Consumer complaint received 2023-02-23
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company: MOHELA

Complaint:
I am writing because after a year of dealing with Mohela and their massive mistakes, I don't know where else to turn. 

As background : I graduated from XXXX  school in XX/XX/XXXX and entered repayment on my student loans in XX/XX/XXXX. 

I have been a full-time XXXX XXXX  since XX/XX/XXXX. 

I have worked for only two organizations in the last XXXX  years : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

XXXX is a nonprofit government-funded organization providing public defense services to indigent clients. 

The XXXX is a statutorily- and constitutionally-mandated governmental organization, part of the judicial branch of the Minnesota government. 

I have been on income-based repayment status since XX/XX/XXXX. 

I have never had a forbearance ( besides the universal COVID forbearance ). 

I have never missed a loan payment. 

I have never had a late loan payment. 

I completed 120 monthly payments as required in XX/XX/XXXX. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I sent in my first Employment Certification Form ( " ECF '' ). 
In XXXX ( or thereabouts ) XXXX, the federal government said my employment qualified for PSLF. 

Because my loans were improperly consolidated in XX/XX/XXXX, I qualified for relief under T-PSLF. 

My loans were properly consolidated and transferred from XXXX to MOHELA in XX/XX/XXXX. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, MOHELA representatives told me they had not received my ECF from the federal government, and advised me to send in another ECF. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I sent in another ECF. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, MOHELA sent me a notice that my employment was not eligible for PSLF because the State of Minnesota is a for-profit organization. 

I spent approximately five hours on the phone with MOHELA trying to convince them the State of Minnesota is, in fact, a state. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, MOHELA said I had no account with their system. After waiting on hold for three hours, the automated phone said, " goodbye '' and disconnected me. 

In XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a complaint with the federal Ombudsman for student loan programs. I never received an answer. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I spent several hours on hold. When I reached a representative, she confirmed my account exists. I confirmed the State of Minnesota XXXX is a state organization. The representative confirmed my current ECF would expire on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, MOHELA sent me a loan summary indicating I had XXXX PSLF-eligible payments, 89 PSLF qualifying payments, and 31 payments remaining. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent an updated ECF to MOHELA and checked the box indicating I qualify for debt relief and requesting any further payments be paused. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, MOHELA sent me a loan summary indicating I had 131 PSLF-eligible payments, 112 PSLF qualifying payments, and 8 payments remaining. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, MOHELA sent me a letter acknowledging receipt of my XX/XX/XXXX ECF. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, MOHELA sent me a loan summary indicating I had 132 PSLF-eligible payments, 9 PSLF qualifying payments, and 111 payments remaining. 
I received this letter on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I spent an hour on hold with MOHELA. When I spoke to a representative, she said their systems could not find my account. 

MOHELA is engaging in Olympics-level weaponized incompetence. This is ruining my life ; I have dedicated my blood, sweat, and tears to public service and have been counting on loan forgiveness to relieve the financial burden of being a XXXX XXXX 

What can you do to help me?

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief