Consumer complaint received 2023-02-10
Company: MOHELA
State: MA
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:
My name is XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. Since XXXX, I have been making payments on my student loans. I believe these were FFEL loans, consolidated subsidized and consolidated unsubsidized. Before consolidating the loans into the Direct Loan Program, they were serviced by XXXX. I believe I am eligible for loan forgiveness under the TEPSLF program, and that MOHELA is applying my payments contrary to TEPSLF. 

First, per TEPSLF, I successfully consolidated my loans into the Direct Loan Program before XXXX XXXX, XXXX. MOHELA replaced XXXX as my loan servicer. Having worked for the City of XXXX, Massachusetts. from XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXX ( never missing a loan payment ), I submitted to MOHELA my Employment Certification Form. I also submitted, on-line to studentaid.gov, an application for TEPSLF. I have received confirmation that these documents have been received by the appropriate recipients ( MOHELA or studentaid.gov ). 
All of these actions took place before XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 

Second, on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I received a boilerplate form letter from MOHELA explaining I was " not yet eligible '' for PSLF, and that I have " 0 Qualifying Payments '' and " 120 Remaining Payments. '' In XXXX XXXX I spoke with a MOHELA representative. She informed me that my payment history was being received from my former servicer, and my payment history would be updated accordingly on the MOHELA website by the end of XX/XX/XXXX. As of the end of XXXX XXXX, my loan history of payments, eligible and qualified, continued to show as 0 ( zero ) on MOHELA 's website. 

Third, I have waited patiently for my payment history updates, but my concern and frustration grow as time passes. In order to preserve any rights I may have, in XX/XX/XXXX I submitted to studentaid.gov a Request for Reconsideration. My case number is XXXX. I have received no response or update from my Request for Reconsideration. 

As of today, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MOHELA 's website shows 0 Qualifying Payments and 7 Eligible Payments for my Consolidated Subsidized Loan. It also shows 0 Qualifying Payments and 7 Eligible Payments for my Consolidated Unsubsidized Loan. It appears MOHELA has reset my eligible qualifying payments to zero ( 0 ) contrary to TEPSLF. 

I believe that since XX/XX/XXXX ( start date for TEPSLF qualifying payments ), I made over 130 payments, all while I worked for a qualified government employer ( City of XXXX ) and before retiring in XX/XX/XXXX. My understanding is government retirees are not disqualified from TEPSLF forgiveness, and payments made under any repayment plan, including those made before consolidation into the Direct Loan Program, are eligible.

For the above reasons I request your assistance in determining from MOHELA the status of my TEPSLF qualifying and eligible payments, and when I will receive loan forgiveness. The only information I have received from MOHELA, by letter and phone, is generic and not specific to my application. This has only increased my concerns over the potential mishandling of my application. Moreover, MOHELA 's website explanations about overwhelming application numbers do not excuse their inadequate, uninformative responses and apparent misapplication of my eligible and qualifying payments under the TEPSLF program. Please contact me if you need additional information. 

My contact information is as follows : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Thank you for your attention to my request. 

Very Truly Yours, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief