Consumer complaint received 2025-08-19 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: EdFinancial Services
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
What happened?

EdFinancial has shown a persistent pattern of misinformation, refusals to escalate, and deflection to XXXX, culminating in a misclassification of my XX/XX/XXXX income recertification and an inaccurate XXXX bill. 

Late XXXX early XXXX ( pattern begins ). Multiple EdFinancial reps told me my loans were about to restart, despite my enrollment in XXXX and published Department of Education guidance indicating administrative forbearance. When I asked for written confirmation, they refused. Representatives also said StudentAid.gov was wrong and that EdFinancials system was more accurate than the federal government. 

XX/XX/XXXX. Because I believed ( based on EdFinancial statements ) that repayment might restart, I proactively submitted a PSLF form to recertify my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX credit would remain accurate. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( the form ). I submitted an IDR form on StudentAid.gov to recertify my income and remain in SAVE forbearance. The form was misleading. Section 1 said that if I wanted to recertify income only, I should proceed to Section 3. I did. In Section 3, I clearly indicated that I was recertifying income, did not want to exit forbearance, and did not want payments to restart ( I checked both boxes ). However, Section 2s wording made it appear I had to select a plan before moving to Section 3. I did not check the change plans box. Believing selection was required to proceed, I chose IBR as the closest match to my status. My intent was not to change plans. EdFinancial later treated this as a plan change. 

XX/XX/XXXX. I received a notice that my loans would enter repayment, inconsistent with SAVE forbearance and my recertification intent. 

XX/XX/XXXX. SAVE administrative forbearance shifted to general forbearance as interest began accruing. My StudentAid.gov loan details showed forbearance under SAVE, yet EdFinancial continued to present conflicting billing. 

XXXX bill. XXXX issued a billing statement of {$380.00} due XX/XX/XXXX, nearly double what they previously told me I would be paying. I called to clarify and was repeatedly lied to, deflected, and gaslit. 

Calls to EdFinancial ( sequence ).

Call 1 : Rep told me recertifying income automatically ends SAVE forbearance ( false ), refused to escalate, refused to document.

Call 2 : Different rep acknowledged that statement was false and initially suggested the error could be corrected, then after a hold returned offering unrelated plan options and said nothing could be done.

Call 3 : I explained this is now a Section 504 / ADA accommodation request due to the forms inaccessibility and asked to escalate to compliance. I was told to call FSA ; after being put on hold, the call was disconnected. In another interaction, a rep provided a fictitious rep ID. 

Throughout, EdFinancial told me StudentAid.gov was wrong and their system was more accurate. This contradicts federal guidance and is part of the same pattern of false statements and deflection.

Contacts with FSA. I disclosed my XXXX and explained that the forms design was not accessible and caused the misunderstanding. I requested correction as a reasonable Section XXXX / XXXX accommodation. XXXX dismissed the request and told me only EdFinancial could fix the account, and they refused to provide written confirmation. I now have an FSA Feedback case ( # XXXX ). 

What I requested ( none provided ). 
XXXX. Correct the misclassified XX/XX/XXXX XXXX entry to reflect recertification only, not a plan change. 
XXXX. Reinstate SAVE forbearance protections and cease inaccurate billing. 
XXXX. Document my account as a formal Section XXXX / XXXX accommodation request. 
XXXX. Prevent adverse credit reporting and interest accrual stemming from this error. 
XXXX. Provide written confirmation of the correction and accommodation. 
XXXX. Escalate to compliance, not just frontline customer service. 

Actions taken to date. I filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, contacted the Departments XXXX Coordinator XXXX XXXX feedback through FSAs portal, and opened a disability-based case with the Ombudsman Group. 

Why CFPB assistance is needed. This is time-sensitive due to the XXXX bill and the temporary nature of EdFinancials short forbearance. I am asking CFPB to ensure EdFinancial : Corrects the misclassification to reflect my recertification intent.

Restores SAVE forbearance protections and halts erroneous billing/interest.

Records this as a Section XXXX / XXXX accommodation. 
Provides written confirmation and ceases the pattern of misinformation and refusal to escalate.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation