Consumer complaint received 2017-08-25
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: IL
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 initially applied for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program in the fall of XX/XX/XXXXwhen I graduated and began working. It took nearly an entire year for FedLoan Servicing to approve my application, then several more months of delay as they encouraged me to apply for a forbearance while I " just wait '' on them to approve an income driven repayment plan. In that time when I could have been making qualifying payments toward the PSLF program, I instead was told to " wait '' and essentially have wasted months when I could have either gotten credit toward the program or at least kept my overall debt from ballooning.
I initially applied for Direct consolidation for the PSLF program repayment requirements onXX/XX/XXXX. After following up several times, I received an update from them on XX/XX/XXXXthat my request was " still being processed. '' I followed up again with questions about the delay onXX/XX/XXXX with no sufficient explanation as to the delay.
My request was finally processed onXX/XX/XXXX - a total waste of 7 months that I could have been in repayment toward the PSLF program or at least paid the interest amount ( which they discouraged me to do ).
It took until XX/XX/XXXX ( over another year ) for them to acknowledge receipt of my additional income-driven repayment plan documents, which they requested. I am currently STILL WAITING for them to let me know what my monthly income-driven payment amounts will be for the next year. They sent an update on XX/XX/XXXXstating my income-driven repayment re-certification request will be processed after my " current schedule '' is generated on XX/XX/XXXX As of today ( XX/XX/XXXX ), I am STILL WAITING.
I have called and emailed numerous times to follow-up. The only responses I have ever received are " just wait '' or " it 's being processed. '' Meanwhile, I have been working at a qualified employer for over 2 years with only a few months having been counted toward the PSLF program, and now my payment credits are AGAIN being delayed due to " processing. '' I have been unable to get an answer from anyone every single time I have called customer service as to why it takes nearly an entire year for documents to be reviewed.
In one instance, after calling more than 5 times for confirmation they received my uploaded documents, I was told the page I submitted was somehow mysteriously blacked out across the bottom 1/3 of the page so they had not been able to process it but failed to let me know this. This was the excuse given to me despite the fact that I had confirmed their receipt of the document, in it 's entirety and that it was readable, nearly 4 months before this happened when I first submitted the document.
I fully believe FedLoan Servicing is engaging purposefully in deceptive and fraudulent practices to delay forgiveness timelines, discourage borrowers from actually paying toward the debt to increase overall interest accumulation, and giving consumers the " run around '' when they actually try to manage their debt.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation