Consumer complaint received 2025-05-14 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company: Servicer under contract with Federal Student Aid
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
To whom it may concern, From XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX I was XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and continued my service at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Despite the periods of uninterrupted employment and repayment since XXXX, I have XXXX qualifying payments. This has not changed in 4 years. I request this be reconsidered. I have requested this numerous times, through numerous outlets and petitions. In XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX I submitted a request for reconsideration which was never resolved. On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a complaint which was closed the same day, without any communication ( verified by XXXX at Student Aid on XX/XX/XXXX ). On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a complaint to CFPB. When I heard back nearly a month past the deadline, conveniently XXXX no longer services or takes any responsibility for PSLF, although they did months ago and through the entirety of servicing my loans. My next step is my state ombudsmen and congressman. 
Background : In XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I attended XXXX XXXX XXXX for my XXXX XXXX, and was on an in XXXX XXXX XXXX. In XXXX oXXXX XXXX, I entered a XXXX XXXX XXXX. In XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX entered a XXXX XXXX  During each of these periods, I continued to make payments. Until XXXX, I had been in a combination of forbearance or deferment. In XXXX, my qualifying payment was {$0.00} due to our low income and family size. I called XXXX XXXX numerous times, each semester, to ensure that this payment would count for my PSLF, and was assured that, although the physical payment due was {$0.00}, that I was actively in repayment. These payments did not ultimately count. 
Every XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, I called my servicer and let them know that I intended to continue making payments, to accrue months of payments to count towards PSLF, and requested to override the in-school forbearance. I often called a dozen times, every single semester. I was assured that, if I made on time payments while in school, they would count. I have several names and employee numbers listed at the bottom of this letter, if they provided, but several hung up when I asked for their identification. I have since been informed that, because I DIDNT go into forbearance, that those payments do not count, which is exactly the opposite of what I was told by multiple representatives at multiple servicers. It was a struggle and sacrifice to make those payments with small children, as the sole income for my family, XXXX XXXX XXXX I wanted to repay my debt and counted on this system to work for me. 

From XXXX I was in school for my XXXX XXXX  ; however, I remained working at qualifying employers and continued making on time payments. It was only in XXXX, when I called Student Aid, that I was told of a form I needed to submit in order for my in-school payments to count towards PSLF. This was the first time I had EVER been told of this form, which I submitted to include a request for retroactive payment counts. I submitted this form XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, although I did not have any loans during this time. I was told in XXXX to fax the form to the new servicer ( who still has a fax machine? ) I was told in XX/XX/XXXX I needed to consolidate again for these to count. I was told in XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX that was inaccurate. This is a prime example of the level of circular logic related to this program. As of this writing, there has been no change in my payment count or status. 

There were numerous instances when I was in repayment and my loan was transferred or sold without the accompanying IBR paperwork, which caused my payment to skyrocket to {$1500.00} or more. I was told the only option was to enter forbearance or defer until I resubmitted everything, or to pay the full amount. This often took XXXX months in which I could have been paying, in which I intended to pay. This happened most recently in XXXX, when my loans were sold to XXXX, without transfer of my IBR paperwork. I was told that I, as the loan holder had to provide information of WHY my loan was sold, and that the burden was on me to apply all over again. This process took over a year, and resulted in me losing many payments that I was already making and would have continued to make, if not for this forced deferment. In XXXX, XXXX periodically lost my paperwork and forced me into forbearance for a month or two, on 4 separate occasions ( listed below ). 

Lastly, there is no record of any payments prior to XX/XX/XXXX, including my payments made while with XXXX XXXX. In XXXX, my loans for my XXXX were finally forgiven, but I had been paying on loans for my XXXX XXXX during this period as well. 

Examples of employees I spoke with whom advised that my call to restart payments while in school was sufficient to count towards PSLF, and other items related to my PSLF count. 
XX/XX/XXXX spoke with XXXX at XXXX XXXX ID XXXX XX/XX/XXXX spoke with XXXX at XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Began dealing with XXXX, a supervisor at XXXX whom I dealt until they sold my loans. # XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX at XXXX # XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX at Student Aid I have attached previous complaints and requests to update my payment count. As you can seem I have submitted request after request and complaint after complaint, yet NOTHING HAPPENS.

Company response to consumer: Untimely response