Consumer complaint received 2024-02-12 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: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: AR

Complaint narrative:
My Student Loan was initially a HEAL loan ( Health Education Assistance Loan ). It was initially managed by XXXX XXXX, now taken over by Navient. 

The Navient name and loan number are : XXXX XXXX XXXX Loan XXXX Loan type FFELP, initially HEAL I began repaying my loan in XXXX, after finishing my residency. In XXXX of XXXX, XXXX XXXX sent a document to me stating I could reduce my interest by a half percentage point by linking direct payments from my checking account to automatically pay the loan each month. Not trusting them from previous experience, I called and spoke to loan services two times prior to signing the direct deposit. I called to be assured that all this form was doing was allowing direct payment from my checking account on my existing loan, and that they would NOT call this a new disbursement and new loan, with a new 30 year payment schedule. I had already been paying on the loan for 15 years, and was finally at a point where I was paying some principal on it. I was assured, twice, that this was not the case. I signed the direct deposit form ( the only form I signed ), and they immediately issued a " New Loan '' with a new 30 year schedule of payments that will last until XXXX. 

I would have completed my payment of the loan three years ago, if XXXX XXXX had not fraudulently " signed '' my name ( a printed name not signed by me ), and " issued '' a new loan. 

I initially borrowed {$36000.00} for tuition and books. I have, to date, paid payments totaling {$150000.00}, and still " owe '' {$33000.00}. 
I have contacted Navient several times over the last five years. I was told I would need to file a " Fraud and Identity Theft '' complaint with their internal fraud department. XXXX XXXX, in the years surrounding XXXX, when this happened to me, has been found guilty of falsely extending loans with practices such as what occurred to my account. 

I have written to the XXXX XXXX, and was told I would have to take care of it with Navient. Navient is unresponsive, and says they can't forgive the remaining balance of the loan. To be honest, at this point, I don't know who to turn to. 

When XXXX XXXX " issued a new disbursement '' I demanded to see papers that showed I had " asked for a new loan ''. I had simply signed a form to have the payments made automatically from my checking account. I never received any of their " paperwork ''. 

I did, 5 years ago, find a somewhat sympathetic ear at Navient, and she was able to find the form I supposed signed for the new disbursement request. It simply had my name typed on it in the signature box. 

This is the heart of the matter with the current student loan situation. XXXX XXXX committed fraud, misrepresentation of information and documents, and identity theft in issuing a new loan that I not only did not request, but called them specifically to insure they would not call it a new disbursement. 

I would appreciate any help CFPB can provide in this situation. With the current " loan balance '', I will be making payments into my late seventies, and will have paid on the loan for 45 years. I have already made payments of nearly 5 times the amount I borrowed, and the remaining balance remains close to the initial amount of my loans. 

Thank you for your consideration and help. Please let me know if there is any other information I can provide to you to help get relief from the remaining portion of the student loan. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 
XXXXXX/XX/XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation