Consumer complaint received 2025-04-15 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Account information incorrect
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
Formal Complaint Against U.S. Department of Education FERPA Violation, Forbearance Errors, and Credit Reporting Inaccuracies To Whom It May Concern at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am filing this formal complaint against the U.S. Department of Education in regard to serious issues surrounding the management and reporting of my federal student loans. These concerns involve the violation of federal privacy laws, inaccurate reporting of my loan payment history, and unauthorized forbearance actionsall of which have had damaging consequences.

1. Violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA ) Recent public reporting reveals that personnel connected to XXXX XXXX " Department of Government Efficiency '' ( DOGE ) have been granted access to Department of Education systems and borrower data. This raises grave concerns that my personally identifiable education records were accessed or shared without my consent or legal justification.

This constitutes a direct violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA ), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, which protects the confidentiality of student records and prohibits disclosure without proper authorization. As a federal borrower, I did not authorize any external review or sharing of my loan data with individuals or entities outside the Departments normal servicing and oversight functions. 

2. Unauthorized and Uncommunicated Forbearance Periods There are multiple periods where my student loan accounts were placed in forbearance without my request, approval, or notification. I was not contacted by mail, phone, or email, even though the Department of Education has confirmed they had accurate and up-to-date contact information on file for me.

This is a violation of borrower rights, as federal regulations require proper notice and borrower consent for changes to repayment status. The improper handling of forbearance directly impacts my repayment history, interest accrual, and progress toward income-driven repayment forgiveness or Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ).

3. Errors in Payment History Reporting The Department has also reported inaccurate payment dates and amounts for my student loans. These errors have appeared on my credit report and negatively impacted my credit profile, despite my efforts to maintain a responsible repayment history. 

These actions constitute a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), which mandates that all information furnished to credit reporting agencies must be accurate and complete. As the originator and data provider for these loan accounts, the Department of Education is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all reported information. 


****Requested Resolution : **** I request the following actions be taken by the CFPB : Investigate the Department of Education for violations of FERPA and determine whether borrower data was unlawfully accessed or disclosed. 
Require the Department to provide a full and verifiable record of any forbearance placements, including the origin, date, and authorization for each, and remove any periods not requested or approved by me. 
Direct the Department to correct all inaccurate payment reporting to the credit bureaus and issue updated, accurate data reflecting my actual payment history. 
Ensure proper safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorized access to federal student loan records and to notify borrowers of any future policy changes affecting data privacy and loan servicing. 
These are serious violations of federal law and borrower rights. I respectfully request the CFPB exercise its authority to enforce compliance and provide full remediation. 

Thank you for your time and assistance. 

Sincerely, XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation