Consumer complaint received 2024-02-20
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company: Nelnet, Inc. (NE)

I XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX ) from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. I took out student loans to pay for my classes because I knew I would pay it off before the interest started. 

While still XXXX XXXX, I made my first payment for {$4300.00} on XX/XX/XXXX through the Nelnet website. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received XXXX letters from Nelnet stating XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX were all paid off in full. 

While still XXXX XXXXXXXX, I made my second payment for {$1000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX through the Nelnet website. The amount I paid was what was stated to be owed. I expected to receive a letter stating my loans were paid off in full as I had received from Nelnet previously. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my account online because I had not received a letter stating my loans were paid in full. I called my customer service, and the representative filled out a form over the phone on my behalf to " operational accounting '' to get this issue resolved. I was told to wait 3 to 4 weeks. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the customer service number again to check on the status of my request to " operational accounting '' since it had been a month. I was told to wait an additional 3 to 4 weeks. Afterwards, I made a formal complaint to the Department of Education Office XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on this issue. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the customer service number once again. The " advisor '' who took my call said there is NO ESTIMATED DATE for an update. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I made my last call to customer service. I reached a supervisor, who said he could not assist me on my request for operational accounting and said there is no other way to reach someone who could fulfill my request. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from XXXX XXXX at Nelnet Loan Servicing, who stated ED has moved the case to Nelnet to resolve. Approximately XXXX minutes later, I received a pdf document that was a response to the complaint I made 3 months ago to the Department of Education. 

Here is an excerpt from the email I received : " Thank you for contacting the U.S. Department of Educations ( ED ) office of Federal Student Aid regarding your concerns. ED assigned XXXX XXXX to Nelnet Loan Servicing ( Nelnet ), your federal student loan servicer, for response. 

Your concern, as we understand it, is that you believe have paid the amount owed but Nelnet still shows a balance of {$910.00}. You calculate you borrowed {$5400.00} and made one payment on XX/XX/XXXX, for {$4300.00} and another payment on XX/XX/XXXX, for {$1000.00}. You are asking us to zero out your balance. 

[ ... ] Our records show loans which were disbursed XX/XX/XXXX, in the amount of {$2200.00} and two loans which were disbursed XX/XX/XXXX, for the amounts of {$1800.00} and {$1300.00} : for a total of {$5400.00}. You have made a total of {$4400.00} in payments which leaves a balance of {$910.00}. You paid two of your loans in full within 120 days of their disbursement dates, as a result these two loans reflect as cancelled. We have enclosed a copy of your Nelnet Payment History and Loan Disbursement Details for your records. '' Nelnet has all but stated they lost my payment. I have the exact transaction detail from XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, which shows I paid more than {$4400.00}. My " payment history '' is completely made up and false. It does not reflect the two payments I made through my XXXX XXXX XXXX account. There has been no transparency on how my " payment history '' was constructed. At this point, I am not even certain what amount of money I borrowed from the start since Nelnet 's records are so unreliable.