Consumer complaint received 2024-09-04
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Getting a loan — Confusing or misleading advertising
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC. (CA)

Many students, including myself, were misled by Navient ( formerly Sallie Mae ) into securing predatory private loans to fund education at for-profit online institutions, such as The XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX owned by XXXX XXXX XXXX As stated in this XXXX  Press Release : Art Institutes Students Secure Big Borrower Defense Win with {$6.00} XXXX Group Discharge https : XXXX XXXX also partnered with Sallie Mae ( now known as Navient ), to convince XXXX borrowers to take out private student loans to augment their federal student loans. These private loans enabled XXXX to maintain access to federal student aid dollars, and Navient benefited by being a preferred lender of federally-guaranteed student loans for AI students. Both XXXX and Navient knew students would not be able to repay these subprime loans and had a side agreement that protected Navient against losses. 
I was enrolled at The XXXX XXXX XXXX California, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) between XXXX to XXXX. They used deceptive tactics to help augment private loans with their preferred lender, Navient. 
Some of the deceptive practices involved using high pressure tactics. An example of this was : Every school year I would meet with the Financial Aid Officer, and they would encourage me to fill out my FAFSA application / Federal Loans application, and Private Loan applications right before my next class would start.

This was a rushed process, and I was uninformed and not encouraged to look at all the applications they were getting me to fill out. There was almost no explanation, the focus was just to get me to fill out all the necessary applications they needed so they could quickly process everything to enroll me into the next school year.

There was a sense of urgency that they had impressed upon me to quickly fill out all these applications on-line without reading all the fine print.

I was pressured and misled into taking out high interest private loans at variable interest rates starting around 12 %. These loans included 3 Signature Student loans : XXXX Student Signature Loan Disbursement Date : XX/XX/XXXX Original Principal : {$13000.00} XXXX Student Signature Loan Disbursement Date : XXXXXX/XX/XXXX Original Principal : {$1100.00} XXXX Student Signature Loan Disbursement Date : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  Original Principal : {$12000.00} Since the interest rates are so high on these loans, I have never been able to make meaningful progress towards paying off the original principal. Most of the payments were just going to the inflated interest rates. 
In addition to the School 's brochure/advertisement for XXXX  graduates stating that Web Design & Interactive Media Degree holders received an average salary of {$46000.00} a year within 6 months of graduation, Administrative Representative XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX mislead many students and I about the prospects of quality future employment by telling my graduating class of XXXX  and I that we would make at least {$50000.00} a year right out of school. Even though I graduated with Honors, due to the outdated instructional methods and curriculum, I realized I was ill-prepared for entry level positions in Web Development. 
After I graduated, I was only able to get a part-time position, paying {$17.00} per hour ( roughly {$21000.00} a year ). 
Within a year I was able to get a full-time position paying a salary that was significantly less than the expectation of {$50000.00} a year touted in oral statements by the faculty and significantly less than {$46000.00} a year as stated in the written brochure for the graduating class of XXXX. 
The combination of ads and brochures on inflated job placement and inflated salary figures, predatory and aggressive recruiting maneuvers, and high pressure tactics has been detrimental to my financial and mental health since XXXX. As a result of all of this Ive had to live with my parents for an extended period of time after graduation ; Ive also had to put off buying a house, buying a car, providing for a family, saving for retirement, mental health treatment, and delaying urgent dental procedures. 
I was in the first group eligible for discharge in the Borrower Defense Program under the settlement in Sweet Vs. Cardona. This case was related to fraudulent and deceptive practices of the XXXX XXXX and other for-profit schools. This led to the discharge of my federal loans totaling ( {$77000.00} ), a refund on the amount I paid ( {$18000.00} ) and the restoration of my credit. 
The XXXX XXXX and their parent company, XXXX, were subject to investigations by various state attorneys general and found to have engaged in deceptive practices. In response to widespread allegations of fraud and misconduct by The XXXX XXXX, the XXXX administration recently announced a comprehensive loan discharge for students enrolled at these institutions from XX/XX/XXXX, to XX/XX/XXXX. 
Navient, which was sued by the attorneys general of 39 states for its role in facilitating these predatory loans, had a specific arrangement with for-profit schools during the early XXXX, making it a " preferred '' lender. Despite this, the settlement terms provided by Navient were considerably inadequate, excluding many borrowers who took loans for attendance at approximately 150 for-profit online schools, unless they resided in certain states or had not defaulted for at least seven months during a specified period. I was one of many who were excluded. 
There was a class action lawsuit against Navient. ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the XXXX XXXX XXXX New York XXXX Navient agreed to a {$16.00} XXXX settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit claiming that student loan debt owned by the company should have been dischargeable during bankruptcy. I was also one of many who were not eligible for this relief. 
Moreover, Navient exited the federal student loan servicing business amidst legislative and advocacy scrutiny, following allegations of steering borrowers away from income-driven repayment plans towards forbearance, an action for which they had to provide restitution. 
Navient has also faced multiple lawsuits for other predatory lending and illegal collection practices. Currently, Navient is distributing " applications '' to select students who may qualify for Borrower Defense claims against their schools. However, this process feels unnecessary and opaque, as Navient is already aware of the affected students. 
Under the FTC 's " Holder Rule, '' Navient is accountable for these predatory loans issued in association with for-profit online schools. As time is critical, Senator XXXX XXXX has urged Navients CEO to immediately discharge these loans. It is crucial for Navient to take responsible action now by discharging all such predatory private loans associated with for-profit online education.