Consumer complaint received 2024-04-01 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Problem with your payment plan
Company: Maximus Federal Services, Inc.
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
In the Fall of XXXX, I applied online for the SAVE plan. I was shown that I qualified for the payment plan and that my payment would be around {$110.00}. 

I then recieved a bill for {$310.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I called Aidvantage, my servicer, on XX/XX/XXXX to find out why the payment was so high. I spoke XXXX XXXX ID XXXX. I told them I that I applied for the SAVE program and instead I now have a {$310.00} payment. The agent said I was put on the pay as you earn plan, not the SAVE plan. She then rechecked my info, said I do qualify for the SAVE plan and she resubmitted my information for the SAVE plan and said it would be all set.

I told her I already applied for the SAVE and asked if this mistake could happen again, and she assured me that I would be put in the SAVE plan correctly this time. 

I then received another bill for XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I called immediately and spoke with XXXX ID XXXX. I was told the same thing happened again and that I was put on the IDR plan instead of the SAVE plan. She opened an investigation and submitted a case. She also put a pause on my payments while they figured out what was going on. 

I asked her if I would hear from someone after the investigation was completed and she said yes. 

I received zero communication, no emails, letters or calls about the investigation. Instead I received a bill on XX/XX/XXXX for {$610.00}. 

I called AGAIN. I spoke with a third agent, who would not provide their Agent ID - but provided their name, which I will exclude here for privacy, but I can provide it upon request. She said my account was delinquent. I said how can it be deliquent when the previous agent told me that she was pausing my payments while they figured out why my account wasn't being put into the correct payment plan? 

This agent told me she could see the investigation report submitted on XX/XX/XXXX and that it was supposed to be escalated. She could see " action '' was taken, but couldn't see any other information on what that action was or any communications about it to me. 

She put me on hold and came back and told me that I needed to submit an application online to be changed into the SAVE plan. I told her that I already had done that. I said I can keep doing that but it doesn't seem to be making a difference. 

She then resubmitted the case and I said I would be submitted a complaint to the CFPB. 

This has now been going on for 6 months. Aidvantage has proven to be absolutely incapable of fair treatment to me as a borrower. There has been a complete lack of communication for 6 months, and they have left me unable to both afford and actually pay my student loan bills, and unable to take advantage of the SAVE payment plan created by the Biden administration. Aidvantage has done nothing right, but keeps sending me bills for an amount I can't afford - and keeps telling me I qualify for the lower payment, but can't set it up properly and can't communicate with me about it.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation