Consumer complaint received 2018-09-20
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Problem lowering your monthly payments
Company: AES/PHEAA (SC)

I am a XXXX year-old XXXX XXXX XXXX, working in a XXXX XXXX school in XXXX XXXX. After 35 years in the private sector, my business failed in XX/XX/XXXX, due to the economic crisis we experienced. I was forced to close my business, and to file personal bankruptcy. Our savings were totally depleted by the business. We had to downsize our home, and I went from averaging $ XXXX/ann, to about $ XXXXann in XX/XX/XXXX. I could not find a job in the financial area at that time, and was recruited by XXXX XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX to join their XXXX  certification program. To summarize, 3 years later, I had an XXXX., a XXXX job that paid $ XXXX/ann, and over {$110000.00} in student debt. I could not find a XXXX  job in XXXX because of my age, so we relocated to XXXX XXXX, where I found a job with XXXX XXXX XXXX for $ XXXX/ann. At the time, we were also caring for a XXXX XXXX XXXX year old relative, and a very sick XXXX year old daughter, who was living with us. 
The Department of Education/XXXX  XXXX XXXX recommended that I consolidate my loans, and take forebearance on the consolidated loan, until our financial situation improved. this XX/XX/XXXX, with my forebearance completed, a representative at XXXX XXXX XXXX recommended that I use my income ( my wife also works ), and apply for an Income-Driven Repayment Plan. The representative stated that my monthly payments would be around {$200.00}, and that I qualified for a program ( Student Loan Forgiveness ) which would eliminate my debt with 120 payments. She also told me that, since I worked at a XXXX XXXX School, I would qualify for forgiveness of {$17000.00} after 5 years of service. She sent me application forms, which I completed and returned. I have not received a response from them since I sent it in XX/XX/XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX and spoke with XXXX, who informed me that a ) I was 109 days delinquent, for a total of over {$7000.00} ; b ) I needed to pay about {$1100.00} dollars for 1 monthly payment ; and c ) my acoount would be referred back to private lenders for collection if I did not pay before my account was 175 days past due. I was shocked, and told her that the XXXX rep I spoken with in XX/XX/XXXX had told me that ny payment on a {$51000.00} salary would be about $ XXXX/month, and described the previously mentioned repayment programs that rep had  mentioned. Sorry, XXXX told me. That information was wrong. My loan total was now OVER {$140000.00}. My monthly payment if I used my household income was about {$1100.00}. If I used just my income, it would be about $ XXXX/month. And, sorry, I did NOT qualify for Student Loan Forgiveness, because one of my consolidated loans was a " Parent '' Loan? I had NEVER been told that I had such a loan, and I do not recognize that I ever took one out. When I told XXXX that I could not afford $ XXXX/month, she recommended that I take " Administrative Forebearance '', that I could qualify for another 3 years of same. She told me that interest would continue to accrue during that period. I would be XXXX years old by the time I began paying on the increased loan, if I did that. I can't pay $ XXXX/month, and XXXX changes their info each time I call. I need some help with this.