Date Received: 2022-08-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: My loan servicer, AES, failed to notify me that I could consolidate my FFEL loans and be eligible for the CARES ACT interest and payment pause. In 2020, when I asked them if I could be eligible for CARES ACT pause, I was told no. I was not given any information on the potential benefits of consolidation or even informed that was an option. It was not until recently, towards the end of the pause period that I learned, through my own research, that I could benefit from this. I feel like AES had a duty to make a glaringly obvious notification to inform their clients about possible benefits of Direct consolidation during the pandemic. Instead, they were shady and withheld this information for their own gain. I continued making my full monthly payments, throughout the pandemic, while a struggling new mom working as an XXXX XXXX with a reduced paycheck. Had I been properly informed of my ability to consolidate and pause my payments and pause my interest, I would be in a much better situation financially. My student loan obligation during the pandemic caused undue financial burden for my family and contributed to severe stress.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 12078
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I worked for a certified employer from XXXX until XXXX. I have been given credit for under the PSLF program for XXXX, XXXX ( TEPLSF ) and XXXX. XXXX has not been given credit. I understood that payment programs did that did not count under PSLF would be counted under TEPLSF. I am attaching confirmation of my working for a certified public employer and my request for reconsideration for XXXX.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 02128
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: I have requested a refund of all payments made during the COVID-19 pandemic forbearance. Thus far, I have received a small portion of payments made. I have multiple attempts to contact XXXX and FedLoan Servicing regarding this. I am unable to get ahold of anyone my telephone and have received no response through the web messenger. The only response I have received is that FedLoan servicing has to process the request as my account was transferred from them. When I contact XXXX, they say to contact XXXX. I suspect that some loan information may not have transferred to XXXX. I am again requesting a full refund of all payments made to both XXXX and FedLoan Servicing during the COVID-19 pandemic forbearance.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60067
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Consumer Complaint: My XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX are showing canceled from XX/XX/2009 to XX/XX/2009. However, I do not see where the cancelation of these loans decreased my balance. I called Customer Service at XXXX and they said they canceled the loans so no longer their problem. So I called XXXX and they said because I consolidated the loans getting a cancelation afterwards I will still owe the full amount. I am not sure how that makes sense that the Dept. of Education got credit from XXXX but I am not allowed to get the credit past to me and still owe for the loans that are now showing as canceled. I need some help with clarifying this situation. I have my past credit report that shows the full amount of those XXXX loans before they were canceled.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 02128
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Hi from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX I was making payments to Fedloan for {$330.00}. However, I was in XXXX school the year before and did not take in any income over {$10000.00}. My payment should have been {$0.00}. I remember calling Fedloan to resolve this a few times. Waiting hours sometimes to just get through to verify. They gave me incorrect information in the beginning of repayment and said I could not get my payments back. Now with the department of education correcting things, I want to advocate for my money back. My federal tax returns and payment history would show that I was mislead into making these payments.
Company Response:
State: WA
Zip: 98059
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-09-13
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Hello, I am a part time graduate student who works in the public health sector ( qualifying PSLF employee ). I was removed from my {$0.00} IDR without my knowledge and placed into " In School Deferment ''. Because of this I found out during the COVID payment pause that I was in the deferment, which was almost 2 years after my In-school deferment started. FedLoan 's response to me requesting the deferment be removed had several inaccurate, and completely wrong information in it and is refusing to allow me to correct the In-school deferment plan that they decided on : " We did receive the School Deferment Waiver form and it was processed and applied to your account. However, when the processor goes to remove the school deferment, they must research the account to ensure the full installment payments were made during those months. If there is a month or months where the full installment bill was not satisfied for that month, they are unable to remove the school deferment during that particular month. The Deferment was therefore adjusted from its original start date of XX/XX/XXXX to now start on XX/XX/XXXX. This is because while you were approved for a {$0.00} installment effective XX/XX/XXXX, this lasted through XX/XX/XXXX. Close to the XXXX date, recertification documents are due. If it was not re-certified in time, the installment would increase to {$3800.00} effective XX/XX/XXXX. Unfortunately, recertification documents were not received, and the amount expired. Therefore in order to be able to remove the school deferment from XX/XX/XXXX onward, there would have needed to be the full installment payment, {$3800.00} on file during those continuing months. Since there was not, removing the deferment during those months would mean the loans would go delinquent, and since this was years ago, the account would go straight to default, where your taxes are taken and wages would be garnished. " First : The original start date " XX/XX/XXXX '' is completely in accurate. My deferment appears to have been started in XX/XX/XXXX. This is around the time that I would have notified of the requirement to resubmit my certification, but I was never notified because I was not longer on a XXXX plan. Had I received my notification to resubmit the XXXX plan I would have, but I was not informed because FedLoan TOOK ME OFF THE PLAN WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE! Second : They state " there would have needed to be the full installment payment, {$3800.00} on file during those continuing months. Since there was not, removing the deferment during those months would mean the loans would go delinquent, and since this was years ago, the account would go straight to default, where your taxes are taken and wages would be garnished ''. This is not true based on the XX/XX/XXXX changes and the PSLF waiver. According to those documents : XXXX. I have always been eligible for IDR so I would not have needed to pay {$3800.00} on my loans those months XXXX. Even if they placed me in default, based on the XX/XX/XXXX changes, defaulted loans are returned to in repayment status. - thus my loans would be moved immediately back to repayment XXXX. Taxes/wage garnishments are also on pause XXXX. According to PSLF Waiver : " Periods of repayment where payments were late or for less than the amount due also count '' - thus my " In School Deferment '' waiver that I never approved of should be removed as requested and the removal would allow my loan payments of {$0.00} to qualify for the PSLF ( I qualified for {$0.00} XXXX at that time ). Lastly : I took had an entire year where I did not take any classes, and FedLoan kept me in In-School Deferment during that time. How can someone be kept on an In School Deferment plan when they are not actively in school?? FedLoan made no effort to change me back to a repayment plan, and thus I never had bills for these months when I was inn-accurately kept on the In-School Deferment. This entire process of having FedLoan make decisions on my behalf, without informing me and changing my payment plan from an eligible PSLF plan to an IDENTICAL monthly payment plan ( $ 0 monthly requirements ) that does not qualify for PSLF is completely unfair to those of us in the service sector who are working very hard to maintain service sector jobs and continue education at low cost while also paying off our loans and eligible payment count.
Company Response:
State: CO
Zip: 80211
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-27
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: My loans are through a company called American education services. I believe I took out the loan for XXXX or XXXX XXXX, in 2008. Since then I have paid {$35000.00} back of the loan. {$25000.00} of that has gone towards just interest. And I still owe {$56000.00}. They are charging me a crazy amount of interest. Ive been trying to pay, but am only paying the interest portion and drowning in this loan. And they told me they werent following the no interest for Covid, so I have been paying my loan and the interest for the past 1.5 years. In one month I paid {$1000.00} towards my loan, and all but {$100.00} went to interest. This is insanity and Im desperate for help! I have called the company, spoke to managers. They tell me my loans are private and no actions can be taken, but they are FFLEP parent plus loans. And my school closed down and the school was found fraudulent, so I was hoping for some sort of help.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60046
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-09-13
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have Federal Stafford Loans with American Education Services. I reached out to them two years ago to ask them if my loans would be on pause, and if any payments would go towards the principal, due to the student loan pause implemented at the time. I was told " Please note that the loans you have with AES are owned by commercial lenders and do not qualify for any benefits mentioned by the president. The proposal for a 0 % interest rate is for Federal Direct and FFELP loans owned by the Department of Education ( ED ). Loans serviced by AES are bank owned loans and not owned by ED and are not included in the proposal. '' I am now very concerned that I was given incorrect information somehow. With President Biden 's recent decision regarding student loan forgiveness, I am concerned that I will not be able to have my Federal Stafford Loans forgiven because they are being serviced by AES. My loan details clearly indicate that they are owned by PHEAA XXXX XXXX, not a commercial lender. As far as I knew, Stafford Loans were among the most common Federal Student Loans. Was I given bad information? And will my Stafford Loans be eligible for forgiveness, even if they are owned by PHEAA and not Dept of Ed? I am concerned that many borrowers in the state of Pennsylvania will be hurt.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 15221
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: My loan servicer, AES, failed to notify me that I could consolidate my FFEL loans and be eligible for the CARES ACT interest and payment pause. It was not until recently, towards the end of the pause period that I learned, through my own research, that I could benefit from this. I feel like AES had a duty to make a glaringly obvious notification to inform their clients about possible benefits of Direct consolidation during the pandemic. Instead, they were shady and withheld this information for their own gain. I continued making my full monthly payments, throughout the pandemic, while a struggling new mom working as an essential worker with a reduced paycheck. Had I been properly informed of my ability to consolidate and pause my payments and pause my interest, I would be in a much better situation financially. My student loan obligation during the pandemic caused undue financial burden for my family and contributed to severe stress.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 12078
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Don't agree with the fees charged
Consumer Complaint: Interest is being accrued and payments are due despite Covid relief measures in place. AES is the servicer. I have been required to make payments since XX/XX/2022. Interest is being charged and has been charged throughout Covid. I have XXXX subsidized and Unsubsidized consolidated loans. I received the maximum pell grant amount while I was in college. Who is receiving the interest being charged to my account?
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 75214
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A