Consumer complaint received 2018-03-20
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: TN
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:
In XX/XX/XXXX approximately I begin making phone calls to my loan servicer Navient about how to make sure I would qaulify for Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program ( PSLF ). When I would call during those years they would tell me things for example like : We do not have enough information at this time, or all you have to do is simply just keep making your 120 payments on time, and work for a public service employer or a 501 c 3 employer etc. I can also remember calling more than once over the course leading up towards XX/XX/XXXX, checking back up, and each time I was told different things. I would ask, " Am I under the correct loan type? '' They would never clarify and infact were very dodgy on explaing any facts, nor pursuade me toward any other loans but the current loan I held, nor encourage for me to immediately switch over to XXXX XXXX XXXX at any point. In fact, a person even detered me from changing from the current loan with rationales about interest rates % for not switching and to wait for various reasons etc. 

My loans were held by Navient from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. My loans were finally consolidated to XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to their current status with My Student Loans XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX I called them via phone actually on XX/XX/XXXX and argued with them on the issue. They only credit me with Public Service Credit for 11 months to date. They do not even " recognize '' the fact that I have worked for 13 years at a Public Service Employer ( XXXX ), Nor even made well over 120 payments of on-time, Income based repayment plan payments ( IBR ) during that period. My employer has sent in verified employment forms to them already of my employment time, history, and required information to them completely! 
Their response to me in the past when I confront the situation to them is that they say, " They can not acknowledge all my years of public service, or that it will count, because the loan type was incorrect during that period. '' To which I explain to them, " Why is that my fault, because Navient repeatdly gave false or miseleading information about the PSLF Program? '' In addition to this, the personnel on the phone try to blame the mere fact that the reason this happens is because people did not file an employment verification yearly. This also does not make any sense. This is the latest talking point they try on the phone to borrowers. It is clear that when your employer certifies your employment that they know you have worked there for 10 years or longer and made 120 payments while working there with the public employer. This is not the first time I have called them before obviously, they have used the loan type senario argument as the basis for denial of not giving me my forgiveness of student loans. Before, they always have used, the excuse of the wrong loan type. Then they simply defer to the department of education, and say, " Sorry you'll have to work another 10 years there, and make another 120 payments and start all over again! '' Navient never was forth right in the information, and never made clear to me at all between XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX information regarding eligibility for the PSLF, nor did they forth rightly do so after the period of XX/XX/XXXX when finally formal forms, and information was being handed down from the federal department of education afterwards long over due. 
I communicated, and made voluntary phone calls to Navient on this matter over the years trying to stay abreast of the situation and each time I was ill informed, misguided, and now I am in the situation I am in today as a result of it. The current lender refuses to understand, nor acknowledges all years of time with my current public service employer, or the good faith payments under the program through one technicality or another. 
Why must dedicated public service workers pay the price for lenders who failed to properly administor information on eligibility, or give false information and leave workers and loan repayers in this type of situation? 
I seek a remedy, and a solution to this situation. This can't be what this spirit of this program intended back in XX/XX/XXXX. Why must public service workers have the rug pulled from under their feet in such a disegenious, dishonorable, which undermines distrust in government, faith in good values, playing by the rules, and the nation at large?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation