Consumer complaint received 2019-03-26
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Private student loan
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Don't agree with the fees charged

Complaint:
I lost my job earlier this year. Prior to that I have been paying my loans on a monthly basis with little to no problem. Each year they raised the fee slightly and it's been a bit difficult to keep up as my pay doesn't increase as their fees does. In XX/XX/2018, I lost my job. I called before I fully was unemployed and explain the situation to my loan servicer. They refused to give me temporary hardship options while I look for a new job instead charging me ridiculous fees. I started working again months later, with less take home money than my last job and tried again to work with them to no avail. They refused to assist me in trying to make payments. They told me the next steps would be default and my information being sent to a collection agency. So I figured since I couldn't pay the huge fees they wanted I would try to work with the collection agency as they are more lenient and work with the consumer to pay off the debt. But AES finally, without my knowledge, granted me the temporary hardship. What I didn't know is that it included increasing the monthly fees even more ( close to {$200.00} ) to an amount I can not afford. Again, I tried to call and work with them asking for a lower fee. They told me they can not but I can write a letter asking for a lower fee to the people that own the loan. I was informed to write the letter to AES and they will deliver the note on my behalf, which I did. It was denied a few weeks afterwards. I tried again to explain, I can not afford that amount they are asking for but they refuse to budge stating the only way to get a lower payment is to transfer my loans to a different servicer but how can I do that when I can not afford their payment and am currently getting negative credit reporting from them. They know at the present time I'm stuck with them and I feel they are taking full advantage of that fact. I received an electronic letter today, which I believe states that two of my three loans with them are in deference/forebearance which I didn't request because the woman I spoke to last told me if granted- the payments would increase even more. I told her if I can not afford the current high payments, what makes her think I can afford an even bigger increase that's closer to {$1000.00} a month? I want to make payments. I want to one day pay off this loan and have the financial freedom but it's so difficult to do when they keep increasing the payments to these ridiculous amounts that former students who are trying to make a day-to-day living can not afford and giving them bad credit instead of trying to work with them. Why couldn't my amount stay at the level it was when I had my job in XX/XX/XXXX prior to my unemployment. The amount that I paid every month and didn't put me in this bad situation. Why grant me something twice that does nothing but give temporary relief but then increase my changes of default and putting me back into and even worse situation than I was in, in the first place. I want to pay my monthly fees. I want to develop good standing but it's so difficult when they refuse to work with me and offer a lower monthly fee than the amounts currently requested. Why can't I go back to the monthly fee I had before I lost my job?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation