Consumer complaint received 2020-05-19
Company: Nelnet, Inc.
State: CA
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 have been medically retired from the XXXX XXXX since XX/XX/XXXX. Now I am hoping I get to graduate and get my XXXX XXXX  diploma in XX/XX/XXXX. I am currently taking my last 2 XXXX classes at the University XXXX XXXX XXXX. My VA rating also recently changed to 100  % nearly a month ago due to a recent reevaluation. I was informed that I could apply to get my education loans completely XXXX as a result of it ( XXXX ), I was static since I didn't know this program existed. I was also told that it would take 3- 6 months to get an answer and so I applied right away ( this was in the third week of XXXX ). I had already signed up for my XXXX classes and had requested loans for them long before and it was just a matter of waiting for my Spring semester to end and start my final one this XXXX before I could graduate. In the meantime I called my Financial Aid to ask when the loans would be disbursed ( for my classes ), I didn't want there to be a problem and the new ones not be counted. I say this because two weeks ago I received a letter from the XXXX XXXX office ( the office of the Department of Education that deals with these requests ), and I didn't see the new Summer loans there and so I wanted to do my due diligence and make sure everything was in working order. My FinAid office assured me it would be fine and that the funds have been sitting in my account for a while now, it was just a matter of waiting for all my professors to put in their grades. Only then would the funds get dispersed and reflect in the Department of Education 's end. This is how XXXX holds their student accountable - it was school policy. Unfortunately, one of my professors ( I took 3 classes ) didn't put in her grade till last week. Also late last week is when I saw that my past loans got XXXX as well ( which was amazing ), but without the finals loans being counted in ( {$21000.00} ). They could not get disbursed prior to, due to school policy, not because I wasn't approved or because they were not requested. I had called before to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) office and let them know this ( several times ), but they did not look into it or do a thorough job of investigating the manner. I let them know it was happening because of my classes this Summer-and still nothing. 

After this took place, I continued calling and emailing the XXXX office and letting them know what had taken place. When this process first began, I had been told it would take at least a couple of months ( but it took 3 weeks ) and at at the same time my loans didn't get disbursed because one of my professor took a really long time to post my grade ( the reason why they did not get included in the recent discharge ). It was beyond my control. Each and every time I call they are not only rude, but they keep telling me there is no appeal and no way around it unless I could get a letter from the VA with a different " effective day. '' I can not get XXXX  % XXXX again on a different day, for them to even say that is callous and just insensitive. This is a clear sign they truly don't know or understand their audience. I explained this to them and well indifference came my way. They give me the option of going the Social Security and Physician route, with COVID how am I going to do that? The difference between my loans getting dispersed ( because all my grades were in the system ) and the time the XXXX  request got approved was 72 hours. I even went ahead and emailed my teacher 2 weeks ago letting her know what I was trying to do and how I didn't want to run into any complications and if she could please kind hurry the matter-and it still happened. I understand why the office is being how they are. I know some people may try and take advantage of the situation and keep taking loans out, so they could just keep getting them XXXX time and time again. But the issue here is that I did do everything I was supposed to do, I called all the active actors, let them know, did my due diligence ; but because of things out of my control I am now being told these last 2 loans can not be covered because technically ( 72 hours ) they were not in the system as dispersed and therefore can not be counted in. But these are my last 2 classes I will ever take. These classes are what will allow me to finally have my diploma. I am not trying to take advantage of the system or anything of that matter, I am just trying to graduate and get a job so I can at least help out with my daughter 's tuition if I can. She is a graduating senior and her financial aid package was not as full as we would have liked it to be, we still have to make up for approximately {$10000.00} for a full year. How am I supposed to do that, when the XXXX  office will not see that I am not trying to scam them and just want to include my Summer loans as part of the original discharge? I ask that you please intercede. I have tried calling them multiple times, emailing them, even spoke to one of their supervisors- but no one really wants to help me. I can hear in their tone, their attitude, and indirect dismissal. It just makes me so upset that everyone tells us veterans " Thank you or your service, '' but when it comes down to actually bringing that into action, very few follow through. I am not asking for a handout, but simply for someone to really see how this played out. I really want to continue taking my classes this XXXX and hopefully graduate in the XXXX. I did my due diligence through every avenue I could, I can not afford {$21000.00}. I could not predict unanticipated expedient results from the Department of Education after being told it would not be, nor could I have rushed my teacher or rushed my school in any other way. I don't understand why the burden is being placed one me and no one cares to really listen. I understand this is a fairly new program, but they need to understand they can not and should not treat people as second-class citizens, especially not veterans. I want to let them know that if this is not taken care of in a civil and compassionate manner, I will not hesitate to go up the chain of command.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation