Consumer complaint received 2017-01-25
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Having problems with customer service
Company: AES/PHEAA (NY)

I submitted an application to renew my repayment plan in XXXX of 2016. I did so because I had a negative experience the year before. FedLoan does not sent you correspondence at home despit not participating in a paperless account. I have requested for billing statements and other important account related letters be mailed to me but this is never the case. That said, I was proactive this year and submitted my application early. I waited for months and herd nothing back from FedLoan. In XXXX I contacted the agency to inquire about my new repayment terms as I have received no information. On my original application I indicated that my income had not changed and I also submitted my IRS information electronically. I received an email confirmation indicating there was nothing else needed from my part. Therefore when I called in XXXX I did not understand why I was being told that my application was incomplete and why I had been notified otherwise. I resubmitted my application and income tax information. In XXXX I had not herd back regarding my application so I called FedLoan approximately six times in attempts to have my issue resolved. I was told to wait. In XXXX I called FedLoan again because my payments had been recalculated to be over {$900.00} when I had been making payments of about {$350.00}. There is no human way I can pay that amount and still survive considering I also have XXXX private loans. I spoke to an agent and was told about the REPAYE repayment plan that I was never explained about before. That said I decided to resubmit my application for REPAYE because I could not make the payments under IBR with the way my payments were being calculated. Again my payments were calculated in the {$900.00}. I did not understand what was happening as my income had not significantly changed. In the meantime I lost a XXXX XXXX and had to resubmit my income information to FedLoan. I submitted three recent pay-stubs and a print out of my entire salary history. Again my payments were recalculated. This time I was told my payments would be {$520.00}. A fee I still can not afford. I called FedLoan yet again to inquire about the formula used to recalculate payments because nothing made sense to me. After that conversation I realized that my income was being incorrectly calculated to about $ XXXX or so. I did not make anywhere near this amount. I also realized that I was being recalculated as being paid 26 times a year or every two weeks when in fact I only get paid twice a month. I submitted all of this information and my payments were miscalculated still. At that point I contacted the Office of Consumer Advocacy PHEAA and spoke to XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX has attempted to have my payments recalculated correctly with no avail. I have called XXXX XXXX approximately 2 to 3 times a week since then and nothing has been resolved. At this point I have not been able to make any payments to my account since XXXX. I have made it clear that I would like my payments calculated correctly so that I can again resume my loan repayment. Prolonging my payments does not benefit me in anyway as I am also applying for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The longer I have without making payments the more it affects me negatively. Nothing has been recalculated or resolved. I then called the US Department of Education on Ombudsman and was told they could not help me until I called FedLoan which I explained to them I had already done. Therefore I was refured to the same Loan servicing company for help by Ombudsman that I was having problems with which makes no sense. I called the number they gave me XXXX which I was told was for the escalated line for Fedloan. I had been calling the same place while working with XXXX XXXX therefore this was not helpful at all. I am not getting any help and want to get back to making my payments! Please help! ( XXXX and XXXX )