Consumer complaint received 2019-04-02
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: CA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Sub-issue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan

Complaint:
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to report what I believe is wrongdoing by XXXX XXXX   and to ask for assistance. I am part of what is called the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program but have, over a number of years, found that the company makes it very difficult to make payments " count '' towards the requisite 120 payments needed for loan forgiveness. This is not to mention other programs I've been a part of over decades now which have promised forgiveness after ten years, etc. and then punted my loan down the road only to have to qualify for another such program.

When I applied for the PSLF, I obtained the required Employer Verification and started paying through this program. I have taught at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, a XXXX, XXXX XXXX recognized employer, for over 25 years. I have far exceeded the XXXX qualifying payments in my public service, making on-time payments over decades. 

As for this particular program and its eligibility, I have been told on more than one occasion, that I qualified for the PSLF program and my Employment Verification was up to date. A few years ago I called again to make sure that payments were qualifying and was told no, that I was enrolled in the wrong payment program and that none of my payments count towards the PSLF. To date, I have accrued only XXXX qualifying payments. And today I discovered that because I failed to re-certify my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, my current payment will not count either. I have been making qualifying payments for the last few years ( let alone the last 20+ ), how could they not count towards the PSLF? I wonder if there is a class action suit against this entity yet for people who are doing all they can to qualify, certify, etc. for a plan that, at every turn in the road, seems to be nearly impossible to achieve? It makes me wonder if XXXX XXXX  XXXX is actively making sure that borrowers will never be given loan forgiveness under this program. Here are just three examples of how these unfair practices are making sure that millions of people don't every repay their student loans : 1. Today I spoke to a very helpful operator who ( finally ) informed me that the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX should be submitted every year, 90 days before the deadline. I have NEVER been told this before but have been aware that at some point my account seems to be kicked off of the right type of repayment plan and to another one making me ineligible for the PSLF. 
2. That if I pay even a bit more than my PSLF requires ( wanting to offset the crazy interest I am accruing ) my PSLF payment will not qualify. So I am penalized by wanting to pay more. How would I EVER know this? 
3. The Employment Certification policy is murky at best. I've been told to fill one out and send once a year, or just every couple of years. And, the way to even find the form is confusing not to mention that the form itself VERY closely resembles the wrong form - the application for forgiveness. 
4. The fellow I spoke to today also informed me that sometimes the computer splits payments making it appear that I/people didn't make a PSLF qualifying payment. 

Is there anything that can be done? I am at my wits end, I have worked for an eligible organization for 25+ years, doesn't this count for anything or am I just to be at the mercy of this administrative, bureaucratic, fraudulent system? Is there a such thing as retroactive qualifying payments? Do I have to comb through the system trying to find whether the computer has split a payment thereby disqualifying my payments? 

Thank you for your attention and for your time, it is truly appreciated.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation