Consumer complaint received 2021-02-18
Company: Ascendium Education Group
State: MD
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Trouble with how payments are being handled

Complaint:
I am totally confused regarding who and who is handling my student loan activities. 
I took out a loan for graduate school between XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX with XXXX XXXX, then XXXX XXXX contracted my loan to a XXXX and now to Ascendium. My loan amount then was about {$47.00}, XXXX. Have been paying on my loan since graduation except for XX/XX/XXXX due to XX/XX/XXXX crashed when I lost my job at XXXX/XXXX and I requested forbearance until I had another job in XX/XX/XXXX. Ascendium sent my loan for collection to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX, XXXX, GA XXXX with a hefty collection fees of {$17000.00}. ( see attachment # 1 ). I was having difficulty paying my loan then a {$17.00}, XXXX burden was added bringing the total of over {$64000.00} with interest added ( I do not know how much ). This has been my nightmare. I started paying on my loan by wage garnishment from my Social Security benefits and from the State of Maryland. I last file a complaint with your Office with regards to how my payments are distributed. I never got an answer from Ascendium. I went on their website to only find payment from Social Security Administration and nothing from the State of Maryland accounted towards my account ( see attachment # 2 ). 
Further after examining the loan I downloaded it states a loan date of XX/XX/XXXX and disbursement date of XXXX. I graduated from XXXX University in XXXX. I did not take out any loan in XX/XX/XXXX. I was not in any school whatsoever. So, I need to know where this came from. 

Because of Covid-19 the Former President Donald Trump suspended payment & interest on student loans. And suddenly after he left office my name was sent to XXXX XXXX XXXX who is making threats about a law suit. I can not get through to anyone at Ascendium. Their machine will tell you for default loans call the Debt Collector. I do not want to deal with a debt collector, because they are not my loan servicer. All Ascendium has to do is to resubmit request for wage garnish to the Department of Treasury and The State of Maryland ( DHS ) as it was done before and I just have to acknowledge and signature. But they prefer sending my name to one of their cronies. Since it's had to get someone at Ascendium, I went on-line to check my payment history and I am surprise there is NO PAYMENT HISTORY whatsoever. See attachment # 3. 

I would like to know whether this loan dated XX/XX/XXXX is mine or not because I did not request any loan for school in XX/XX/XXXX. If it is the old loan from XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX, I need a complete up-to-date payment history. I tried so many times to get this information from Ascendium but to no avail. ( see attachment # 3-1 ). 

I am XXXX yrs old and I have requested four times for a Public Services Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) for my Federal Consolidated Loans and was denied ( 4 times ) : reasons ( 1 ) Because my loan was not consolidated ( which it says CONSOLIDATED ) on the attachment and ( 2 ) because The State of Maryland Department of Human Services is not a government or public service organization. ( See attachment # 4 ).

I request this matter be thoroughly investigated. Someone is getting rich from this Student Loan repayment schemes. 

Thank You for your immediate attention. 

Sincerely, Mr. XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation