Date Received: 2023-09-26
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem with forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge
Consumer Complaint: I have previously filed a complaint on XX/XX/2022. Moehela said that they did not handle loan foregiveness applications. According to Texas Department of Education, they are supposed to. My complaint is that I had my XXXX Foregiveness Loan forms filled out by the appropriate schools and sent to Moehela who is supposed to address them. I did not receive any correspondence back from them or their acknowlegement that they had received them.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: TX
Zip: 76502
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: Mohela sent both my husband and I student loan billing statements indicating that our new payments under the SAVE plan would EACH be {$1000.00} per month. I knew this was not right because our student loan debts are not the same amount and my understanding is that when two spouses file taxes jointly and both have student loans, the payments are prorated based on the loan amounts each spouse owes ( as it was always under XXXX ). Further, our total payments were 2 to 3 times more than the payments we had made with XXXX prior to the pandemic. It appeared that Mohela recalculated our payments from REPAYE to SAVE but failed to account for the fact that each of us had a spouse who also had student loans. On XX/XX/XXXX I called Mohela to address this and it took me three hours and several attempts to get through to a representative. Using the call back feature failed because it would go directly into my voicemail when they called back. When I finally spoke to a rep, they had to transfer me to someone with more experience. The second rep I spoke to told me we would both have to recertify our income. She did not confirm or deny why my and my spouse 's payments were not correct to begin with. After recertifying both of our incomes using 2022 joint tax info our payments dropped from XXXX each to approximately {$550.00} and {$650.00}. Since my payment was due XXXX they also had me put my loan into forbearance for a month since they would not be able to process the correction in time. I am extremely concerned about this because : A. If I did not know as much as I do about student loan repayment I may have just started making the XXXX payments without questioning it, which is extremely unfair and deceptive to consumers. Especially since my husband and I are both expecting to be eligible to receive PSLF within the next 15 months. B : I am seeing several posts from other borrowers on XXXX who are also having the same issue and have no idea what is going on, why they owe more than on REPAYE, etc. How many borrowers are going to be making these incorrect payments, especially when no one can even get through to MOHELA easily? And these are just the borrowers who are using XXXX, I am sure it is impacting thousands of borrowers across the country. If MOHELA wanted to automatically recalculate payments from REPAYE to SAVE, they should have the information available to know to take into account spouses with student loans as well.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: MA
Zip: 023XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-26
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem with forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge
Consumer Complaint: I certified my employment very regularly over the years and particularly during the period covered by the waiver. I had already certified 119 PSLF payments through XXXX XXXX and then, to get the maximum waiver benefits, I applied to consolidate my loans. Since I kept getting conflicting information from Mohela, XXXX, and XXXX, I was planning to wait to submit the final ECF once the consolidation was complete ( Id been initially advised to do it that way ). However, XXXX and Mohela dropped the ball with my consolidation, and it got lost or stuck for about 3 months with neither entity working on it. This was despite me repeatedly contacting them about it -- I would just be told to keep waiting and no one seemed to really look into it very seriously. Finally, a rep took a closer look and discovered it was not being worked on. He and multiple other reps have told me that I was the only person this had happened to, as far as they knew. He finally moved my consolidation along, and I submitted my final Employment Confirmation Form for my 120th payment period ( and then some ) in XXXX XXXX It took a few months to update my counts in Mohelas online portal. It finally updated in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( I stopped submitting ECFs once after that last one ). And then nothing. On StudentAid.gov, my data hasnt been updated since XXXX. Mohelas site has my 122 payments certified and has a forbearance letter in my inbox. While not the last contact Ive had with Mohela, my conversation with them on XXXX XXXX XXXX was particularly frustrating. The frontline rep was giving me misinformation and didnt know how to help me, so I asked for a supervisor but was told the rep didnt have approval to pass me to a supervisor. Only after I pushed back against her non-answers for about an hour did she finally get me to a supervisor. The supervisor let me know the case had been escalated. They say my case is just waiting to be worked and I just need to wait, but there is no timeline at all ( this is the most current info theyve given me ). I asked a rep if I could potentially be waiting another year, and they said yes. They say that as legislation for defrauded students, veterans, etc. goes through that my case probably gets pushed back in the line, but they dont really know.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: OR
Zip: 97333
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-27
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I applied for the loan forgiveness plan ( XXXX ). I submitted all required information. I received a letter from MOHELA stating that I have one final payment. ( XXXX XXXX ). Recently, I received a letter from MOHELA with a payment plan for 12 months. ( XXXX, XXXX ) MOHELA is not abiding by the letter that they sent me regarding XXXX final payment..
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: MD
Zip: 21220
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-27
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: Mohela customer service continues to be absolutely awful. Honestly, it amazing they are allow to manage anything when they can't manage a paper bag. Anyways, their automatic phone system says we should be getting PSLF credit for the month of XXXX. Normally, in the months of payment pause I would already receive credit for the minth but no credit is showing. I contacted them over XXXX business days ( which the response time mentioned on their messaging system ). I want to know if I will get credit for XXXX or if I should consider a payment to get credit. At this rate, it will be XXXX before they respond and I will miss a month to get one credit towards PSLF. I can't imagine how they sat on their hands for months doing nothing knowing that repayment should start at somepoint.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: WI
Zip: 53562
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Mohela sent me a message saying Ive been placed on forbearance based on my request. I made no such request. I waited THREE hours on hold to get in touch with someone, who was a new trainee who couldn't help me, so I waited for someone to get on the line. They told me my loans were placed in forbearance because of my Borrwers Defense ( BD ) application and that was the information provided by XXXX. My BD application preexisted my transfer to Mohela, I selected no on my BD application to being place in forbearance, I was NEVER on forbearance on XXXX and nor this entire time with Mohlea. They tell me I have to go the BD hotline and they can't remove the forbearance, despite the letter telling me I could call this number and opt out. It takes three more calls before I get someone who knows what they are doing and was asked if I wanted to opt out of forbearance. As of this date, I was placed BACK on forbearance again and it's been a nightmare trying to get off something I didn't even request. They keep telling me they are working on it, it'll be done soon, someone didn't put it in the system, etc. This seems deliberate in order to mess people up on payments or mess with their student loan forgiveness counts. Which have taken more than two months to process. Payments are starting in less than 5 days and I don't know when to pay, how to pay, or even if they will count for me. If this screws up my Public Loan Forgiveness, I will contact attorney This is causing me mental anguish.. Mohela is causing me unnecessary stress by giving false information and completely screwing up PSLF. I want to be taken off forebearance before payments restart. I want Mohela to do its job correctly. This is disgusting and scammy behavior by Mohela and Im sure this is happening to other people and causing needless stress and panic..
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: NJ
Zip: 07032
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Consumer Complaint: PSLF FORM : I submitted my PSLF forms beginning in XXXX XXXX -- as soon as they announced the special waiver. I have been working in public service since before XXXX, but never on the correct payment plan. Most of my public service has been adunct teaching and schools generally just listed me for 10-15 hours a week, even though I was teaching multiple classes each semester. When the updated information on how to account for adjunct teaching ( 3.35 hours per credit hour taught ), I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX for an updated form. They processed my form with 29 hours a week, which -- combined with my XXXX hours -- would give me credit for 18 payments ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ). I forwarded the updated form to Mohela on XX/XX/XXXX, with this cover letter : To Whom It May Concern : My original hours certification for my adjunct teaching at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX did not reflect the guidance regarding hours certification. If you are a non-tenure or adjunct faculty member at an institution of higher education meaning you are paid solely for the credit hours you teach, you meet the definition of full-time if you are employed the equivalent of 30 hours per week as determined by multiplying each credit or contact hour taught per week by at least 3.35. If you are employed part-time by more than one qualifying employer simultaneously, you may meet the full-time employment requirement if you work a combined average of at least 30 hours per week with your employers. XXXXXXXX XXXX has updated my certification and it is attached. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Mohela ignored this letter. They waited until XX/XX/XXXX -- more than 30 days -- to process the form, and then marked it as duplicate. I tried calling before XXXXXXXX XXXX Eastern on XX/XX/XXXX to get this fixed. The recorded greeting said a 30 minutes wait. I was on hold for 38 minutes before I gave up. PAYMENT COUNT : Today is XX/XX/XXXX and I still don't have my XXXX payment showing up on my payment count. With the 18 payments from XXXX and my XXXX payment, I should be at XXXX payments. XXXX is the last payment I need. PAYMENT DUE I called on XX/XX/XXXX to determine my payment amount. I thought I would avoid the XXXX rush. I was told my the customer service person that the Standard Plan would work for PSLF and my payment would be {$110.00} or {$110.00} a month. I was told I had to apply for this and it would take 4-5 business days. On XX/XX/XXXX, I emailed to check on this with the following info : Hi, I contacted MOHELA in XXXX XXXX about what my new payment will be. I am trying to qualify for PSLF. I was told I had to apply for the standard repayment plan and get approved for it and it would take 3-5 days. Nothing on my account has been processed for weeks. Not repayment options, not a slew of PSLF forms. Traditional/Alternative Repayment Options Processing XXXX PSLF Manual Application- XXXX XXXX XXXX Processing XX/XX/XXXX PSLF Manual Application- XXXX XXXX XXXX Processing XXXX PSLF Manual Application- XXXX XXXX XXXX Processing XX/XX/XXXX PSLF Manual Application- XXXX XXXX XXXX Processing XXXX PSLF Manual Application- XXXX XXXX XXXX Processed XXXX Please look into this. I am still employed by the XXXX XXXX XXXX and will be for the rest of the year, at least. I am either at 120 payments or within a payment or two and I would like to be done. I cried when I took these loans out in XXXX and I will be cheering when they're done. Best, XXXX XXXX is XX/XX/XXXX and my email still hasn't been responded to. My payment is still showing as XXXX and I'm still on the Extended Payment Plan. Also, I don't believe Mohela gave me the right info. My loans were consolidated in XXXX and according to StudentAid.gov, the Standard Payment Plan for Consolidated Loans does not qualify for PSLF, I need to be on an income-linked plan.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: NY
Zip: 10003
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have tried for nearly a year to get this sorted out. I filed a consolidation on XX/XX/XXXX and have been waiting for them to review my PSFL. I have sent multiple requests via email, message, and have been trying to get a hold of someone many times over the phone. I have requested Administration Forbearance 4 times now as my loans should have been discharged due to PSLF in XXXX of XXXX when I reached 120 of qualifying payments due to working for low wages in the municipal public sector. My requests have been ignored and I can't get a hold of anyone. My payment counts now show XXXX, I have no information on when my payments are due, if they are even due, even though my loan was supposed to be discharged and paid off in XXXX. Now i'm accruing interest on a loan that should have been forgiven. I am aware this process takes time, and the last rep I was able to communicated with told me I would see the IDR waiver payment count adjustment in early XXXX, and she said she would put me on Administrative Forbearance to take my until they are able to process my application, however, this never happened and I have reached out numerous times to get this resolved or at least pointed in the right direction. Now, I can't get anyone on the phone even after being on hold for 2 hours and 35 minutes. My emails and messages are responded to by saying to call in. I call every single day, with no response.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: MA
Zip: 015XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: My request is for MOHELA to review my account and count 48 payments made from XXXX as eligible payments for PSLF, as I was with a qualifying employer and on an income based repayment plan. XXXX ( the Florida Department of Education loan holder ) is making it hard for me to process a TEPSLF by declining to upload to the Department of Education National Database, payments I made from XXXX. I filed for a hardship in XXXX and requested from the Florida Department of Education to reduce my monthly student loan payments. I was placed on an income based repayment ( see form attached ) I made 48 consecutive on-time payments ( payment history is attached ). A MOHELA supervisor ( case number XXXX ) instructed me to ask XXXX to upload the payments to the national database. XXXX has declined putting me behind on PSLF. Nothing has been reported since XXXX. XXXX emailed me my payment history and I uploaded it to the MOHELA website and have attached it here. I request MOHELA review my account and count these XXXX payments as qualifying payments for PSLF.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: FL
Zip: 336XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-09-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have been working with Mohela for a year after my loans transferred for fed loans. I have been told very different things every time i call. For the first 6 months i was told my public service loan forgiveness employer certifications would transfer from fed loan. Then i was told it was lost. Then i was told it was on me and i should have recertified. Then i was told the paperwork i did submit was sufficient. Then i was told it wasnt. Then it was. Then it wasnt. Then it was and it was approved in XX/XX/2023 and they still havent updated my payment count.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: VA
Zip: 23233
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-09-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A