Consumer complaint received 2025-09-22 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Problem with forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge
Company: Servicer under contract with Federal Student Aid
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a borrower defense application for both myself and my mother 's Parent PLUS loans. My application included all required information, and we referenced my case in my mother 's submission. Supporting documents were sent to the Department of Education ( DOE ) via mail. We have been waiting approximately XXXX years for an update. In late XX/XX/XXXX, my mother was notified that her Parent PLUS loans were past due, which was unexpected as the loans were believed to be in forbearance due to the ongoing borrower defense process. No prior communication was received regarding the loan status before it affected her credit. 
Upon contacting the DOE, a representative indicated there had been system issues with cases remaining in " submitted '' status and some applications being lost. It was recommended that we reapply. I again stated that all necessary information and documentation had already been provided and resubmitted a borrower defense application for my mother. My loans were subsequently forgiven under the XXXX lawsuit, but my mother 's loans from the same institution remain unresolved due to the former borrower defense claim issue. 
When I contacted the DOE again, I was informed they could not discuss the matter further due to my name change, despite having submitted the necessary documentation regarding the change in XX/XX/XXXX. The representative stated that the updated information was not in their system and declined to provide a record of the call. 
Our contact information has been kept current with the DOE, though notifications about loan statuses have not always ( almost never ) been received. While the DOE asserts that emails detailing my loan forgiveness were sent on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, I did not receive these messages regarding my student loan dismissal until repeated follow-ups were made. Ultimately, confirmation was received after multiple requests. Similar challenges have occurred, such as updates to personal information not being reflected in DOE XXXX. 
There are online discussions documenting similar experiences related to lost borrower defense cases and issues submitting claims : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX I have been in contact with the DOE many times regarding loan discharge. My loans were forgiven as part of the XXXX lawsuit, and my mother 's Plus Loans should also be eligible for discharge. We have been waiting for XXXX years, and I am concerned about restarting the process for my mother 's loans due to organizational difficulties at the DOE. Assistance in resolving this issue and completing the discharge of these loans would be appreciated. 

Also, I have recently had issues even attempting to contact the DOE. Hung up on, too busy at the moment, people on other side of the phone doesnt have any information or cant share information. Just today, my loan servicer said they never received notice of my loan discharge. 

Can someone please assist with my mothers loans?

Company response to consumer: Untimely response