Consumer complaint received 2017-03-02
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: GA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Can't repay my loan
Sub-issue: Can't get flexible payment options

Complaint:
The balance of my student loan is {$90000.00} as of XX/XX/XXXX. However I only borrowed {$20000.00} between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. I graduated from college in XX/XX/XXXX. After that XXXX purchase and consolidated my student loan. I paid on my student loans until about XX/XX/XXXX. I had a car accident XX/XX/XXXX which made it difficult for me to work so for the next few years I worked different jobs and requested forbarance. I also moved to a different state. My Student loans were not in good standing between XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. I forgot to ask for forbearance. XXXX did n't have my phone number or address and I did n't have XXXX 's phone number or address after moving to a different state. In XX/XX/XXXX I finally found a nice job. XXXX harassed me with multiple phone calls daily until they garnished my wages leaving me almost unable to pay my bills. I asked them for a reduced payment amount, they were never able to give me a payment amount that I can actually afford. After they garnish my wages I still was n't able to make the minimum monthly payment because the monthly payment had gone up to about {$500.00} a month which was over a fourth of my monthly income. I heard about that Obama student loan forgiveness program. I call to see if I was eligible. I was told that the student loan forgiveness program sets a monthly fee based on your income and you pay that set monthly fee for 25 years and after 25 years, your loans are forgiven. I was told that my minimum monthly payment could be lowered to around {$200.00} which is much easier to pay them {$500.00}. The company Navient started calling me. I was told that I no longer qualify for a deferment or forbearance by Navient. I asked about the income-based repayment program. The person I spoke to set me up on the income-based repayment program and based on my income the payment would be {$82.00} a month. I was ecstatic. That 's absolutely a payment i can afford. After I was approved for {$82.00} a month payment, I was placed on a three-month forbearance. Once the forbearance ended, I started making the {$82.00} a month payment. I missed a month or two of payment so I called Navient to make payment arrangements to catch up on my payment. At that time I was told my minimum payment was no longer {$82.00}. The monthly payment is now over {$800.00} a month. Then I was told that I had to re-qualify every year for the income-based repayment program. I was also told that because I had a three-month forbearance after being approved with {$82.00} a month, I only had nine months to pay the {$82.00} a month, not 12.I was not told before becoming approved for the {$82.00} a month payment that it was only for a year from the date it was approved. I sent in my taxes and filled out paperwork to re-qualify for the income-based repayment program. Instead of being placed on the income-based repayment program again, and I was placed on forbearance. I called and asked why was n't I sent any paperwork to confirm the new monthly payment which had now been set to {$77.00}. I was told by someone at Navient there was nothing in the system showing that I had re-qualified for the income-based repayment. Now my minimum monthly payment is over {$900.00} which is about half of my monthly income. As of today XX/XX/XXXX I still have not received any documentation showing that I have been placed on the income-based repayment program confirming my new minimum monthly payment. From the time that I originally asked to be placed on the income-based repayment and was told it was {$82.00} a month, the balance on my student loan has gone up {$30000.00}. I tried to apply for a car loan and was denied due to the the balance of my student loan. I do not believe Navient should be trying to collect {$90000.00} from me after numerous attempts on my part contacting XX/XX/XXXX and Navient to try to get a payment I can afford. i would like the remaining balance forgiven.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation