Consumer complaint received 2023-12-15
Company: MOHELA
State: MD
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Sub-issue: Problem with forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted PSLF reconsideration case no. XXXX to Federal Student Aid FSA. 

Below is the PSLF reconsideration issue I presented to FSA in case no. XXXX. 

I submit this reconsideration request because XXXX did not include over two years of qualified government service in my TEPSLF/PSLF payment calculations. Because of this error I have been denied an overpayment refund. I have worked for qualified employers since XX/XX/XXXX including employment with XXXX XXXX, Maryland government from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX the TEPSLF waiver was announced, accordingly, I submitted my employment certification for several government employers, including XXXX XXXX, Maryland ( copy included ). As my qualifying payments changed, I never saw this service updated in the payment calculations, but I relied on the website information that my application was in process. What had been accepted was my first qualifying employment, the Maryland Judiciary, and my subsequent employment, XXXX XXXX Government, but not the years in between at XXXX XXXX, Md. That employment at XXXX XXXX adds twenty-nine qualifying payments. Because the website was periodically updating, and because I had submitted all the correct information, I simply remained patient and confident that XXXX would correct and update all the information I submitted timely. See XX/XX/XXXX XXXX email and response attached. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was granted forgiveness of my student loans. However, I also lost major access to my account on the XXXX website and awaited an overpayment refund which I calculated I was entitled to receive. On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX regarding this issue. That same day I resubmitted the XXXX XXXX, Md. certification for supervisor review and followed up with an email to XXXX which stated : On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with XXXX XXXX representative XXXX XXXX # XXXX regarding my recent student loan forgiveness under the PSLF waiver. The main reason for my call was 1 ) to confirm that all of my employment verifications were approved and, 2 ) whether or not I would be issued a refund for overpayments. After speaking with XXXX, I was informed that one of my employment verification forms was not included ( XXXX XXXX, Maryland from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX ) in my loan forgiveness determination. This form was submitted with several others on XX/XX/XXXX after the waiver was announced. I believe this form should have been included in my payment counts and would have provided me with an additional XXXX years of qualifying payments. Thus, making my forgiveness date sometime in XXXX. 

XXXX informed me that he would forward this issue to a supervisor for further review and after review the matter may need to be submitted to the Dept. of Education. Today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I have uploaded another copy of the XXXX XXXX employment verification form to the website. Again, this employment verification form was originally provided on XX/XX/XXXX. Please let me know if you need anything further. Thank you. 

I received no further contact from XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX to inquire about this issue and whether any decision has been made. I was told that the supervisor/reviewer denied the request and that I should get the employment certification form resigned because it was over 90 days old and resubmit the form to XXXX. I was also instructed that I should file this reconsideration request on studentaid.gov. Below are my notes from this phone call with XXXX : XX/XX/XXXX - per my phone call with XXXX ( id # XXXX ) regarding my XXXX XXXX TEPSLF form for XXXX government service, I have recertified and submitted this form for reconsideration of my total payment counts and refund of eligible payments in excess of the XXXX necessary for forgiveness. 

I want to reiterate : 1 ) the XXXX XXXX, Maryland employment certification was submitted on XX/XX/XXXX. ( copy included ) I have recertified this employment and resent it to XXXX per their advice on XX/XX/XXXX ( copy included ) 2 ) I was never contacted by XXXX regarding an problem or issue with this employment verification form, and 3 ) when calculated accurately, I am entitled to an overpayment refund for any payments made after XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX During this time I called FSA, MOHELA multiple times, waited for hours to speak to someone, and was provided conflicting information or was told to speak with a supervisor or the " escalation group '' which lead to no action. Several times I was provided a supervisors name and contact number and told to call back in 10 days, only to find out the phone number was not in service or no operator knew of the person or department. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received notice that the case was closed. Specifically the email stated : " Congratulations! You have received Public Service Loan Forgiveness. '' However, the major concern and reason for the reconsideration was not addressed at all. FSA, nor MOHELA, made no determination regarding 1 ) the qualifying employer and payment count issue or 2 ) the overpayment/refund issue. For PSLF reconsideration case # XXXX I contacted FSA and MOHELA several times and was provided confliction information about the status of this inquiry and my request for review and refund. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I opened another case with FSA case # XXXX which is currently pending for the same issue. I have had no further contact with FSA or MOHELA due to the confusing responses I have received, hours long wait times for no answers, or requests that I call back to certain phone # 's which are later found to be disconnected or inoperable.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation