXXX limited waiver as of XX/XX/2021, Ive applied to consolidate my student loans, which include both direct loans and not direct loans. The language of the waiver states that with consolidation, the repayment clock will not be set back at zero. However, in my initial letter received from Fedloan servicing, it says Remember, you will need to make another XXXX qualifying payments on your new Consolidation Loan. I asked for clarifying about this via email but have not received a response, other than another letter reminding me that I have 10 days to cancel my consolidation. I am petrified that I will lose credit for my XXXX out of XXXX payments if this is the case. There is clear discrepancy between the XXXX language and that of Fedloan servicing, and it may cost me.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 115XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-03
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Hello, I am writing to address an issue with FedLoan Servicing taking over a month to recalculate XXXX plans which in turn, adds months onto your XXXX time length. This information is not shared up front that time spent in adminsitrative forbearance is not included in eligible months, despite employment by a certified employer. I have now lost 3 months of progress because my amount needed to be re-calculated- it took them 3 months to return the new amount to me which now just adds an additional 3 months on the back end. There has been a long history of misinformation about XXXX from FedLoan Servicing and in the end, it is just hurting those who are trying to dedicate their career to public service.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 77429
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-03
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have been with FedLoan Servicing in the PSLF program for five years, and have worked in public service for 15 years. In XX/XX/XXXX I consolidated my federal loans. Additionally, I made a FOIA request for all my loan payments because I didn't think my payment were being counted correctly by FedLoan. My payment history showed that I made payments while my loans were in an in-school deferment/forbearance status and in administrative forbearance status. In order to get credit for these payments I submitted a deferment/forbearance waiver request in XXXX XXXX. I spoke with a representative from Fedloan today who told me my waiver was processed, but the waiver is only good for existing loans which now are my consolidated loans and not any of the loans I made payments to while my loans were in deferment/forbearance status. There is no information about this anywhere on the Fedloan site, or on the waiver request form, or with the consolidation request. The PSLF waiver program was a godsend for those of us who have committed ourselves to public service with more student loan debt than when we graduated thanks to all the interest on federal loans and have been paying for years into the wrong payment plan. This deferment/forbearance waiver is one more hurdle to jump if you made payments while in deferment/forbearance or unknowingly were in administrative forbearance. It is very deceptive that so little information is available and that all the potential pitfalls of consolidation are not laid out for the consumer.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 01760
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-03
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have been repeatedly and wrongly denied loan forgiveness under the TEPSLF program. FedLoan Servicing is refusing to qualify my payments made while I worked for XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX My employment there was on a contractual basis determined by XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX did not consider me " full-time '' by their definition ( no XXXX there have this status ). However, I can clearly demonstrate that I worked an average of 31.8 hours per week while working at XXXX, and I have given this information to FedLoan Servicing. The definition of full time work as stated clearly at https : //studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service # full-time-employment reads : " For PSLF, you're generally considered to work full-time if you meet your employer 's definition of full-time or work at least 30 hours per week, whichever is greater. '' That one must EITHER meet the employer 's definition of full time work OR work more than 30 hours per week. Clearly my payments during this time with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX should qualify as part of the 120 payments. I have called FedLoan Servicing on numerous occasions and submitted documentation of my employment. FedLoans average response time to written communication is abhorrent : 60-90 days. Most recently I called on Thursday, XX/XX/2022, and I spoke with XXXX, employee number XXXX, who could not help me. She transferred me to XXXX, # XXXX. XXXX was extremely combative and condescending to me during the course of our conversation. She refused to acknowledge the above definition of full-time work applied. She confirmed that FedLoan indeed takes 60-90 days to respond to any written communication. She told me that my only recourse for my case was to " convince '' XXXX to change their response on my employer verification form, which would be asking XXXX to lie and commit fraud on my behalf. I'm not going to do that. This company appears to have a blanket policy of denying loan forgiveness by using their own self-serving definitions of " qualifying payments '' rather what the federal government has dictated. I need help!
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 93401
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-03
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: I work for the XXXX and have been applying for PSLF program since XX/XX/XXXX. I have called and submitted forms several times. I was told in XX/XX/XXXX that my form was never received. The company acknowledged receipt of it now but still hasn't processed it. It's been almost 2 years and I still do not have an answer about whether I'm approved for the PSLF program. I keep getting told they will reach out to me but no one has ever reached out in 2 years
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20906
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-18
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-03
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: I was automatically placed into forbearance in XX/XX/XXXX when I began a ( second ) XXXX XXXX XXXX program. I contacted FedLoan in XX/XX/XXXX to request removal from forbearance. FedLoan informed me they would do so, but it would take several months. FedLoan also said it would count the payments made during the time I was in forbearance towards the PSLF program. Since then, I've submitted multiple employment certification forms, and FedLoan never counts the payments made in XXXX, XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX towards forgiveness. I spoke with XXXX, a customer service representative, on XX/XX/XXXX, who informed me that he was going to re-issue statements for XXXX and XXXX. He would similarly issue a statement for XXXX. FedLoan would then recognize these payments for forgiveness. I reached out to FedLoan via email on XX/XX/XXXX for a status update. I received a response on XX/XX/XXXX that these payments were submitted for manual review. I haven't received an update since then.
Company Response:
State: CO
Zip: 80238
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-03
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2022, XXXX refused to correct my current score with them back to pre-student loan debt transfer. It is not my fault I should be punished for something FedloaXXXX and XXXX did when reporting their transfer. I did not abruptly pay all my debt off and get myself into debt again. XXXX corrected my score when they first mistakenly added double my debt. There is absolutely no excuse for their refusal to say there is nothing they can do about it regarding interpreting the debt transfer.
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 21236
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-03-02
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Consumer Complaint: After numerous attempts over a period of a year, I am not able to receive the following from my current and former Student Loan servicers : Total accounting of my student loan accounts, including payments and tax return offsets. These items should have exact dates! PHEAA / AES XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Department of Education XXXX XXXX XXXX My loans balances were inflated after defaulting in 2008. I consolidated with PHEAA. I have yet to see a complete accounting breakdown of transactions with dates. I have not received my consolidation paperwork. PHEAA never actually consolidated my loans. All 3 loans are still showing as single loans. Even though they were supposed to be paid off with the tax return offset. The balances were inflated before the sale. The loans have since been resold multiple times to servicers and collection agencies that are either no longer in business, no longer legally permitted to service Federal Student Loans or Bankrupt. Every single company and government agency has " passed the buck '', claiming that another is responsible for providing the requested documents. Even reaching out to and submitting a formal complaint to the US Department of Education 's Office of Investigations has yielded a 180 to being told to reach out to the servicer! Meanwhile my tax returns have been taken for over the amount owed but I still have a rising balance despite there being a National freeze on all Federal Student Loans! Please assist. This is ruining my life. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 152XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-03-02
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A