Consumer complaint received 2021-08-08
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
1 ) I am in complete repayment of my Federal Student Loans Account Number : XXXX XXXX XXXX. I did not/or do not wish to be in forbearance during Covid XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
2 ) Every year, I recertify my INCOME DRIVEN REPAYMENT PLAN during the summer, and most likely every year in XXXX, or early XXXX. 
3 ) THIS YEAR, on XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted my regular IDR Recertification Application. I work as a XXXX  and always make aware FedLoanServicing that I am a 10 months XXXXXXXX, who does not work during the summer, per the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 
4 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX XXXX, I received an email at my personal email address, stating the following : " Thank you for submitting an Income-Driven Repayment plan request. [ ... ] Once your request has been processed, we will send a communication advising of the outcome.Reminder : Continue to make your normal monthly payment amount until you are approved and receive a bill with your adjusted monthly payment. '' 5 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX XXXX, I received the following email, with the contrary statement to the FedLoanServicing 's email from XX/XX/XXXX, notifying me : " We are UNABLE TO PROCESS YOUR RECERTIFICATION REQUEST FOR YOUR INCOME DRIVEN REPAYMENT. A letter will be sent detailing the reasons that WE COULD NOT APPROVE YOUR REQUEST AND THE NEXT STEPS IF YOU THINK THIS INFORMATION IS INCORRECT. '' 6 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX XXXX, I called the FedLoanServising at XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. I spoke with XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX. I ask XXXX, " why MY IDR WAS NOT APPROVED ''. 
7 ) XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX, stated : " It was not approved, because THE PAYMENT PERIOD of my current IDR payment of {$55.00} WAS EXTENDED TO XX/XX/XXXX, or to the NEXT YEAR. 
8 ) I asked XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX, if she will send me a LETTER WITH THE SAME STATEMENT. XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX stated a FedLoanServicing Letter should be arriving up to 10 days. Once again, I asked, if in the Letter will be stating that " my current IDR of {$55.00} is extended to XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX, confirmed once again. 
9 ) I waited for the letter, worried a few days, and on XX/XX/XXXX, I called he FedLoanServising at XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX once more. I spoke with XXXX, EMPLOYEE XXXX. 
10 ) I explained to XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID:XXXX that the reason for my inquiry is THE LETTER ; I was promised to received/or be mailed the Letter, by XXXX  , EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX. 
11 ) XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID:XXXX told me there has not been 10 days since I inquired, and I should be receiving it 'next week ''. Once again, I asked XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID:XXXX, " why my IDR has not been approved. '' XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID:XXXX, stated : " It is too early, and you should re-certify next year, as due to Covid, there is an extension of 20 months. '' I should re-certify on/by XX/XX/XXXX. 
12 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a VERY UNCLEAR AND CONFUSING LETTER FROM FEDLOANSERVISING. The Letter stated : " We reviewed your Income-Driven Repayment ( IDR ) plan form and could not process your request for the following reasons. The reasons below will detail what actions you need to take so we can continue processing your request. If we do not receive the updated documentation as soon as possible, we may have to cancel your request and then you will need to start the process of applying for an IDR plan again. 
NOT ELIGIBLE YET : You indicated on your request that you are submitting documentation for the annual recalculation of your payment but it is not yet time to recalculate your payment. We will notify you when it is time to submit your annual recertification documentation. 
However, you do have the option to recalculate your payment early. '' 13 ) NOTHING IN THE LETTER SPECIFIED ANY PERIOD IN WHICH WILL BE 'A TIME TO RECERTIFY '. ON THE CONTRARY, FEDLOANSERVISING WITH A VAGUE STATEMENT ISSUED THE FOLLOWING : '' If we do not receive the updated documentation as soon as possible, we may have to cancel your request and then you will need to start the process of applying for an IDR plan again. '' 14 ) THERE WERE NO WRITTEN STATEMENTS IN THE LETTER from XX/XX/XXXX CONFIRMING THE PHONE STATEMENTS OF XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX, and XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID:XXXX, WHO TESTIFIED OVER THE PHONE, IN RECORDED MESSAGES that " due to Covid, there is an extension of 20 months. I should re-certify on XX/XX/XXXX ''. 
15 ) THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I AM APPALLED to WHY WERE I DECEIVED BY XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX, and XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID:XXXX, REGARDING THE EXTENSION OF MY IDR, AS THE FEDLOANSERVISING LETTER CLEARLY STATED OTHERWISE : if we do not receive the updated documentation as soon as possible, we may have to cancel your request and then you will need to start the process of applying for an IDR plan again. '' 16 ) WHY SHOULD I START THE IDR PROCESS AGAIN IF I HAD A VALID IDR RE-CERTIFICATION APPLICATION? 
17 ) I AM INQUIRING WITHIN THIS COMPLAINT ABOUT which are the TRUE STATEMENTS. I re-certified on time, neither early, nor late, and it makes no sense to me for my IDR to be canceled. Ido not wish to loose my IDR Plan for some bureaucratic neglegence. I NEED TO KNOW exactly the time when I have to re-certify as well as the confirmation of {$55.00} monthly payment, per XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID : XXXX, and XXXX, EMPLOYEE ID:XXXX  statements.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation