Date Received: 2023-10-27
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Consumer Complaint: I took out a private Tuition Answer loan with Sallie Mae back in 2006 to go to graduate school for a XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX. When I went over the documents with the loan officer by phone, at the time, I asked if the loan was a fixed interest rate or a variable interest rate. They assured me that it was fixed. It wasnt until years later that I learned that it was a variable interest rate. When I took out the loan, I completed an application but never received a Note. I was told by Navient just recently, that was how they did things back then. The loan application doubles as the Note. I was unemployed when I took out the loan as the program was double full-time, but apparently this was not an issue. I still dont know the terms of my loan and when it will be paid off. From my research, these are the perfect examples of predatory lending. When my loans became due to start repayment, I let Sallie Mae know that I was working in the social services field at the time and asked for an income driven repayment plan since the social services field does not make a livable wage. They informed me at this time that because my loan was considered a private loan, even though it is still a student loan, that I didnt qualify and instead steered me into forbearance. I had multiple forbearances due to my loan not qualifying. After my forbearances and deferments were maxed out, they told me that I only could do an interest only repayment plan. I have been on forbearance, deferment, or interest only repayment plans for years with significant interest piling up. My payments have been as high as XXXX XXXX monthly and I have never been able to pay them down. After I saw the lawsuit with Navient, I started researching my loans again. I printed out my entire account history. I even contacted Navient to ask about the interest rate changes throughout the years I have had them. They did not send me this information until I got an attorney involved this year. As I was going through my account history, I discovered that my loans went from {$40000.00} borrowed to immediately {$80000.00}. The payment history shows that even though I did pay on my loans that my loans were dramatically increasing to {$80000.00} and above. When Navient bought Sallie Mae, my loans returned to the {$40000.00} mark but did not show any improvement with payments decreasing. With all that has happened in my life, I never defaulted on my loan. I would call them and keep putting my loans in interest only repayment so that I could pay {$200.00} instead of {$500.00}. I was NEVER permitted to put my loans in an income driven repayment plan. When the pandemic hit and all student loans were supposed to stop all interest, mine continued. I was permitted to stop paying them but the interest continued to accrue. As I look into the new rules with being able to have my loan forgiven since I have XXXX years in XXXX XXXX, I still dont qualify. I do not have my XXXX XXXX XXXX from my employers because they either have closed or my social services employer does not qualify, and my loan does not qualify. I am at a point where I have paid the {$40000.00} that I owed but I have made absolutely no progress because of the interest. Every time I think that I have found a way to decrease my loans in order to pay them off, I find that my loan does not qualify. I have had these loans for 17 years and I have maybe paid down {$4000.00}. I dont know what more I can do, so I am reaching out to someone that hopefully can help. I dont have money to pay for another attorney for something that seems like Navient should be fixing since they have steered me to forbearance, deferment, or interest only payments instead of giving me a more beneficial option so that I could pay them off. Their predatory lending practices have affected my life for 17 years and will continue for the next 20 years or more since I still have {$36000.00} left to pay. I am now inquiring about a 2nd mortgage to my home in order to pay Navient off. This is not something that I feel that I should do but I dont feel that I have any other options. I am a single mother who has absolutely no help caring for my daughter and until last year, I was making less than {$40000.00} a year working in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I appreciate you reading this and hope that you can help me and others like me. As of today, my loan is at 10 % interest and {$36000.00} left to pay. I was told that the interest rate does not have a cap and can continue to increase. When I pay the required amount of $ XXXX, only {$200.00} goes to principle. I have an arbitration that is going to be scheduled in the near future but from what XXXX attorneys have told me ; I will not win. I am requesting the my student loans be discharged due to predatory lending. I would appreciate a refund of what I have paid.
Company Response:
State: KY
Zip: 410XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-26
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Bankruptcy
Consumer Complaint: Due to divorce and financial hardship, I had to file for bankruptcy in XXXX. I assumed my private student loans with Navient would be XXXX, but they were not. A Navient provided inaccurate information in relation to my ability to discharge the private student loans. In reading a article a couple of days ago, I learned my private loans with Navient could have been XXXX via bankruptcy. Due to Navient putting me in forbearance, interest applied has cause the XXXX private Navient loans to grow XXXX to XXXX times what I originally took out. As a result, literally all of my plans were going toward interest and not principle. Due to having knee XXXX, I was out of work for a couple of months. Due to being out, I have not been able to make payments since XXXX, XXXX. My question is... can my Navient private loans be XXXX via my XXXX bankruptcy? Or, can a lump sum settlement be derived to finally resolve my XXXX private Navient student loans? Note : The originally approved loans were approximately XXXX. With interest applied, the loan amount is over XXXX ... XXXX in interest alone
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 317XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: This complaint is a follow-up from my previous CFPB complaint ( ID # : XXXX ). On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, my current PSLF loan servicer, sent a letter that confirmed that the time I worked at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) had been approved as eligible under the employment criteria for PSLF forgiveness consideration. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I spoke to XXXX, a XXXX representative ( ID XXXX ), who informed me that my loans were not under a qualifying repayment status, which has barred considering my time at XXXX as eligible for forgiveness under PSLF guidelines. She informed me that my loans were listed under " unemployment deferment '' from XXXX XXXX, XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX and under " Graduate Fellowship Deferment '' from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX ( note the coinciding dates between between the two ). The reason why my loans were listed under unemployment and graduate fellowship was due to corporate malfeasance and misinformation provided by Navient, my prior loan servicer. I have shared this information to the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) in a prior complaint ( ID # : XXXX ). On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a PSLF/TEPSLF Certification & Application form to XXXX for the time I worked ( XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX ) at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) XXXX Unfortunately, a letter sent by XXXX XXXX XXXX, dated XX/XX/XXXX, incorrectly identified my employment begin and end dates at XXXX. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I raised this issue with the same XXXX representative, XXXX, who alerted me that despite my meeting the 30hr minimum employment requirement, I did not meet the " full-time '' employment status that would allow for this period of time to count toward PSLF consideration. She then advised that I contact my former employer to call her office to " verbally confirm that I worked 'full-time ' at XXXX, which would be an acceptable method to approve this period to count toward PSLF forgiveness. She also suggested that I submit a PSLF reconsideration form to Federal Student Aid, which I sent on the same date. I kindly request that the CFPB insist that Federal Student Aid conduct a thorough review of my materials and consider the time I worked at XXXX ( 25 months ) and XXXX ( 7 months ), which will place me well over the 125 months of PSLF qualifying payments. I also ask that the CFPB follow up with XXXX regarding my prior complaint ( ID # : XXXX ) to halt future monthly automatic payments ( {$440.00} ) starting on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. I see no reason why I should be asked to pay for loans that would have already been eliminated by this time.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 14225
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-25
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem lowering your monthly payments
Consumer Complaint: Asked back in XXXX how can I lower my payment. Sent me an application and address where to resend paperwork. Been calling to see if they received it now I'm informed that it's the wrong paperwork and wrong address. So they sent me paperwork to consolidate loan. I only have 1 loan can't get any information because they keep telling me I can find it online. Then was told to talk to student aid. Student aid tells me to talk to Navient. They have postponed my payment until XX/XX/XXXX pending paperwork. They told me can take upto 6 weeks. I have no idea where the 1st ( wrong ) application is with all my financial information is. I'm at witts end and don't know what to do.
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 434XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account information incorrect
Consumer Complaint: My school loans with Navient have been discharged since XXXX of this year. It is reporting closed on every report except XXXX. I have tried to dispute several times and it says it comes back accurate. I have called Navient several times and they say they will report it and never have.
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20716
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-23
Issue: Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly
Subissue: Talked to a third-party about your debt
Consumer Complaint: My two private loans defaulted and the internal collections agents contacted immediate family members, as well as extended family informing them they were collection agents. They also told them they were calling to collect debt for me.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 30024
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-24
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: The original Federal loans taken out were before XXXX at the XXXX XXXX XXXX At some time the loans were consolidated without my knowledge and/or deceptively to extend the loans amount. I have over paid Navient by several thousands of dollars, the exact amount I am attempting to determine. I have been paying these loans for more than 20 years and, according to the federal government correspondence, these loans should have been forgiven in XXXX. Navient will not provide any specific details on the history of the loans or the total amount paid. I only have received general information and they are also harassing after only pausing my payments because I have no confidence that these loans are legal or are being handled properly, to date I have only missing the monthly payment for XXXX resulting in harassing phone calls on every day, including Sunday and as late as XXXX. I did open a previous case, but I believe this case needs to be addressed with a greater attention to detail.
Company Response:
State: UT
Zip: 84093
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-24
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem lowering your monthly payments
Consumer Complaint: I informed my private student loan company Navient that I have had health issues that caused me to lose employment. My health issues started in XXXX and I am still pending another XXXX. Last year I had XXXX XXXX. With that stated I told Navient that I could not afford to pay my loans as we are only on one income which is my husbands. After rent, utilities, car payment, car insurance, cell phone, bills and including the student loans payment we are left with nothing for groceries. They asked me how much I can afford to pay and I have stated XXXX XXXX dollars and yet they still did not take that into consideration. Each time I am on a new payment plan they hike up the payment significantly. Why are they so misleading in acting like they will work with me when really they won't. So now we moved to Indiana and due to the move it set us back financially. Now I need to go in to a deferment to give me us time to recover financially from our move.
Company Response:
State: IN
Zip: 460XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-21
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Consumer Complaint: Navient has failed to send out consistent payment reminders. They claim that they did their due diligence to reach out but I do not receive any correspondence. They claim to have sent out letters but we do not receive written correspondence. They have different emails on file and none of them are correct. They also call from unknown numbers that are marked as spam and do not leave any voicemails, therefore I never know who is calling me and for what reason. They also have it documented that they do not leave voicemails when I call and I have been told in the past that they are not permitted to do so. My credit score, and the credit score of my co-signer, has dropped significantly due to Navient reporting late payments. But I am unsure how they expect payments to be made if they are not sending out notices to the proper sources of contact and are not leaving any sort of voicemail correspondence. We spoke with them as of Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX, and they have claimed that they did their due diligence to reach out but this is highly inaccurate as every ounce of information is wrong. In addition, an agent from one of the calls made on Wednesday offered to send information via email to file a dispute through a credit union. It is now Saturday and that email has still not been received. I called twice Thursday to follow up. Thursday morning at XXXX XXXX I was told that they will be sending it to an email that should not be on file - I asked them to change the email and they said that would be a XXXXXXXX XXXX process to change it and then another XXXXXXXX XXXX to send out the email with dispute information. I said to leave the email as is so I could just get the dispute information. I called again on Thursday at XXXXXXXX XXXX as information still has not been received. I was told that this was due to not being signed up for email notices ( no one mentioned this to me in the last two calls ) and that they would set that specific email up for it. I was supposed to receive an email within a half hour from that call confirming some setting changes and then the dispute email in another XXXXXXXX XXXX. It is Saturday morning and I still have not received that information. I will be calling again Monday morning as soon as they are available and will have to call every XXXXXXXX XXXX if the email isnt received.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11379
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-21
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: NAVIENT IS ATTEMPTING TO SCAM BORROWERS OUT OF STUDENT DEBT RELIEF BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO REFINANCE THEIR LOANS UNDER NAVIENT 'S PRIVATE LENDER, NAVIrefi My former loan servicer, Navient f/k/a Sallie Mae, not only committed extensive mistakes and violations against me for 31 years while they serviced my loans, but they are trying to scam me out of student debt relief by encouraging me ( and many others ) to refinance my loans with their private lender, NaviRefi, even after we consolidated our loans with the Department of Education who hold our loans. This needs to STOP NOW! Navient needs to be investigated, and an injunction filed, at the very least, to stop these nefarious and wicked tactics, if not a lawsuit. I have already been the beneficiary ( restitution recipient ) of one lawsuit filed against Navient for deceptive loan servicing practices. In fact, I worked on the case and I know what they have done to me and millions of others. Navient is no longer my servicer and neither is their cohort XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Navient has my entire loan history since XXXX and so do I. They better cooperate with every state and federal agency regarding my loans and not provide false documents or information either. That includes my repayment history and all the forbearances they steered me into for years! Thank you. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 915XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A