Consumer complaint received 2024-08-23
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Problem with customer service
Company: MOHELA (WA)

I submitted a timely request to be refunded the payments I made during the XXXX deferment. XXXX months went by and I got no response from Mohela, so I followed up with XXXX to get a status update on my refund. Then XXXX told me my request wasn't valid. But Mohela confirmed in writing that my timely request would be processed, yet nearly XXXX year later I am still left with no resolution. 

My original request for the XXXX payment refund was made on the XXXX website, but my online account was closed when my loans were transferred to Mohela, so I submitted the request a second time, to Mohela. 

Below are my attempts to get this resolved. 

On XX/XX/XXXX at approximately XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, I submitted a request to Mohela to have the payments I made during XXXX refunded. I had originally submitted my request to XXXX approximately XXXX days prior, but my loans were transferred and I was unable to sign into my XXXX account to check on my refund request. To make sure the request was received timely, I submitted it again to Mohela. ( Attachments : XXXX MOHELA Mail SENT datestamps.pdf, XXXX Request for refund screenshot in XXXX ) On XX/XX/XXXX time stamped at XXXX, I received a notification that a new message from Mohela was in my inbox. It said, " '' [ ... ] A request has been submitted to refund the payments you made during the XXXX Forbearance. Please allow up to XXXX days for this request to be processed. [ .... ]. '' ( Attachments : XXXX Notification Email of new MOHELA XXXX, XXXX Mohela response.pdf ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a Case # XXXX to StudentAid.gov to check on the status of my covid pause payment refund because more than 60 days had passed. 

On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX responded that my request was not valid because, Per the guidelines of XXXX, the last day to request a refund for these payments was XX/XX/XXXX. [ ... ] MOHELAs records indicate the first request of a refund was on XX/XX/XXXX. There is no record of any request prior to that date. Therefore, you are not eligible for a refund. 
( Attachment : XXXX XXXX Case # _ XXXX decision and response_Redacted.pdf ) On XXXX responded to that email stating that Mohela had already confirmed that I would receive a refund of my payments and with documentation and screenshots that demonstrated my request was timely. And I stated that I would like to make a formal request for a reevaluation of that decision. I never received a reply and XXXX closed my case. ( Also, Attachment : XXXX XXXX Case # _ XXXX decision and response_Redacted.pdf ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a new case asking the StudentAid.gov Ombudsman to review my original case because I had not asked if I was timely but rather when my refund would occur and it appeared that the customer service agent didnt review my request. Attachment : XXXX Feedback Case # XXXX screenshot.png ) On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX closed the case with the same message as above. ( Attachment : XXXX FSA Feedback Case_ XXXX closed_Redacted.pdf ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a case through the XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Complaint Portal to the Office of Student Loan Advocate . A case with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Division of Consumer Services was opened and is Complaint No : XXXX.