Consumer complaint received 2023-06-27
Company: MOHELA
State: CA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
This letter is intended as a formal complaint against Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority ( MOHELA ) and their current practice of misrepresenting eligible payment and employment counts towards this participant of the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. This has continued to occur, despite repeated attempts by this client of MOHELA to seek clarification and correction of their XXXX status to accurately reflect their eligible employment history. 

Specifically for the dates of current/ongoing employment from XX/XX/XXXX thru XX/XX/XXXX ( approximately XXXX years of made and eligible payments ) which have for the first time not been accurately noted on clients progress towards XXXX completion, despite being accounted for correctly by every other official servicer of XXXX XXXX XXXX previously assigned to manage client loans, prior to MOHELA assuming oversight. 

This clients frustrating experience seeking resolution combined with clear evidence of this issue not being an outlier for MOHELA XXXX participants creates perception this may not be a data entry error, but rather a purposeful omission/misreporting of XXXX eligibility data on the part of MOHELA, with intent to block this clients eligibility for XXXX loan discharge for MOHELAs financial gain. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, at time of MOHELA taking over as loan servicer this client was XXXX ) Eligible for XXXX Discharge of approximately 55 % of clients outstanding loan balance ( DL XXXX, approximately $ XXXX ) a. This balance can not be XXXX until MOHELA provides correct and accurate employment certification, which MOHELA has failed to do. 
XXXX ) Remaining 45 % balance ( DL XXXX, approximately {$23000.00} ) due for XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. 
a. This balance will not be eligible for discharge IF MOHELA does not correct and provide accurate employment eligibility certification, which to this date MOHELA has failed to do. 
History with MOHELA : XX/XX/XXXX : MOHELA becomes student loan servicer for XXXX. Prior to MOHELA assuming service of these loans this client experienced XXXX issues with accounting of employment certification and applicable eligible payment counts. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Client submits annual employment certification to MOHELA with correct employment history as noted ( and previously approved ) on all prior XXXX annual employment certifications. 
XXXX Eligible Employment Dates Submitted : a. XX/XX/XXXX CURRENT ( NOT ENTERED INTO ACCOUNT ). 
a. dated XX/XX/XXXX to current employer ( XX/XX/XXXX ) on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX submitted to MOHELA. 
b. XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ( Documented accurately ) c. XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ( Documented accurately ) XX/XX/XXXX : Received notification from MOHELA indicating no employment history is acknowledged between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. 
Client waited for correction to be applied to account but no correction made within following 3 months. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Client made telephone contact with MOHELA representative XXXX who reviewed and confirmed error made on part of MOHELA data entry. XXXX placed a note in client file and initiated a request for information to be reviewed and corrected. XXXX informed client this would take approximately 90 days to be corrected, with notification via email to be received upon completion. XXXX days would have been XX/XX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX : No corrections/changes made to account, no email or follow-up communication received by XXXX mark as previously indicated would occur. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  days after XX/XX/XXXX prior communication and promise of resolution within XXXX days. Client again made telephone contact with MOHELA representative XXXX, who again reviewed and confirmed error on part of MOHELA data entry, and again stated all she could do was request someone review dates of client employment which would take a further XXXX days to complete. 
Client requested elevation to supervisor, as this was deemed unacceptable to wait a further XXXX  days. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXXXXXX XXXX Client placed on hold for supervisor for XXXX minutes. No supervisor or anyone else ever came online to address or assist. No confirmation ever offered client was till in queue for assistance, nor when that assistance may be provided. Client hung-up after XXXX on hold, with XXXX communication or contact from supervisor or otherwise. Client immediately called MOHELA again. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXXXXXX XXXX  Client again made telephone contact with MOHELA representative XXXX, who reviewed and confirmed again the error being on part of MOHELA data entry. Client declined being placed on hold again for a supervisor due to XXXX wait with no communication on prior call. XXXX had a supervisor identified as XXXX XXXX come online to listen in as she elevated plan of correctio. Client was advised at close of call the case would be resolved with corrections reflected on account within XXXX business days of XX/XX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX total business days after XX/XX/XXXX promise of resolution within XXXX business days. No resolution provided, nor any follow-up communication initiated on behalf of MOHELA after XXXX waited XXXX total business days ( XXXX as indicated, plus XXXX more ) after XX/XX/XXXX conversation. 
Client again made telephone contact with MOHELA representative XXXX (? ), who again reviewed and confirmed error on part of MOHELA data entry. Client explained the attempts previously made to resolve this and MOHELA staff placed client on hold for communication with supervisor. Supervisor again never made actual contact with client, but at XXXXXXXX XXXX client was told a supervisor was discussing situation and avenue for resolution. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX Client informed issue was to be escalated and management was emailed to look at dates and initiate correction. Placed on hold for discussion between rep and supervisor. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX Client told dates being corrected through XX/XX/XXXX, with certification needed for most recent and current employment history from XX/XX/XXXX thru current date. Client informed MOHELA rep that this annual recertification was in process with employer and would be uploaded in coming days. 
Client advised at close of call that review, correction and resolution would be completed no later than XXXX business days from this call. XX/XX/XXXX at close of business would be XXXX full business days post call. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX Annual Employment Re-certification uploaded to MOHELA, reflecting all prior XXXX eligible employment prior to and including XXXX ( current employer, uninterrupted and ongoing since XX/XX/XXXX ) continuous employment with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 




XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX business day after promised XXXX business day waiting period for resolution. No resolution or correction, nor communication received This is XXXX promise of resolution unmet within time frame provided ( XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX Days-Unmet, XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX business days-Unmet, XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX business days-Unmet ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX AM Client again makes contact with MOHELA representative XXXX who facilitated transfer XXXX Supervisor XXXX. XXXX again confirmed dates submitted by client were not noted accurately in account. Provided multiple different reasons for error XXXX ) the information sent by Dept of Ed was incorrect. Information we received indicate a start date of XX/XX/XXXX in most recent employment. 
a. Client reminded her the dates should have been corrected upon review of my XX/XX/XXXX XXXX employment certification submission to reflect XXXX. XXXX acknowledged it should have been corrected at time of submission and review by MOHELA, but it was not. 
2 ) You might have submitted another application at that time with incorrect dates a. Client stated again their employment history has been continuous and ongoing since XX/XX/XXXX and there would have been no different information submitted even if this had occurred. XXXX acknowledged this did not occur and is not a legitimate explanation When asked why no correction or even review has occurred in the XXXX business days since last call as promised : XXXX replied I see your last request for correction was placed on hold which is why it was not completed yet, but I dont know why. This is another example of MOHELA willfully neglecting to correct identified employment history errors with no rational explanation for failure to do so at any point. 

Call ended with Client provided case # XXXX and phone number for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and instructed the corrections would occur within XXXX business days no later than XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX. 

At this time, it has become evident MOHELA has repeatedly and consistently neglected to correct an error which was : a ) Created by MOHELA ( despite attempts by supervisor in XX/XX/XXXX call to blame Dept of Education and the Client themselves for providing incorrect error. ) b ) Acknowledged by MOHELA in every communication as a data entry error on part of MOHELA, not the client.

c ) Resolvable by MOHELA only Client has attempted redress and resolution through all available avenues. 
MOHELA has only provided : 1 ) Misinformation : Shifting responsibility for error, multiple promises of review and correction, elevation to management, follow-up communication. 
2 ) waiting periods of XXXX days, XXXX business day, XXXX business days, and now advised again to wait XXXX more business days. 
3 ) no resolution after any requested reviews for correction and any associated waiting period.

4 ) no communication unless initiated by Client. 
Client is aware that since MOHELA has taken over as student loan servicer for XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX : 1 ) There have been thousands of complaints regarding MOHELA and the inaccurate accounting of eligible payments for XXXX participants 2 ) The XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX rating for MOHELA has been downgraded from XX/XX/XXXX A+ to the current XX/XX/XXXX rating of B due to the number of complaints regarding XXXX administration of XXXX program 3 ) XXXX also issued an ALERT regarding MOHELA, noting the XXXX has received an increase in MOHELA complaints due to the XXXX Program. 

As of XX/XX/XXXX, absolutely XXXX resolution nor correction to account has been provided to client by MOHELA. 
1 ) almost XXXX  months ( XX/XX/XXXX ) since client submission of correct information to MOHELA for employment certification. 
2 ) Almost XXXX  months ( XX/XX/XXXX ) since client was informed of erroneous employment history being entered, and 3 ) almost 5 months ( ongoing since XX/XX/XXXX ) since dedicated attempts to correct MOHELAs acknowledged data entry error began on part of client.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief