Consumer complaint received 2019-01-22
Company: MOHELA
State: MI
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Private student loan
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Sub-issue: Can't temporarily delay making payments

Complaint:
I started at University of XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX for a XXXX  in XXXX XXXX and successfully put my loan into deferment for three months ( the maximum amount allowed ). Around the time that the three months were up, I submitted another deferment request, because I was still in school. 
On XX/XX/XXXX the deferment request was denied because it was not within 30 days of the end date of the original deferment. I received the notification on XX/XX/XXXX. 
I then submitted another request 1 day before the 30 days started because I figured processing with my school would take at least a day. It was denied on XX/XX/XXXX because there were missing dates of enrollment, however, the national student clearinghouse sent the correct forms with the application. I received this notification XX/XX/XXXX. 
I submitted another deferment request again after the 30 days began and it was denied on XX/XX/XXXX because it was not within the 30 days of the end date of the other deferment. I had submitted it after the 30 days but since it was signed and dated for the day before the 30 days, they denied the request. I received this notice on XX/XX/XXXX. 
I then submitted the deferment request for the FOURTH TIME. It was denied on XX/XX/XXXX again due to it not providing a program of study. I received this notification on XX/XX/XXXX. By this point it was so close to XXXX so I was unable to get anything done with my school since everyone was gone on break so I had to wait until after office personnel came back at University of XXXX. By this time it was XX/XX/XXXX. 
At this point, I was in direct contact with one person from the registrars office and she sent the deferment request 4-5 times to XXXX/Mohela by fax and by e-mail. The only record that XXXX/Mohela has of this is XX/XX/XXXX which they took no action and XX/XX/XXXX which they also took no action. I finally got frustrated and asked the registrar lady to just send me the forms directly so I could up load them onto my account homepage. This was against their protocol but she agreed because, I assume, she understood how much trouble this had been for me. 
I submitted the deferment request again for the FIFTH TIME on XX/XX/XXXX through the XXXX/Mohela website and I made sure to contact XXXX/Mohela when I submitted it to make sure everything was filled out correctly. They assured me that it would and that I would not be penalized for this since my account has been past due since I have been waiting for this deferment to go through. 
On XX/XX/XXXX they contacted me because my account was past due and that was when they informed me that the dates were not filled out correctly AGAIN. I was forced to pay a month of my loan which I really cant afford right now and now I have to submit this deferment request again. Also, apparently I was given the incorrect information by the previous two XXXX/Mohela personnel who told me that if my deferment request was approved it would retroactively be applied through the month of XXXX. That was not true, thus the reason I had to pay for a month of student loans that I truly can not afford. 
I am submitting this complaint because XXXX/Mohela have failed to acknowledge my in-school deferment requests. They have created such a burden on me and my school by denying my requests over and over again knowing full well that I am currently in school. I have been prompt with every one of my filings and deferment requests but because of their incompetence, my account is now 37 days past due. I have done everything in my power to get them to accept my deferment requests, but they have utterly failed to perform even the most basic of tasks.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation