Consumer complaint received 2020-07-28
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: VA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
1. Navient has repeatedly denied my XXXX  Student Loan Application even though proper documentation has been provided and I qualify having worked six ( 6 ) consecutive years in a qualifying school. My first application in XXXX was denied because Navient claimed they could not find the names of my two XXXX  on the XXXX directory due to a XXXX  name change. I contacted Navient to dispute the rejection and gave them the proper information and they rejected the application for a second time. I received no response for this second rejection. After three weeks I contacted Navient to inquire about the status of the review of my first application and was told it has been rejected, but I received no information from Navient indicating this. I contacted Navient five separate times attempting to gain a specific understanding of why it was rejected for the second time and I received five separate responses from five separate customer service representatives and supervisors. One supervisor indicated I would have to have Human Resources fill the verification out again and list all of the possible names changes the XXXX  may have to be able to match it to the XXXX website directory of eligible XXXX  for XXXX   Student Loan Forgiveness. This updated application with the requested information was submitted on XX/XX/XXXX and a rejection ( the third ) listing the same reasoning was send at XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX ( Saturday ) even though it contained all of the required information Navient requested. I contacted Navient once again on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX and the customer service representative viewed my application and looked up the XXXX  listed on the application on the XXXX website and found them all listed properly and could not give me a reason that the application was rejected and resubmitted it for review once again. I have not received a response from this 4th submission of the same XXXX  Loan Forgiveness application. 


2. At the same moment I received the third XXXX  Loan Forgiveness rejection ( XXXX XXXX  Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX ) I also received notification that my loan had been placed in forbearance. At no time in the customer service calls did I request forbearance. I did not fill out any applications for forbearance. At no time did a customer service representative indicate that this would occur. Upon contacting customer service on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX ) a Navient customer service representative indicated that at the time a XXXX  Loan Forgiveness Application is rejected the company will automatically put the loan into forbearance without the permission of the loan holder. However, this " automatic '' forbearance did not occur after the first two rejections of my application in XXXX and XXXX. The customer service representative could not explain this discrepancy. Navient 's website also indicates that if a loan is placed in forbearance that the loan holder must wait an extended period before being allowed to apply again. This automatic forbearance policy is in direct contradiction to their policy that forbearance prevents a loan holder from applying again in the near future. I requested that my loan NOT be placed in forbearance, that it be removed and a note indicating that forbearance was at the request of Navient and not myself be placed on the loan information. I also requested information on how to make a formal complaint with Navient itself. The customer service representative ( and myself ) could not find a place for me to submit this complaint electronically and gave me a physical address to mail the complaint. However, she also indicated that this mail is a general mailing address and it would be up to someone in the company to ensure it was given to the correct department and that there was no way for me to submit my complaint directly to any department that dealt with complaints. I would just have to hope the complaint was forwarded to the correct department. 

Overall, there is a clear problem within Navient regarding XXXX   Student Loan Forgiveness. Calls to customer service provides conflicting and confusing information or no information at all. One representative indicated that the problem lie with the institution filling out the application, even though the HR department at XXXX XXXX properly filled out the forms as indicated by the directions on the forms. They also included all of the extraneous information demanded by Navient and the application was still rejected. Several representatives have told me I have all the required information and that they are able to located my XXXX  on the XXXX Directory for the corresponding years on my application and they can not tell me why the application continues to be denied. This issue has been ongoing since XXXX of 2020. 

My XXXX Student Loan Forgiveness Application is submitted below showing all of the information properly indicated and my eligibility for this loan forgiveness. I have also included Navient 's communications rejecting the applications.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation