Consumer complaint received 2024-10-05
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: Maximus Federal Services, Inc. (OH)

There are XXXX separate issues which will be outlined below. 
I initially applied to have my loans consolidated on XX/XX/XXXX in order for my XXXX and XXXX  loans to be combined and have the qualifying XXXX  payments I had made on my XXXX loans also count on my new graduate loans. I graduated from my graduate program at XXXX  XXXX  XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. Due to the " in school '' status of my loans my consolidation application was denied. I called Aidvantage about this and they informed me I needed to request to have the in school deferment lifted through XXXX ( my loan servicer ) and then Aidvantage can resubmit the form using the XX/XX/XXXX date so I could still have my XXXX payments count towards forgiveness on all my loans. I submitted a request to XXXX to have the in school status of my loans removed on XX/XX/XXXX ( uploaded below ). I received notification that this had been approved and processed. I called Aidvantage to have them resubmit my application, which they did and said since they were re-submitting under the same form it would still be before the original XX/XX/XXXX cut-off date to consolidate loans and have all XXXX payments count towards forgiveness. 
I heard nothing from XXXX or Aidvantage for weeks and the status of my consolidation was still " in review '' on my account so I called Aidvantage on XX/XX/XXXX. When speaking to the Aidvantage representative they informed me that the other representatives should have never told me they could resubmit my application because that was not true and it did not go through and I needed to submit a paper application. They also said they sent me a letter informing me of this ( I never received that letter ), but did not send any electronic communication. This same representative informed me that the deadline for consolidation had been extended until XX/XX/XXXX. She said she could email me the application for me to send in, but it could take up to XXXX days to appear in my email as this was their standard procedure. She also informed me that there would be an email address on the paperwork for me to send it to. I filled out the paperwork on XX/XX/XXXX ( a Saturday ) after receiving it and there was no email address listed. It was after business hours so I could not call and they are closed on Sundays. I found a fax number on the Aidvantage website and faxed in on Sunday XX/XX/XXXX through FedEx and have the confirmation receipt to prove this ( uploaded below ). I also found an email address on their website and sent it there even though it was not part of the consolidation department. I also sent an email through their contact us tab explaining the situation, but there was no way to upload an attachment. I called Aidvantage the next day on XXXX to confirm they had received the fax, but the representative I spoke to could not verify and told me I should have emailed it to XXXX and that the due date " did not matter ''. I emailed it to the email address she gave me explaining the situation. I called Aidvantage back on XXXX where the representative confirmed they had received my application via fax, but XXXX part of their system it showed received on XX/XX/XXXX and another part of their system showed received on XXXX. He said I would be contacted by Aidvantage once a decision had been made, however I have still heard nothing. 
Another issue I have is on XXXXXXXX XXXX end. Even though the " in school '' status was approved and processed on XX/XX/XXXX it has not been lifted from my account. I spoke to a XXXX representative on XX/XX/XXXX who assured me the in school status was lifted and the consolidation could go through ( I have been told this also noted on my account notes that the representatives can see when I call ). This " in school '' status will cause my consolidation application to be denied again and also has not allowed me to be enrolled in the IDR play I applied for. I called today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) as my online account is still showing " in school '' on my loans. I spent over XXXX hours on the phone with a representative XXXX XXXX XXXX who could not make sense of any of it. She spoke to her supervisor and ultimately they transferred me to an expedited team. The representative from the expedited team informed me that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX had reported I was unenrolled on XX/XX/XXXX, but then reported I was re-enrolled until XXXX. I graduated from XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and am not enrolled in any school. The representative sent a request to the loan servicing department with reference number : XXXX. I asked about XXXX talking to Aidvantage since I had submitted all the forms correctly, but I was told that was not possible and it was not XXXX XXXX  fault, but XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX 's fault for not reporting my enrollment correctly. At this time XXXX still has it reported as I am enrolled at XXXX and have an in school status on my loans. 
I called XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX after getting off the phone with XXXX ( on XX/XX/XXXX ) and they confirmed that I am not enrolled and was never enrolled until XXXX. They also confirmed my graduation date of XX/XX/XXXX. They could not provide any guidance as to why XXXX would have that reported, but it's a XXXX issue as XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX 's system is accurate. They told me to put in a request for a letter from the registrar to show my end date of XX/XX/XXXX, which I have done and uploaded below. 
I have spent countless hours on the phone with Aidvantage, XXXX and now XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX and every time the representatives either give me bad information, flat out wrong guidance or new information which I had never been told before. I am at my wits end as I have done all the paperwork needed and by the deadlines. I feel like I have done everything I can possibly do and no longer have faith in XXXX or Aidvantage or XXXX to get this figured out. I also feel it is unjust that I miss out on the opportunity to have my XXXX payments count on all my loans because of the mistakes made by these companies. 
I appreciate you taking the time to read through all of this and your assistance in resolving this matter.