Consumer complaint received 2024-03-07
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Problem lowering your monthly payments
Company: Maximus Federal Services, Inc. (GA)

Submitted an Income Based Repayment ( IBR ) plan application via studentaid.gov in XXXX to recertify IBR plan which would have been about {$1200.00} ( outside what I can afford to pay ) and online site informed I was eligible for SAVE plan & to proceed with application, but could not do so online, so called Aidvantage on XX/XX/XXXX & spoke to a rep via phone & they completed application & informed payment would be {$770.00}. Informed application was sent for processing & give it 2 weeks & will receive confirm email ( never received ), only received a bill for {$1000.00}. Called back to Aidvantage & informed called in XX/XX/XXXX, was told I was eligible & payment amount was {$770.00} & phone rep confirmed that was correct & resent for processing & give 2 weeks & will receive confirm email. No email, only a bill for {$1100.00}. Called back on XX/XX/XXXX complaining about bill received for {$1100.00} & phone rep said they would send back through as they saw where I was approved for SAVE for {$770.00}. I get a bill in XXXX for {$1100.00} again & I called back on XX/XX/XXXX & the same information stated & given again by me & the rep. I got a bill in XXXX for {$1100.00} & I called back on XX/XX/XXXX repeating same information & informed the SAVE application was never sent through for processing. Give it 2 weeks & you'll receive a confirm email. Received a bill on XX/XX/XXXX for {$1100.00} due XX/XX/XXXX. Called back in today, XX/XX/XXXX & the phone rep looks back in multiple systems & sees where I'm not eligible for SAVE ( 1st time any rep said this ). This rep told me that I was sent an email in XX/XX/XXXX to send documentation in one system that wasnt showing in another system. I never received the email ; only received monthly statements. Also, my income amount was transposed, and they also did not have my application showing I had a dependent, so this was all updated. I didn't have my correct. Rep also said it takes 60-90 days to process for the SAVE program & I quickly informed that I've been dealing with this since XXXX ( 5 months ) & that's well outside the 60-90 days processing time. Also informed phone rep that when I called automated phone system to confirm my payment of what I thought was expected to pay under SAVE program ( {$800.00} ) on XX/XX/XXXX & I find out I have no payment due. I go online to Aidvantage to confirm the automated phone info & there was no balance. Saw a banner on the site that payments were deferred for many borrowers until XX/XX/XXXX. I search the news platforms & confirmed. But no communication to impacted borrowers was sent, only the online site banner at the top. Then I get the bills in XXXX & XXXX for XXXX with $ XXXX payment, which I can not afford an additional $ XXXX because I budgeted for the SAVE plan amount of {$800.00}. The only communication is a monthly statement. There are multiple systems phone reps must use to service borrowers and found out the Aidvantage is not the processor of the plans, but they capture the information and submit it to Studentaid.gov to process eligibility & monthly payments due ( found this out when I called in today, XX/XX/XXXX ). What does Aidvantage due except act as a conduit to receive the borrowers information, submit applications, take calls, and accept payments if Studentaid.gov is the actual processor for plans and monthly payment amount determination?