Consumer complaint received 2025-09-09 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Can't temporarily delay making payments
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I am a full-time graduate student who has been trying to defer her loans while in school. Citizens bank, the manager of my private student loans ( which are predatory in nature and against best judgement -- I was twenty-one and given a loan that is almost XXXX dollars with barely over minimum-wage income ), has denied my application once, and has since been XXXX in processing my second application for deferment. 

My first application was sent during my XXXX term where I was listed as a XXXX XXXX  ( which is the maximum we are allowed to be as students over the XXXX  ), and it was quickly denied on both XX/XX/XXXX because I am listed as half-time over the XXXX, and again on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  because the term had not started -- This is what XXXX responded to me in email when I received my rejection and then further inquired : " Please note, we are not able to process a deferment for a future-dated enrollment. In-school deferment begins on the first day of classes, as reported by the school. 

Upon further review of your account, we see your term does not begin until XX/XX/XXXX. At this time we are unable to process your request. 

We apologize for your inconvenience. 

We value you as a customer and appreciate the opportunity to serve you. If you have questions or would like to request copies of additional documentation regarding this resolution, please reply to this email, visit Student.CitizensBank.com, or contact us using the information below. '' Knowing then that I would have to wait, I prepared all of the information that Citizens would need to quickly process my application, as in prior instances, the process was quick, where I had emailed enrollment verification and my loan information on the XXXX of XXXX, XXXX and received confirmation on XX/XX/XXXX. 

This time around, I sent an email on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, which was a XXXX  weekend so that they would have time to see my application when getting back into work. My application has been processing now for two whole weeks, despite receiving confirmation that it was received and 'forwarded to the correct department for review ' on XX/XX/XXXX, meaning my term as a XXXX XXXX has begun, and yet I am being emailed and called and threatened with delinquencies because Citizens has tried to tell me I owe a payment that was due to occur on the XXXX -- two days after my term began. 

When I called Citizens on the XXXX to inquire about the status of my application, the woman was not helpful, gave no clear timeline for the response time of my application, and instead told me to turn off auto-payments. Doing so has caused me to fall into a 'past-due ' status, which is incorrect. 

Below are all of the dates and times of emails I have sent to Citizens : Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX Friday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, Monday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, Friday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX XXXX, Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, ( Called Citizens around XXXX on the XXXX, too ), Friday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX. 

I can send email receipts as requested, but the work needs to be on Citizens to rectify this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation