Consumer complaint received 2023-03-28
Company: MOHELA
State: WY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
I've made several attempts to contact MOHELA, the lender overseeing the PSLF program ( Note : I don't have an account with them because my loans were forgiven with XXXX but all reconsideration cases for PSLF are assigned to them, so someone there is looking at my cases ). My contact involved the previous lender XXXX as well. When the PSLF waiver came to be, they processed my qualifying employment but discharged my loan BEFORE my old employer was added to my qualifying count. I had consolidated my loans in XX/XX/XXXX, before the waiver came to be. Per my documentation, my loans were discharged on XX/XX/XXXX when they should have been discharged on XX/XX/XXXX. Look at the estimated eligibility dates on the letters from XXXX from XXXX and XXXX of last year. Because I was in the correct loan type and had qualifying employment, I am owed a refund for overpayments from XXXX. I've put in several reconsideration requests, and after a significantly long wait, they all gave me generic responses of 'congrats, your loan is forgiven. ' They didn't look into my case, account, or any documentation I sent them. Here is a timeline : XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX I consolidated my loans to the correct, qualifying IDR payment and direct loan type and transferred loans from XXXX to be serviced by XXXX to be able to start qualifying for PSLF several years before the waiver came to be. I recertified my employment and IDR annually from this point. I never missed a payment throughout my student loan, ever. 
XX/XX/XXXX This is the date that I KNOW my loan should have been discharged because of my employment records with the updated waiver and the PSLF Notification letter dated XX/XX/XXXX. 
o Based on my records and in consult with two separate loan provider customer support and several ombudsmen, I am owed a refund of 30 payments from XXXX  XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, totaling approximately {$7.00}, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX This is the date that is listed as my account being closed on the Federal Student Loan website I *believe* this is because of a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, from XXXX updating my payment count to XXXX  and the estimated eligibility date as XX/XX/XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX I submitted employment certification information to XXXX the day after the announcement. A qualifying employer has gainfully employed me since the inception of the PSLF program ( XXXX XXXX ). One didnt count before the waiver, so I re-filed a PSLF application on this date with the updated employer information. 
XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX I spoke with XXXX to follow up on my account ; they resubmitted my former employer for review they saw at the time that my current employer had only been counted. Advised to do a PSLF Reconsideration Request. 
XX/XX/XXXX - Filed PSLF Reconsideration Request XX/XX/XXXX Received PSLF Notification Update counts and Estimated Eligibility Date for PSLF is listed as XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Received PSLF Notification Update counts and Estimated Eligibility Date for PSLF is listed as XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Student Loans are forgiven due to PSLF waiver under XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Spoke with XXXX and was advised to do a reconsideration request on studentaid.gov if I didnt see something in a couple of weeks XX/XX/XXXX Filed PSLF Reconsideration Request XX/XX/XXXX Filed a complaint with the Federal Student Aid office. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX office closed my complaint and responded with a generic response about the PSLF program. 
o I responded to the email as it said I could. I never got a response. 
XX/XX/XXXX Spoke with an ombudsman at Federal Student Aid. Agreed with me that I should get a refund and advised me to do a reconsideration request. Told the loan servicer to determine the reconsideration request ), and that XXXX was transitioning all PSLF accounts to MOHELA. Sees that the reconsideration request is under review with MOHELA. Advised to contact them if they dont finalize and to reach out under the current reconsideration request. 
XX/XX/XXXX Spoke with XXXX contact. Stated it was complicated now because of the MOHELA transfer of PSLF program. My account history is with XXXX. I should add information to my reconsideration request ( i.e. the correct discharge date and # of qualifying payments XXXX and that Federal Student Aid used the XX/XX/XXXX discharge date incorrectly. 
XX/XX/XXXX - Filed PSLF Reconsideration Request, with updated information from the phone call documented above. 
XX/XX/XXXX Spoke with XXXX at MOHELA, then XXXX with a customer advocacy team transfer. I was told that XXXX XXXX should be responsible to do the refund because they had my account at the time and advised that the Department of Education has to tell the lender. That I should call and speak with a supervisor at XXXX XXXX and it takes 30-60 days typical processing time. 
XX/XX/XXXX I spoke with an agent at XXXX and was disconnected from them after a 2 hour wait time, they never called back. 
XX/XX/XXXX Emailed the FSA ombudsman account never got a response. 
XX/XX/XXXX Called FedLoan back and spoke with XXXX ( a supervisor ). She agreed with me and my case with the number of qualifying payments. She looked at my account on the National Student Loan Data Center and stated that I had pristine account payments since XXXX and SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REFUND based on the 169 eligible payments and employment certification. And that the Federal Student Aid office should be reviewed sometime in the next month and asked that I be patient. 
XX/XX/XXXX - Received a notification in concerns to PSLF Reconsideration Request ( filed on XX/XX/XXXX ) that At this time, we do not have an estimated completion time for your request. Many factors impact our response time, including the complexity of your request, the location of your historical records, and the number of requests we receive. 
XX/XX/XXXX Received a notification in concerns to PSLF Reconsideration Request, ( filed on XX/XX/XXXX ) that At this time, we do not have an estimated completion time for your request. Many factors impact our response time, including the complexity of your request, the location of your historical records, and the number of requests we receive. 
XX/XX/XXXX Responded to my email to the FSA ombudsman account dated XX/XX/XXXX never got a response. 
XX/XX/XXXX - Received a notification in concerns to PSLF Reconsideration Request ( filed on XX/XX/XXXX ) that At this time, we do not have an estimated completion time for your request. Many factors impact our response time, including the complexity of your request, the location of your historical records, and the number of requests we receive. 
XX/XX/XXXX Called FSA Ombudsman advised again that the case is with MOHELA now and in their queue and I should call them. Also told that my account was apparently transferred/assigned to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX with no notification whatsoever. 
o I called MOHELA and couldnt get through their phone line because it requires an account with them ( It wasnt recognizing my SSN or DoB ). I searched the website for another way to contact them. I tried signing up for an account. I tried calling their direct loan XXXX XXXX I couldnt get through in any way to talk to a real, live person. 
o I tried setting up an account on XXXX and couldnt I tried with my DoB and SSN, but am guessing since I have a XXXX balance with them. I submitted a form email to them this day. 
o I called back and spoke to another FSA ombudsman who transferred me to the Loan Discharge Forgiveness department. The gentlemen there advised me to upload documentation ( I cant do that because I dont have an account ), that I should e-mail ( I cant theres nothing listed on the MOHELA website ). And I should fax or write a letter because its XXXX. 
o I tried calling back to MOHELA and did all the normal tricks of an automated system nothing worked. I visited their social media outlets and there is no way to direct message them or leave a comment or feedback. 
XX/XX/XXXX received a response from XXXX email : Thank you for contacting XXXX. 

The Social Security Number, Name, and Date of Birth referenced in your e-mail does not match any accounts XXXX currently has on file. 

Please follow the instructions below to access your federal student loan information on the Federal Students website. You will need your FSA ID. You will have access to more information about all your loans held by the Department of Education here including access to your Master Promissory Note. 
XX/XX/XXXX submitted Reconsideration Request with all documentation. 
XX/XX/XXXX received an update to PSLF reconsideration request ( from XX/XX/XXXX ). They didnt review anything from it : Thank you for submitting a Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) and Temporary Expanded PSLF ( TEPSLF ) Reconsideration request.

We have reviewed your account. Congratulations! You have received Public Service Loan Forgiveness. 

Check your online portal at https : //www.mohela.com for information on your student loans. If you are signing into your MOHELA online portal for the first time, you will need to create an online account with MOHELA. Your online portal displays your discharge information, including your qualifying payments and months eligible to become a qualifying payment with qualifying employment. For any additional information on PSLF or TEPSLF contact MOHELA at XXXX. 

This reconsideration review is closed. 

Sincerely, Federal Student Aid - I faxed MOHELA a letter on XX/XX/XXXX ( attached ) I haven't heard back from them. 
- I filed another reconsideration request on XX/XX/XXXX with literally every piece of documentation I have. Haven't heard back yet.

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