Consumer complaint received 2023-10-03
Company: MOHELA
State: MA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
I am writing to request your assistance with my Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) counts. I have been diligently working in public service for the past 20 years and have faithfully made the requisite XXXX qualifying payments toward XXXX loan forgiveness. My qualifying payment count is currently at XXXX, as of XX/XX/XXXX. 

I have reached out to MOHELA on multiple occasions through various communication channels, but regrettably, my concerns have not been adequately addressed. I have spent countless hours on hold ( average XXXX hours ) trying to speak with a representative to resolve my concerns. I spoke to a representative on XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX ) who assured me my file would be reviewed within XXXX business days, unfortunately that did not happen. On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with MOHELA representative, XXXX, who stated that she saw the documentation in my account; but confirmed that it had still not been reviewed. XXXX XXXX escalated the case and provided me with a case number ( XXXX ) for tracking purposes and assured me that they had everything they needed to review my file and I should get a response in XXXX business days. As of this writing, there has been no contact or resolution regarding my claim. I received invoices from XXXX ( my previous servicer ) since XX/XX/XXXX and made consistent and timely payments of {$290.00} every month. After speaking with a representative at MOHELA, it was confirmed that the Department of Education erroneously put an In-School Deferment status on my loan and also saw a notation that my loans were consolidated. I did not defer my loan nor did I ever consolidate any loans. On XX/XX/XXXX I again spent XXXX hours on hold and was finally able to speak with a supervisor, XXXX, who told me I needed to complete an In-School Deferment Removal form which she was emailin to me. As expected, I never received the form. 

Additionally, in XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted MOHELA to request a refund for payments made during the COVID payment pause. My account was immediately updated to reflect the refund reversal ; however, it also added accrued interest to my loan amount. I contacted MOHELA several times regarding this issue. MOHELA confirmed that there was a letter in my file confirming that my account qualified for no interest during the XXXX payment pause but said they did not have the authority to remove the interest and did not offer any solution. Additionally, I have not received the requested refund. 

I understand that addressing these issues may take time and requires careful tracking of payments to ensure the successful completion of the XXXX program. I am confident that your assistance will help clarify and resolve these discrepancies. I am prepared to provide any additional documentation or information to facilitate the review and resolution process. Now that student loans are in repayment, resolution to these discrepancies is of the utmost importance to me financially. I have recently been send an invoice for {$600.00} for an account that should be forgiven through XXXX. MOHELA told me to continue paying on this account until resolved or I would be sent to the Collection Agency. 

Thank you for your assistance in helping me achieve loan forgiveness through the Public Student Loan Forgiveness program. I look forward to a timely resolution of this request.

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