Consumer complaint received 2024-02-19 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Problem with forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: LA

Complaint narrative:
I have been employed in public service for over 20 years and in student loan debt for just as long. Specifically, I have worked in public service at a qualifying employer prior to the implementation of PSLF in XXXX  until now. As such, I would have been eligible as of XXXX. Fed Loan was my loan servicer. As a loan servicer, it was difficult to get information about PSLF/repayment plans as well as their ever-changing criteria. I was always told I had the wrong loan type or repayment plan resulting in my payments not counting towards PSLF. 
The Cares Act suspended student loan payments and waived interest between XXXX and XXXX. However, I made consistent payments during this time. Additionally, I was able to qualify for loan forgiveness solely due to the temporary changes made to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) program between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. 
In XXXX, my loans were forgiven and I was determined eligible for PSLF as of XXXX. As I believed my eligibility date should have been XXXX, I sent verification of my qualifying employment during XXXX to FedLoan and Department of Education as they both instructed for reconsideration of my PSLF eligibility date. As stated, Ive gotten emails from FedLoan indicating that there was a refund of payments that supposedly came in a lump sum but they refused to provide additional information such as deposit details or verification. I have filed complaints about them with the Department of Education to no avail. 
Neither corrected my PSLF eligibility date NOR issued a refund for any and all payments made since XXXX. Immediately upon being notified of the forgiveness, I no longer had online access to view my payment history on FedLoans website. I attempted to contact FedLoan by phone and email spending countless hours on hold and back & forth emails with no resolution. I am due a refund for overpayments since XXXX. Fed Loan redirected me to the Department of Education, and vice versa. FedLoan insisted they issued a refund but provided no other information and consistently redirected me to the Treasury Department. I am due a refund in excess of {$12000.00} plus interest. They should incur the same late fees and penalties we have to incur as borrowers in this student loan debt scheme. I am long overdue a refund for all overpayment/payments made since XXXX. 
Conveniently, FedLoan discontinued their loan servicing while outstanding debts are owed and transferred accounts to XXXX. I have made several efforts to contact FedLoan Servicing prior to their discontinuation of loan servicing. I was told my account would not transfer to XXXX since my loans were forgiven, however, I received correspondence from XXXX stating that my PSLF is under review. I contacted XXXX by phone for additional information but there is no record of me/my accounts in their system. There continues to be a lack of communication and transparency.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation