Consumer complaint received 2022-07-21
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: NY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
I am writing to request a change of status to my student loans previously administered by Navient ( account # XXXX ). 

On several occasions throughout XXXX and XXXX, I contacted Navient to request for this status change from deferment to Income Based Repayment ( IBR ) for loans administered by Navient from XX/XX/XXXX, to XX/XX/XXXX. The reason for my request was to allow my employment at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), during the aforesaid time-period, to be counted for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) program. I was alerted, however, that such a change could not be done. 

As I was not matriculated in any academic program and was not earning academic credits toward a degree, I should not have been identified on academic deferment. To provide supporting evidence, I am sending along XXXX documents : 1. an offer of employment for the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. 2. a postdoc scholar / postdoc-employee offer of employment ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ), 3. extension of a renewal offer as a postdoctoral scholar ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ), and 4. a completed PSLF form from XXXX identifying my dates of XXXX. 

I contacted Navient again in XXXX of XXXX asking to make this change. By this point, however, I was informed that as my loans have been consolidated and are now administered by XXXX, they can not accommodate this request. Moreover, I have been informed that had I contacted them previously, prior to the consolidation and transfer of funds to another student loan servicer, Navient would have been able to accommodate the status request. 

The information provided in XXXX of XXXX clearly contradicts earlier information provided by Navient, which misinformed me that a status change could not be done when in fact this was not the case. I have since requested that Navient investigate this matter further through the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a response from XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at Navient, alerting me that they will investigate this further. As I have not received a response, and to ensure Navient provides serious consideration to my grievance, I am formally requesting assistance to the Consumer Financial Bureau to help resolve this matter. 

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Navient has made a mistake with the handling of my loans. A Navient representative informed me that my income-based deferment would expire on XXXX of XXXX. Despite being provided this information over the phone and in writing, Navient decided to move my repayment to XX/XX/XXXX. When I alerted Navient of this information they did not wish to acknowledge their mistake and instead charged late fees, allowed for interest to capitalize on my loans, and without my permission, placed me on forbearance. It was not until I filed a complaint on XX/XX/XXXX, with the XXXX XXXX XXXX ( complaint number : XXXX ) that Navient escalated XXXX issue to the Office of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX In a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, Navient acknowledged their error, retroactively reversed all late fees and capitalized interest, and changed my status from in forbearance to income-based deferment. 

As the U.S. Department of Education ( XXXX ) has announced a change to Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) program rules for a limited time because of the COVID-19 emergency, I ask the XXXX assistance to change the status of my loans from student deferment to an income-based deferment. This will allow for the two-year period ( XX/XX/XXXX, to XX/XX/XXXX ) of my postdoctoral fellowship at XXXX to count toward my PSLF loan forgiveness. 

Thank you kindly for reviewing my case. I look forward to hearing from you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation