Date Received: 2023-08-08
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I am writing to urgently draw your attention to a serious discrepancy regarding my student loan payment count, which directly affects my progress toward achieving XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). My trust in the systems in place has been deeply shaken, and I am compelled to seek intervention and guidance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to rectify this matter promptly. Background : In XXXX, I acted in good faith and consolidated my loans under the Income-Driven Repayment ( IDR ) waiver. To my astonishment, this action resulted in my payment counts decreasing from XXXX to XXXX. Since then, despite my continued employment in a public service position, the count has stagnated at XXXX for several months. Actions Taken : To address this discrepancy, I have been assiduously submitting my employment verification forms monthly, expecting the counter to reflect the accurate number of payments I have made. Unfortunately, these attempts have proven fruitless, leaving me in a precarious situation with looming uncertainties. Current Situation and Concerns : The payment pause, instituted due to unprecedented challenges our nation faced, is set to end shortly with payments resuming on XX/XX/XXXX. I find it deeply concerning, and frankly outrageous, that as we approach this deadline, I still do not have an accurate representation of my payment count. If I have already reached the required XXXX payments, it would be unjust for me to be obligated to make further payments. Request : I am requesting an urgent review of my payment count and demand its rectification before the pause ends in XXXX. An accurate payment count is crucial to ensure I, and undoubtedly many others, can confidently navigate our financial responsibilities without undue burden or stress. It is essential that borrowers can trust the systems in place, and as of now, this trust is significantly diminished. Furthermore, I kindly request a written confirmation of the review and the necessary steps taken to ensure my payment count is accurate. Conclusion : The XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX program was established to recognize and reward those who have dedicated a significant portion of their careers to public service. The integrity of this program hinges on the accuracy and transparency of its processes. My situation, regrettably, has been marked by opaqueness and a lack of clear communication. I sincerely hope that this matter is given the prompt attention it deserves. It's not just about rectifying an individual 's payment count but ensuring the very credibility of a program that thousands rely upon. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I eagerly await your prompt response. Sincerely, XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: OK
Zip: 741XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-08
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-09
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Subissue: Debt was result of identity theft
Consumer Complaint: they sent me mail about repaying my student loan. I signed up and amount due on my account was not matching with what it claims in my federal student loan account ( lower ). They claimed the school newly assigned as new loan service. I got suspicious because I did not have any loan with that amount and the one i have has no interest but they had 5 % interest. when I contacted my XXXX XXXX XXXX, they said that my loan service is not them. I did not pay them or any bank information but I gave them the following information. - they already knew about my name, address - I create an account with name, email, DOB, address, info about few reference and last 4 of my social ( i don't remember if i provided the full )- I filled out the exit interview forms with above information their website : heartland.ecsi.net address : XXXX XXXX XXXX c/o XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX PA, XXXX phone number : XXXX organization : they have XXXX step verification, very good representative, " supervisor '', they even transferred me to my school billing department since I was convinced from their explanation attached the bill they send out
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: CA
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-09
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-08
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: My student loans were transitioned to Mohela about 6 weeks ago as part of PSLF planning. Prior to this transition, I had a XXXX dollar repayment in place on my IDR plan prior to COVID forbearance. Previously, my date for recertification of income was XX/XX/XXXX, which given the last adjustments to forbearance end date and Studentaid.gov policy, should have been extended to XX/XX/XXXX. When Mohela took over my loans, they removed these remaining months on my IDR repayment and have listed me for a monthly payment of over XXXX dollars. I called to have this reviewed and adjusted on XX/XX/XXXX. After being repeatedly told, incorrectly, I would need to refile an IDR application, I spoke to a manager and was told they understood the issue and had seen this mistake made with other borrowers. They said it should not be a problem to fix. However, after 3 weeks I still did not hear anything and my account was not adjusted. I called again on XX/XX/XXXX and was told the request was still open and they attempted to expedite this. I was given a reference number by Mohela for this issue of XXXX. I was told it should be resolved by the end of last week. However, this did not happen. I called again yesterday XX/XX/XXXX and was told the request was still open with no updates. I was able to speak to an escalation agent who told me they can not confirm anything will be fixed and would look into the issue. They said they emailed management as part of the reason for the issue is my loans are currently under 2 separate plans ( REPAYE/SAVE and Graduated Repayment ), despite studentaid.gov guidelines saying borrowers should not have different plans for different loans. The escalation agent, XXXX, said she could expect more information for me in another 7-14 business days. This would take me to XX/XX/XXXX at which point forbearance will be ending and I am very scared I will be billed incorrectly for over XXXX dollars next month.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: NY
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-08
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-07
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: My history of my loans are incorrect : I have been trying to rectify this situation with Mohela and the Dept of Education for over a year. My student loans have been handled by multiple companies since XXXX. I am currently a XXXX and I am trying to get an accurate history of all my payments I have made on my loans since I began repayment back in XXXX. When my loans were handled by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, the payments I had during that time were never stored in the history of the loans, as the company went bankrupt. Now when you look at the payment history of my loans, from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, there is no history of payments being made. When I reached out to Mohela ( and the Dept of Education ) to fix this information neither could give an answer why the payments were missing. I have also submitted documentation in the form of my bank statements during this time to show payments that were made. And this supporting documentation was also ignored. Attached to this complaint are those bank statements with the history of payments.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: WA
Zip: 98059
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-07
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-07
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Consumer Complaint: Mohela is servicing my loan. For some reason, when taking payments into account for debt forgiveness, they have neglected to include the years XXXX. I have been calling them since XXXX to get this remedied and I am always told by the customer service representative that they have no idea why those years weren't included and that they definitely should be included. They are not listed as eligible or ineligible payments, they are just missing years of my payments altogether. I have been told that the issue is under review and will be resolved in 5-10 business days. I have been told that for 5 months. I do not believe that they plan on remedying the situation at this point. I have called on XXXX separate occasions. In addition, I have been at the same job the entire time and have submitted paperwork to show that. If payments counted in the other years, there is no reason why they wouldn't count in those years as well.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: RI
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-07
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-07
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I applied for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. I made 181 qualifying payments towards PSFL, with the 120th payment that triggered forgiveness occurring in XXXX of XXXX. The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority ( MOHELA ) shows in my XXXX qualifying payments. However, they reported to the US Department of Education 's Federal Student Aid department that our discharge was only effective in XX/XX/XXXX ( instead of the correct date of XX/XX/XXXX ). Because of this error, MOHELA and FSA have not refunded over {$20000.00} in overpayments I made on my student loans between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. I have been contacting MOHELA 's customer service lines for PSLF since XX/XX/XXXX and have been given various incorrect or incomplete answers regarding the delay in my refund. When I noted the error between their records of when I reached 120 payments and the discharge date they reported to the USDOE, I was told there was nothing that MOHELA could do to correct the misinformation and complete the refund process.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: KS
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-07
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-07
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I first applied for PSFL loan forgiveness in Fall of XXXX for two direct federal student loans that I began paying on in XXXX. XXXX, my servicer up until XXXX, never completed the PSFL review process of my loans, although they acknowledged I had made 182 qualifying payments. My loans were transfered from XXXX to Mohela in XXXX XXXX. In XXXX XXXX, Mohela reviewed my XXXX application and indicated I did qualify for forgiveness. But, when we finally got the notification letter, it was for only a portion of the loans. After multiple correspondence attempts, Mohela indicated there was still a substantial remaining balance, my wife 's portion of the consolidated loans. Yet, my wife 's Mohela and XXXX accounts showed a {$0.00} balance and would not allow her to submit a PSFL application, even though she also qualifies, having worked for a non-profit corp. since XXXX. So in XX/XX/XXXX, we submitted a PSFL application for my wife under my account. Then in XXXX XXXX, Mohela indicated that her application needed to be resubmitted. We resubmitted her application in XX/XX/XXXX. Mohela acknowleged this submission and indicated the review process can take up to 30 days. Since XX/XX/XXXX, we have submitted mutiple written requests inquirying about status. In XX/XX/XXXX, Mohela indicated their review has yet to be completed and when they do finish, they must submit it to XXXX for approval, which can take up to 90 days. Meanwhile, student loan repayment requirements are scheduled to resume in XXXX XXXX. And although we have already made 182 qualifying payments, 62 over the amount needed for forgiveness, we will have to continue to make even more payments until Mohela 's protracted review process is complete.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: IL
Zip: 60618
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-07
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-07
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: I have repeatedly called and messaged Mohela in their portal concerning 4 stolen refund checks for the past 8+ months dating back to XX/XX/2022. When I manage to actually get a response I am just told that they are investigating but there is never progress for nearly a year at this point. I am requesting that Mohela reissues the checks that I have repeatedly specified were not cashed by myself ( or reissues payment via electronic deposit ) and properly report these stolen checks so that whichever financial institution cashed these stolen checks can investigate as this is bank/check/mail fraud.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: NJ
Zip: 074XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-07
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-05
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: I have called XXXX, Mohela, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX. Nobody can tell me whats going on. First, the two loans that were with XXXX, that are reporting me late were consolidated. They were for XXXX XXXX university that was part of the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX settlement and should not be on my credit report. But this is the biggest issue, Mohela doesnt have these consolidated loans that are reporting me late on my credit! Nobody can figure out whats going on. XXXX suggested I call borrowers defense however borrower defense said they can not help with my reporting. Mohela said they dont have these consolidated loans! SO WHERE ARE THEY? AND WHY ARE THEY ON MY CREDIT? Somebody please figure it out!
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: MD
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-05
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-08-04
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2023, I called MOHELA and submitted a payment in an amount equal to all accrued interest on my loans. I requested that the payment be applied to pay off all accrued interest, and I was told it would be. However, when the payment posted to my account, the payment was applied only to one loan, so the vast majority went to pay off the principal of that loan. I called again on XX/XX/2023, requesting that the payment be applied as I initially requested. I was told that it would be. It was not. On XX/XX/2023, I submitted a written request through the MOHELA app, requesting that my payment instructions be applied. MOHELA promises to respond to your written request within one to two business days, so I thought this would be a faster way of having my request processed. I called again on XX/XX/2023, after no change had been made, requesting that the payment be applied per my instructions. On this call, I was told that the prior agent made an error and did not apply the payment to all six loan sequences. I was told that a new request had been submitted to apply the payment to the interest on all six loan sequences, that the request had been expedited, and I could expect the change to be posted within 5-7 days. On XX/XX/2023, I received a response to my XX/XX/2023 written request, stating in full : " Our records indicate that you have already called and spoken to one of our Student Loan Counselors regarding this inquiry on XX/XX/2023. We will assume the inquiry has been handled. '' The inquiry had not been handled, and MOHELA does not offer a method to reply directly to their response. On XX/XX/2023, one week my XX/XX/XXXX call, the change has still not been made. I called yet again, and was told by yet another agent that the request was inexplicably marked in their systems as " completed, '' but had not been applied. I was told that another " new request '' would have to be submitted and that it would be applied in 2-3 business days. I asked that the request be applied now. I asked to speak with a supervisor, and after being transferred was placed on a 52 minute hold. I am submitting this request because after this much back-and-forth, I can only conclude that MOHELA is deliberately ignoring my payment instructions in an attempt to increase my loan principal by having the remaining interest capitalize when interest resumes on XX/XX/2023. This is a predatory lending practice and completely unfair to student loan borrowers.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
State: CA
Zip: 93105
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-08-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A