Consumer complaint received 2022-12-21
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: MN
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms

Complaint:
I have been in process of trying to get credit under the PSLF waiver for prior employment since the waiver process opened. I submitted an XXXX to XXXX in XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX to cover a time period from XX/XX/XXXX ( I started prior, but understand the program started then ) until approx XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX acknowledged receipt in approximately XXXX XXXX  XXXX, it was never processed. 

I wrote them an email in XX/XX/XXXX about it being processed and when would I see the update and got a form response that did not address the issue and told me to call XXXX if I had more questions. 

My loans were transferred to XXXX this past summer XXXX, and acknowledgment of this form happened in XXXX XXXX of XXXX. It still has not been processed and I don't know if it is because my record on Dept of Ed website shows I was in deferment during this period when I was on a standard repayment type plan ( I did not know about Direct Loans and IDR at this time and was not informed ) The Student Aid. gov website shows me in Deferment from XX/XX/XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX. 

I know I was making regular payments during the time I worked at the University and I think for a while afterwards but I know I did not have qualifying employment because I was laid off in XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. 

When I spoke with Student Aid in early XX/XX/XXXX, they said I had to contact my servicer at the time to get this corrected. I contacted Navient today XX/XX/XXXX ( Sallie Mae is not even listed as a servicer in my account and I was part of the split in XXXX ) and Navient said my payment data did not get sent over with the conversion on XX/XX/XXXX from Sallie Mae, and they said I had to contact Sallie Mae.

I contacted Sallie Mae also today XX/XX/XXXX and they said all the data was sent to Navient and they no longer had any record of my account or making payments and it is lost if Navient doesn't have it and nothing can be done. 

I am hoping my XXXX form goes through due to the waiver, but this is an unfair burden on borrowers. I kept all my check stubs and bank statements per standard record keeping guidelines and no longer have those 12 years later, however I can purchase past statements ( again an unfair burden on borrowers to have to do this research and pay more for what should have been recorded ). 

Like many borrowers who were not steered properly with the PSLF, there is a real fear of not getting credit because the loan servicers did not keep their records accurately.

What is a borrower supposed to do when the records no longer exist to ensure credit.

Additionally, the 30 hours being full time being arbitrary to depend on the eligible employer definition of full time is also unfair. It means one person only would have to have one job, while someone else has to go find an eligible employer and work a minimum of one hour a week to qualify as " full time ''. I had one employer who has no record of the time when I worked over 30 hours a week, but were not sure they would have considered that full time or not so would not fill in the form, causing me to lose more potential credit. 

I recently had to leave full time eligible employment in XX/XX/XXXX due to ongoing pandemic related child care issues and lack of flexibility with my former employer and now work somewhere where I have to find a second part time job to meet this " full time employment '' requirement. It's an added predominantly gender based flaw to the system where our forgiveness as a parent ( predominantly women ) is taking a hit on our long term earning potential, and ability for loan forgiveness and reducing our debt to income ratio for those of us who have chosen public service as a career. The rules should be adjusted so 30 hours is full time regardless of employer definition. 

Thank you for your time.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation