Consumer complaint received 2016-11-02
Company: Nelnet, Inc.
State: SC
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Can't repay my loan
Sub-issue: Can't decrease my monthly payments

Complaint:
After graduating I went through the proper channels and consolidated all of my federal loans through the federal website I was given at graduation. At the time the website that was used was XXXX ( no longer in service I think ). Everything seemed fine I was making payments and keeping in contact with them as my financial situation changed. A few years later I get a call from a collection agency that stated I was in default on one of my student loans. I was very confused as to how this had happened. She stated that it looks like it was not consolidated and that she could help me go through the process to get it consolidated with my other loans, it seemed like no big deal ( at least that is how she made it seem ). We used the new website www.studentloans.gov. I had to apply for the consolidation twice because for some reason ( I was never told ) it did not go through the first time. I was told that they had to force it through ( whatever that means ). I contacted the student loan company to go through the process of setting up my payments again and they helped me choose the best option for a repayment plan. I went with their advice and filled out the application for " IBR/Pay As You Earn/ICR Repayment Plan Requests '' which was supposed to give me the lowest payments at the time, mind you higher than before but still manageable, they quoted me somewhere around the $ XXXX a month. When everything was said a done and I got the email for my first payment it was roughly $ XXXX a month, much more than what I was told. They stated that there were other options that were available but because I had consolidated a loan that was in default that I had to make 3 consecutive payments at the $ XXXX amount before they could do anything. None of this was explained to me during the time of consolidation, and even if it was it was under the pretense that my payments were going to be in the {$200.00} range. I have now had to put this loan in forbearance for the past few years as they will not work with me to lower the payments. I have almost exhausted this avenue. Every time I call and tell them what has happened and see if there is any way that we can get me back to making payments, I get a different story as to how I need to proceed only to be denied in the end. The payments they now expect me to make are $ XXXX. All I want is to be placed on a different income based repayment plan that is more suited to what I can afford. It sickens me that I have a bill that I am not paying on, but there is just no way that I can make these payments. I was given false information in the beginning and for whatever reason this loan was not consolidated in the first place, I have no idea how this happened, I think the words that were used by the collection agency " it fell through the cracks '' and since it had to be forced through, it seems to me that there was a problem on their end with this particular loan. I always call after submitting paperwork to make sure that everything was submitted properly and they have everything they need from me, I really do n't think that I would of just not consolidated one loan in the beginning. I read that it is unlawful for these companies to deny people the right to be put on the proper income based repayment plan that is suited for them. If I financially qualify for a different one, I should be allowed to change to a different one. That is all I want.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief