Consumer complaint received 2025-02-01 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am writing to formally file a complaint against XXXX ( formerly Navient ) regarding predatory lending practices and illegal student loan servicing that have placed me under severe financial hardship. Despite my efforts to resolve my situationincluding attempts to have my interest rate permanently reduced and my loan discharged under the legal settlements involving these entitiesI have received no relief. My private student loan has ballooned from an initial {$30000.00} to over {$100000.00}, and my monthly payments of nearly {$1600.00} are unaffordable, especially when combined with my other student loans. 

Background : Loan Origination : I took out a {$30000.00} private student loan from Sallie Mae to attend XXXX University, a for-profit institution known for predatory enrollment tactics. 
Loan Transfer : This loan was later transferred to Navient, and is now managed by XXXX. 
Current Status : Despite making consistent payments, my balance has increased exponentially due to excessive interest rates, compounding fees, and predatory servicing practices. 

Predatory Practices by XXXX University : XXXX University has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and investigations due to its deceptive recruitment and financial practices, particularly targeting XXXX and female students : Reverse Redlining : XXXX deliberately marketed its doctoral programs to minority students while misrepresenting tuition costs and program durations. Students, including myself, were unknowingly pushed into extended enrollment periods, driving up loan balances. 
Class-Action Lawsuits : XXXX University settled a lawsuit alleging that the school purposefully delayed students dissertation and capstone projects to force continued tuition payments. ( Source ) Illegal and Unethical Practices by Navient/XX/XX/XXXX Navient, now operating as XXXX, has a documented history of predatory lending, deceptive servicing, and unlawful collection practices : Predatory Lending : Navient knowingly issued subprime private student loans to borrowers at for-profit institutions like XXXX, despite knowing these students were unlikely to repay. 
Legal Settlements : Navient reached a {$1.00} XXXX settlement with 39 state attorneys general due to fraudulent lending and loan servicing practices. The agreement included {$1.00} XXXX in loan cancellations and {$95.00} XXXX in restitution for borrowers harmed by these tactics. ( Source ) CFPB Lawsuit : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Navient for systematically failing borrowers by : Steering them into costly forbearance plans instead of income-driven repayment options. 
Misapplying payments to increase interest and fees. 
Providing false information about loan forgiveness eligibility. ( Source ) My Attempts to Seek Resolution : Despite multiple attempts, I have been denied relief in the following ways : 1. Request for Loan Discharge Under the Navient Lawsuit Settlement : I applied to have my loan discharged as part of the {$1.00} XXXX settlement, but I was not granted relief, despite being directly impacted. 
2. Request for Permanent Interest Rate Reduction : I have contacted XXXX and formally requested a reduction in my exorbitant interest rate, but they have refused to adjust my loan terms permanently. 
3. Attempts to Verify Loan Ownership : I have requested documentation proving that XXXX legally owns my loan, but I have received no response or proof of legitimate ownershipa key issue in previous lawsuits against National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts ( NCSLTs ), where courts ruled that these entities could not collect on loans they could not prove ownership of. 

Personal Impact : My loan has ballooned from {$30000.00} to over {$100000.00}, a direct result of deceptive lending and servicing practices. 
My monthly payments of nearly {$1600.00} are financially crippling. 
Despite making regular payments, my principal has barely decreased, proving that XXXX is engaging in unethical interest and fee accumulation tactics. 
The stress of this predatory debt has severely impacted my financial well-being and overall quality of life. 

Requested Action from CFPB : Given the overwhelming evidence of predatory and illegal practices by XXXX University, Navient, and now XXXX, I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau take the following actions : 1. Investigate the legality of my loans origination and servicing transfers to determine if XXXX has the legal right to collect on my debt. 
2. Determine whether my loan qualifies for discharge under existing Navient/Mohela lawsuits and settlements due to predatory and deceptive practices. 
3. Mandate that XXXX immediately cease all collection activities while my case is under review. 
4. Permanently reduce my student loan interest rate and provide meaningful loan balance reductions. 
5. Hold XXXX accountable for its predatory practices, just as Navient and NCSLTs were penalized in prior legal actions. 

Conclusion : The documented history of lawsuits, settlements, and federal enforcement actions against XXXX University, Navient, and XXXX makes it clear that my student loan debt was the result of fraudulent and predatory lending. I urge the CFPB to investigate and take immediate action to provide relief, not just for me, but for all affected borrowers. 

I appreciate your time and attention to this matter, and I look forward to your response.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation