Consumer complaint received 2021-10-08
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: AES/PHEAA (CA)

I began to pull out loans during my time at XXXX XXXX  XXXX  XXXX XXXX between XXXX. I tried to get my career started and began working in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX utilizing my XXXX XXXX. I returned to get my XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX  XXXX. Between XXXX and XXXX I contacted my loan servicer at the time which was XXXX XXXX then XXXX. When I mentioned it would be hard for me to make payments and try to make a living the forbearance options was always presented and companies never seemed willing to educate me on my options. I was able to extend my loans during my time completing my XXXX XXXX. When I completed that I was relocating cities, trying to get married and buy a house. Again I was not offered useful advice other than high payments or going back on forbearance. After educating myself on Public service loan forgiveness, and having to consolidate in order for them to qualify I have been actively making payments since XXXX of XXXX. 
My loans then were transferred to Fed Loans. This has been a horrible experience. Doing paper work for the loans is once a year but it is a time I sincerely dread. This is because the 2-3 week period of contact, calls, emails etc and follow up to feel secure that I'm getting correct service. If you look up my recorded calls you can get an idea of the poor service and negligence at that company. Every time it has been a struggle getting my documents in in. I constantly have to call and remind them to check their fax. There would be times weeks and months go by and I call and all of a sudden the fax I sent is there after I ask they go look for it. Where I got very worried is when my wife was not working because she was doing student teaching hours. I knew I was going to dread this because it was another time I had to contact fed loans aside from my yearly verification. I had let fed loans know our income would be drastically decreasing. After being assured the amount would be adjusted correctly the first payment I received had double to over XXXX dollars if I remember correctly from previously being around XXXX. I called again and asked what happened and the response I received is " it was a mistake and the wrong information was used ''. What is that suppose to mean? How is that suppose to make me feel moving forward trying to complete 10 years of payments? How do I know my information has been correct every year? Are people income and financial information being used incorrectly or inputted wrong? I do not see what happens on the other side of that call and every year some new large payment is given to me and I have to try and negotiate a lower amount. If this is suppose to be set why are they always negotiating different amounts and " checking things '' I was extremely upset about this and have not felt secure about my loans ever since. Every year I feel like there is a mistake and I can not do anything about it. Honestly I don't feel confident making payments until XXXX feeling that other financial information is being used that is effecting my life. 
Something else that I have discussed with agents is not having credit for being a homeowner or holding a steady job or career. We are pushed so much to go to college and trying to be successful and be a home owner. When I explained that my mortgage is XXXX and if that get considered they said no. Why are payment calculated off of gross income? I always ask this because we are given payment plans for money we do not. I have to report a certain amount of money that I only maybe get half of? For example I make XXXX, my mortgage is XXXX and you want XXXX from me? How I'm I suppose to enjoy my life, career, family etc? I was in college during California 's budget crisis when cost of tuition skyrocketed, teachers were being let go and we were having adjunct professors and XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX. That is not what I paid for. Our education system tells us to go to college and be successful and we are promised a certain amount of money for having a degree. My first job after college with my degree had me making XXXX dollars an hour! How I'm I going to have any success with XXXX a year? I returned to get my masters to make more money but of course It cost me so much more in loans. When you are young and struggling to eat and pay rent putting off payments sounds like a great option. But people who have those jobs are probably coached to offer forbearance rather than the proper advice to help you improve your situation. 
This may not meet the requirements of this complaint system but I do not know where else to voice these concerns. I have been working in public service since XXXX and it is now XXXX and was never offered the public service loan forgiveness. If I would have been provided proper guidance I would have found a way to make payments and possibly be done. Instead I was quickly offered forbearance which only added to my total amount. I know the previous system was broken and flawed and I feel I'm have been effected by it. I hear of this revamping and it just makes me think of my bad experiences and how much more time I have making payments to a system I do not trust. I hope to hear back from somebody. I owe more than XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. My daughter was born XX/XX/XXXX when loan payments were stopped. I feel like this XXXX is going to change for the worse and I'm truly concerned about how I will not only provide essentials for my daughter but a fun childhood with many lasting memories.