Consumer complaint received 2024-05-28
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: MOHELA (IL)

When loan repayments resumed in XX/XX/XXXX, I was automatically transition from the REPAYE IDR plan in which I had been enrolled to the SAVES plan. Under the SAVES plan, I was billed for {$310.00} each month. 
Starting in XX/XX/XXXX, I received messages from MOHELA that to remain enrolled in an IDR plan, I needed to recertify my income by XX/XX/XXXX. Accordingly, I filed an IDR recertification on XX/XX/XXXX, seeking enrollment in the SAVES plan. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received notice that under the SAVES plan, my new monthly payment would be {$620.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I learned of the Department of Education policy change extending IDR recertification deadlines to XX/XX/XXXX. This Department of Education policy also stated that for borrowers like me who had already recertified prior to XX/XX/XXXX and seen an increase in their monthly payment, the payment amount would automatically revert back to the lower payment prior to the XXXX recertification. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my MOHELA account and saw that my XX/XX/XXXX bill still stated that my upcoming payment due was {$620.00}. I called MOHELA to correct this issue before my XX/XX/XXXX due date. The agent with whom I spoke notified me that MOHELA was working on adjusting my account but would require more time to do so. She offered to put my account in an administrative forbearance while MOHELA worked to correct my payment amount, and she reassured me the forbearance would not count against my credit towards PSLF for qualifying employment during that period. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from MOHELA stating that my account had been placed in an administrative forbearance. 
Near the end of XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notice that my forbearance was ending and that my upcoming payment in XX/XX/XXXX would be for {$620.00} and not {$310.00}, which was the payment prior to XX/XX/XXXX recertification. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I called MOHELA again to ensure this would be corrected before my XX/XX/XXXX due date. I called MOHELAs customer service line XXXX, at which point I was forced to listen to 3 minutes of recorded messages prior to receiving a menu option to speak to a representative. When I finally connected with a representative, XXXX XXXX agent number XXXX ), I explained the situation and stated that I needed my payment amount to be corrected back to {$310.00}. XXXX placed me on a long hold and then informed me that the best course of action would be for me to wait until the current forbearance ended and then reapply in XXXX for an additional forbearance. I responded that I didnt need a forbearance and what I needed was my account to accurately reflect the payment due under current Department of Education policy. XXXX placed me on another long hold and then explained to me that there was no indication in her system that there were any pending changes to my account and that {$620.00} was the payment due ; MOHELA could not change that. She said if I wanted any adjustment to my account, I would have to reapply for IDR. Again, I explained to her that the IDR application date had been extended to XX/XX/XXXX, and my payment needed to revert back to what it had been prior to the XX/XX/XXXX recertification. Once again, she placed me on a long hold and then told me that the only option for changing my payment amount was to reapply for IDR. Finally, she told me she could transfer me to the resolutions team to see if they could offer any other options. 
I was transferred to another line, placed on another hold with a recorded message, and then the call was disconnected before I spoke with any agent. At that point, I had been on the phone for XXXX hour. 
Once again, I called MOHELA back, waited as I was forced to listen to XXXX minutes of recorded messages until selecting the option to speak with a representative. When I finally connected with the agent, I asked to speak with a manager, and the agent told me that there is no option to connect with a manager directly. I could leave a message and a manager would return my call within 24 hours. I chose that option, and at that point, I had been on the second call for more than 20 minutes. I received a call from a manager, XXXX ( agent number XXXX ) a few minutes later. 
To start the call, the XXXX asked for my account number but was unable to pull up my account! Finally, she asked to use my social security number and did find my account. I explained the payment amount issue and XXXX simply asked for my prior payment amount. I told her the amount and she said she would put in a request to have my loan adjusted back to {$310.00}. She said this request would take 10-15 business days and if it had not been processed by XX/XX/XXXX, a few days before my bill due date XX/XX/XXXX, then I should call back and request another administrative forbearance