Consumer complaint received 2021-11-02
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Private student loan
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I signed a private loan with American Education Services, servicing the loan for National Collegiate Trust. I graduated with my XXXX degree in XX/XX/XXXX ofXX/XX/XXXX from XXXX University and ultimately attended XXXX XXXX at the XX/XX/XXXX. I graduated with my XXXX. degree from the XX/XX/XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and started my three year family medicine residency on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, New York. 

Prior to starting medical school, I had contacted AES regarding my deferment options on this particular private loan. I knew I had limited deferment time because I had used a significant amount of it during my XXXX enrollment and my post-baccalaureate career where I took the required sciences to be eligible to start medical school. I was told, through AES, that I would run out of deferment time during my professional school enrollment in medical school BUT once I graduated I would have an ADDITIONAL five years ( 60 months total ) of deferment due to Residency Deferment that my loan was eligible for. This was re-iterated SEVERAL times over the course of five years since XX/XX/XXXX. In fact, AES does not dispute this, they have told me over and over again that the information I received from their company was in fact now " incorrect '', the same information that was reiterated for over five years now. 

When the time came to apply for the residency deferment, on XX/XX/XXXX, I sent in the required paperwork SEVERAL times, only for AES to mismanage this once again. I was told " everything is in order '', again, from several representatives that there would be no issue with this deferment as my loan did allow it and I was starting a U.S. accredited family medicine residency program that was under the allotted time of 60 months and I would be given another 36 months of deferment for me to complete my training. Over the course of several weeks, I waited, waited and waited further. When there was no response, I called AES once again, demanded to speak to a supervisor, and they expedited the case. 

This was when AES completely changed their story. They denied the deferment request, suddenly citing that " residency deferment time and in-school deferment time are treated as the same thing '' therefore, according to AES, I had maxed out my total deferment time of 60 months. This was absolute ludicrous. In fact, I had to contact several more representatives who agreed with me, citing they could not understand why I was not eligible? Ultimately, once this did reach a supervisor, they spewed the same lies that they were now spreading that residency deferment time and educational deferment were synonymous with each other and were not separate entities. Therefore, I am not eligible for the residency deferment time that was promised to me for five years now. 

I demanded documentation from my account, including account notes, which AES has refused to hand over. Given the fact I believe AES is now committing fraud, I have also consulted two different attorneys who are agreeing to take my case if CFPB can not find a suitable resolution. I am demanding and from AES and asking them to allow me to have the deferment time that they have guaranteed I would have for several years now.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation