Consumer complaint received 2024-06-30 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: Maximus Federal Services, Inc.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
So, now I have to place below the complaint to Aidvantage, because the complaint I had against XXXX, XXXX simply passed the responsibility off to Aidavantage by indicating that " Please note that ED has assigned Aidvantage to process Direct Consolidation Loan Applications for borrowers whose loans are serviced by XXXX. As your initial application was completed through studentaid.gov, your request was forwarded to Aidvantage for review and completion of the consolidation process. Beginning XX/XX/XXXX, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education ( TEACH ) Grant programs are no longer managed through a designated loan servicer. Instead, the U.S. Department of Education 's Office of Federal Student Aid is updating their systems and contact centers to streamline and fully manage these programs through StudentAid.gov. '' The following remains an issue which I have asked XXXX to assist with and they just send me around in circles - sending me to StudentAid saying to ask them for a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Reconsideration ( but StudentAid says the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Reconsideration is NOT for situations such as these. In addition, if I message XXXX, but then call since hearing back from them takes so long, they close out my written message and sent me a notification indicating that I have their records show that I have called and say they " assume it is resolved, '' but it is not resolved. Issue at Hand : - The Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) program allows eligible borrowers to have the remainder of their federal student loan balance forgiven after making 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer. 
- If a borrower has already made qualifying payments on a Direct Loan and then consolidates that loan with other federal loans, the payments made prior to consolidation still count toward the 120-payment requirement ( i.e., the " higher count '' rule ). 
- However, I did not have the chance to consolidate my new loans ( from XXXX ) with my old loans before my older loans were forgiven ( XX/XX/XXXX ). I was very cautious and waiting for clear guidance ( something in writing on the StudentAid.gov site prior to consolidating ) because like many, I've been misled and lied to before. 
- In fact, when the information surrounding the Limited PSLF Waiver Period came out, I did call XXXX and was instead discouraged from consolidating during the Limited PSLF Waiver Period. They told me that if I consolidated, my payment counts would go back to XXXX and that I'd be starting my 120 payment counts from then forward. 
- Ive been told, by XXXX representatives that shortly after my XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX loans were discharged, a one-time account adjustment and consolidating started in XXXX of XXXX. 

However, XXXX representatives themselves had previously indicated that I should NOT consolidate this is terrible misinformation, lack of clear guidance, an overall, a failure to those of us who were relying on XXXX and XXXX to provide us with the information and guidance needed. As I had loans forgiven under the Limited PSLF waiver in XX/XX/XXXX, the payment counts from the loans disbursed in XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX should have counted towards the payments counts of the loan disbursed in XXXX. Nevertheless, I have now complied and submitted an application to consolidate my XXXX loans ( 1 subsidized, 1 unsubsidized ). Earlier this month, speaking to a XXXX representative, I was told that this WAS in fact what I needed to do, in order to get that " higher count '' rule applied to my XXXX loan. However, upon calling a different time, I was told that consolidating my XXXX subsidized and unsubsidized loan could not happen because they can't be consolidated? She said " There is nothing to consolidate. '' Please help. Also - I have worked for the same non-profit since XXXX - present. ALL my payment counts ARE eligible.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation