Consumer complaint received 2016-03-09
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: OR
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about my loan

Complaint:
On XXXX XXXX, 2015 I faxed my XXXX certification paperwork along with a teacher forgiveness application to Fedloan Servicing. The fax showed completed and I printed the confirmation. 
I received a letter stating that my 5 years of teaching service had been recognized and credited. Apparently this letter was only referring to the teacher loan forgiveness program. 
I received no further communication until XXXX 2015 when I received a reminder for XXXX certification in my paperless inbox stating that if I had already submitted this certification to disregard the notice, which I did. 
I had access to my e-mail over the summer and received an e-mail notification of my direct debit payments but nothing informing me that I had a letter in my paperless inbox, and when I logged in to pay my bill there was no indication that there was new mail, no icon. 
The next communication I received from this company was dated XXXX/XXXX/2015. This letter informed me that my XXXX grants had been converted to loans as of XXXX/XXXX/15. When I called to express my confusion, I was told that there was no dispute process and that there was nothing I could do about this conversion. I supplied the completed fax cover sheet as well as the recertification form I submitted on XXXX/XXXX/2015. 
I was still told that this company had not received that fax and that I would have to accept the fact that " my failure to supply the required documentation was going to cost me. '' The customer service agent suggested that I consolidate the {$9800.00} from my XXXX grants ( $ XXXX+ interest ) into my current loan consolidation and she transferred me to the consolidation department. 
The customer service agent at the consolidation department was kind enough to explain to me that if I chose to re-consolidate to include these new " loans '' that my Public service Loan Forgiveness would start over and require 120 consecutive payments. She suggested, since I have completed 6 years of qualifying payments, that I file a dispute. 
She stated that there is in fact a dispute process. 
I sent an e-mail to FedLoan Servicing describing the problem and received a number of completely different responses. 
One stated that I could access reminder letters in my paperless inbox with the following dates : XXXX/XXXX/15, XXXX/XXXX/15 and XXXX/XXXX/15. Another, once again, incorrectly indicated that there is no dispute process. 
When I contacted a supervisor at the XXXX department I was told that they would " allow '' me to submit a letter disputing the grant to loan conversion. 
I included a copy of the certification form that I submitted on XXXX/XXXX/15, as well as the fax confirmation and a list of all of the e-mails and reminders I received via my paperless inbox, as well as my list of notes according to dates throughout this process. 
I also included a printout of what has in my paperless inbox proving that there is no such reminder for the date indicated in XX/XX/XXXX, which would have been the final notice and given me 30 days to respond and is required. 
I understand this erroneous conversion has happened to a number of people who, like me have more than fulfilled our service agreement of 4 years ( I 've been teaching special education for XXXX ). 
Since FedLoan Servicing took over my loans I have had nothing but problems. Their business and for profit attitude is not conducive to appropriate servicing of US department of education funds. 
I believe this company should convert my XXXX grants back to just that because I have satisfied my obligations and continue to teach and serve this country in that capacity.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation