Consumer complaint received 2019-04-16 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Problem lowering your monthly payments
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
At XXXX XXXX XXXX I began college in XXXX. I went to XXXX XXXX University. I was the first male in my family to attend college. My parents did not make XXXX a year with XXXX younger kids at home. After doing all the paperwork I was set to go, with some grants, track scholarship and small student loans. At the time I did not qualify for any VA benefits due to my father would receive his just dues from his XXXX XXXX in XXXX. He would receive those benefits until 10 years later ( XXXX % XXXX ). The back pay didn't go back far enough to cover my school. At the time XXXX was the cheapest University in the XXXX. As time went by the loans grew more and more each year. I couldn't work at the the time due to XXXX rules for athletes. I majored in XXXX and after track ended I worked full-time and went to school part time. Loans grew slightly more over time. 

While going to school part-time my loans defaulted. I didn't find out until I lost a Federal Tax Return. By then loan had doubled. It seemed that ever time it switched collectors XXXX was added in fees. I was given a number to call to get it all straighten out. From this point I was told several lies. I was told that if I consolidated the loans the fees would be taken off. Wrong. I was also told that my tax returned collection would be reversed because of the economic hardship it created at the time. Wrong x 2. It wasn't much but return would have paid my {$320.00} rent that month and got me caught up. Instead I have been struggling ever since.I went several years working low paying and high responsibility restaurant jobs. Several years with barley enough to make end meet. 
In the last 5 years things have been on an up swing but I have a dark cloud from the past over my head.My employer revived a letter of garnishment to take 15 % after taxes out of my check. I was then offered rehabilitation program to try get this all to level I could Pay. I paid {$20.00} a month for ten months. I was promised that all fees and interest would be waived with completion of program. After completing the program I was told the fee from before the consolidation could not be removed and I would owe may more. And take an heavy tax burden as well. 
I can't afford to make payments that are required. The burdened has now grown because I got married. Do I get divorced?? 

Here are the numbers : XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX Loan were roughly {$17000.00} XX/XX/XXXX Discovered loan had defaulted {$27000.00} From XX/XX/XXXX to Today {$70000.00} I make XXXX per year and so does my wife. 
We have family of four. 
I would be almost XXXX XXXX XXXX under the current high payment. 
I having a hard time buying a better home my family because my DTI is 170 % There is barley anything left over at the end of the month as it is. 
This loan was not granted with that same toughness as a mortage. 
I was given this loan with no money, only a potential to make income??? 
I should have qualified for grant based of income. Yet I was served up Student loan.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation