Consumer complaint received 2025-03-14 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: MOHELA
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern, I submitted my income recertification for the XXXX plan on XX/XX/XXXX, but there is no record of it anywhereno email confirmation, no processing update, nothing. I tried submitting it again on XX/XX/XXXX, and took a screenshot to confirm, but once again, there is no record of my submission. I have attempted to call MOHELA multiple times to follow up, but the wait times are consistently XXXX to XXXX hours, making it nearly impossible to get through. When I attempt to contact them via email, I only receive auto-generated responses that do not address my concerns. 

Additionally, I recently received a mailed notice stating that I do not need to recertify my income until XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX is a full year later than expectedwithout any explanation as to why. There is no guidance on whether this means I am in forbearance until XXXX, whether my payments will increase, or if I am at risk of being placed into repayment unexpectedly. 

In the meantime, my account still shows a payment due on the XXXX of each month, but my required payment is currently {$0.00} because I am in forbearance under the XXXX plan. However, the XXXX plan itself is in legal limbo, and at this point, I wouldnt even be able to switch to another income-driven repayment plan if I wanted to, because all XXXX options are similarly uncertain. To make matters worse, Public Service Loan Forgivenessthe very reason I, first as a Title I high school science teacher and now as an epidemiologist working in local public health, took on these loans with the understanding that repayment would be structured in a specific wayis also caught in legal uncertainty. This instability has made it nearly impossible for me to make informed financial decisions regarding my loans and my larger financial obligations. 

On a personal note, I lost my husband last year, and in the midst of navigating that loss ( both personal and financial ), I have also had to deal with the instability surrounding my student loans. I thought when he died, " At least they'll adjust my payments so I can afford them on my salary, '' but that may no longer be the case. The uncertainty of XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX, combined with XXXX lack of responsiveness, has made an already difficult situation even more stressful. 

At this point, I am left with no way to confirm my recertification status, no ability to switch plans if needed, and no reliable customer service from my servicer. The lack of transparency, mismanagement, and legal instability surrounding student loans is making it impossible for borrowers like me to manage our debt responsibly.

I am requesting : Immediate confirmation and processing of my income recertification submission.

Clear, accurate, and timely information regarding my repayment status.

Guidance on whether my current forbearance status extends until XXXX and how that affects my future payments. 
A formal investigation into the impact of ongoing political and legal instability on student loan borrowers, including the feasibility of insulating loan repayment programs from political influence to ensure consistent, reliable access to IDR plans and forgiveness programs.

Consideration of loan discharge or alternative relief for borrowers whose repayment plans have been materially affected by legal and administrative uncertainty. 

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I appreciate your prompt response. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation