I originally obtained a federal student loan through American Education Services, when my loan went into default (which is another story altogether!) it was sent to PHEAA. Their shady business practices have kept me from being able to get my loan back on track. After making multiple payments per month I was told that I was still not eligible for their rehab program and would still be negatively reported to credit agencies for being past due.
When I tried to send in paperwork via fax or email I would receive confirmation of receipt (in the form of customer service confirmation and read receipts) only to later be told that it had not been received and now it was past the due date so I would have to make another payment before they could process the paperwork that they suddenly couldn't find. This happened again and again until I eventually gave up. In Jan of 2018 they began calling my minor child's cellphone (a number that I had never provided them with and which they did not have my permission to call) looking for me.
They had 3 different possible contacts for me (phone, email and physical address) but chose not to utilize them in favor of harassing a minor. They called him multiple times, some during school hours. When I spoke to them to address this they were apologetic and we started attempting to work on a rehab program for my loans again. Now I am getting the same run around as before. I stay on the phone with customer service reps until they give me confirmation of receiving my emails (and have read receipts on my emails) only to be told by the next rep I speak to that they were never received.
The rep I spoke to this morning stated that they had only received one of my two email attachments, which after speaking to a tech support person I am told is not impossible but highly improbable. Conveniently they got the one giving them permission to debit money from my bank account but not the one enrolling me in the rehab program. All I want to do is pay my loans and they are making it almost impossible.
I feel like I am being financially held hostage. If they are treating me in this manner and have been for several years then I imagine that they are treating others the same. I don't deny that I got myself into this mess by defaulting on my loans to begin with but at this rate and with this company I am skeptical of ever being able to get this loan paid and off of my credit which is all I want to do.
I had to get a Parent Plus Loan for my son’s tuition. When I was required to make the payments, I paid the required payment each month. I became disabled and was unable to make the payments. I was put into a rehabilitation program by PHEAA. I am able to work part-time and based on the income from my job and Social Security Disability, my payments were $5.00 per month.
Prior to this calculation, my wages were being garnished. When the garnishment stopped I called PHEAA to inquire as to why they had stopped. I was told that I had paid the required amount of payments for wage garnishment. I was then told that based on my income my payments would be $5.00monthly for 9 months, after which my income would be evaluated.
I made a payment over the phone, and asked to set up electronic payments. I was told that I had to fill out a form that would be sent through the mail, and that it could either be faxed or mailed. I opted to fax it, assured that the process would be done. Each month I would receive a call stating that my account was past due. I informed them that I had faxed the form and in the subsequent months I would receive the same call. Each time they called, I made a payment over the phone, and requested another form to submit.
Fast forward, I received a letter from the Department of the Treasury stating that they would be taking 15% of my SDD and all of my Federal and State Income Tax for 2015. I called PHEAA, no matter what time I called during their business hours I would be put on hold with a recording that stated due to a heavy call volume, it would take X amount of time to speak with a representative. I would hold on for an extended period of time and the call would disconnect. This went on day after day.
I was finally able to reach a representative; I was told that the form for electronic payments had not been received. I reiterated that the form had been faxed numerous times. I was told by a representative that it was my responsibility to check my account each month to make sure that the payments had been made. Infuriated, I called their legal department, and was transferred to a supervisor. The supervisor finally admitted that the form had been received but it didn’t indicate whether the account number was for my checking or savings account. REALLY! When I protested, she said that nothing could be done once the account was sent to the Department of the Treasury. I sent a certified return receipt letter to the Department of the Treasury, only to be told that it was in the hands of PHEAA to make the decision to stop the payments.
It’s an outrage that my payments of $5.00 for a loan that has escalated to $64,000, to having 15% of my income and my income tax return, (that I depended on for the months that I have more month than money). When checking with the Better Business Bureau, they have 275 complaints that have been closed in the last 3 yrs. 181 due to billing issues. In the last 12 months 84 complaints have been closed. They are not accredited; a class action suit was filed against them by the help desk employees but was denied because PHEAA is considered a Federal Agency.
In addition, you are not able to access your account online when you’re in the rehabilitation program. I plan to pursue this with every fiber of my being. I will continue to write and report them to any and every agency, government official and anyone else that I believe can help me to get out of the dire straits that I’ve been put in by PHEAA. In addition to reporting them on this site, I have also reported them to the Better Business Bureau, and the Consumer Financial Protective Bureau. I look forward to updating my progress.
This is complaint is in reference to PHEAA student loan forgiveness program. I see that they have other complaints other than mine. I wish I would have looked up this site before I allowed them to cooerce me into believing that if I paid them $5.00 per month for 6 months, they would take my loans out of default and allow me to start all over again.
They allow you to pay for six months, after the six months they want you to sign up again for another six months. They also state that this cannot be determined until you send in your tax return. They do not wait for you to send in your tax return so that they can determine if you are eligible for the $5.00 month.
I was not working when I signed up for the first 6 months but then I found a job at a Charter School, they start garnishing my wages. This is a temporary job, and they are taking out more than the $5.00. They say the only way to get the garnishment off is to pay them $5.00 a month in addition to the garnishement..
I am writing the Attorney General and I am seeking legal counsel. They should not be able to take advantage of those who are indigent and trying to get on their feet.
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Reviews
I originally obtained a federal student loan through American Education Services, when my loan went into default (which is another story altogether!) it was sent to PHEAA. Their shady business practices have kept me from being able to get my loan back on track. After making multiple payments per month I was told that I was still not eligible for their rehab program and would still be negatively reported to credit agencies for being past due.
When I tried to send in paperwork via fax or email I would receive confirmation of receipt (in the form of customer service confirmation and read receipts) only to later be told that it had not been received and now it was past the due date so I would have to make another payment before they could process the paperwork that they suddenly couldn't find. This happened again and again until I eventually gave up. In Jan of 2018 they began calling my minor child's cellphone (a number that I had never provided them with and which they did not have my permission to call) looking for me.
They had 3 different possible contacts for me (phone, email and physical address) but chose not to utilize them in favor of harassing a minor. They called him multiple times, some during school hours. When I spoke to them to address this they were apologetic and we started attempting to work on a rehab program for my loans again. Now I am getting the same run around as before. I stay on the phone with customer service reps until they give me confirmation of receiving my emails (and have read receipts on my emails) only to be told by the next rep I speak to that they were never received.
The rep I spoke to this morning stated that they had only received one of my two email attachments, which after speaking to a tech support person I am told is not impossible but highly improbable. Conveniently they got the one giving them permission to debit money from my bank account but not the one enrolling me in the rehab program. All I want to do is pay my loans and they are making it almost impossible.
I feel like I am being financially held hostage. If they are treating me in this manner and have been for several years then I imagine that they are treating others the same. I don't deny that I got myself into this mess by defaulting on my loans to begin with but at this rate and with this company I am skeptical of ever being able to get this loan paid and off of my credit which is all I want to do.
I had to get a Parent Plus Loan for my son’s tuition. When I was required to make the payments, I paid the required payment each month. I became disabled and was unable to make the payments. I was put into a rehabilitation program by PHEAA. I am able to work part-time and based on the income from my job and Social Security Disability, my payments were $5.00 per month.
Prior to this calculation, my wages were being garnished. When the garnishment stopped I called PHEAA to inquire as to why they had stopped. I was told that I had paid the required amount of payments for wage garnishment. I was then told that based on my income my payments would be $5.00monthly for 9 months, after which my income would be evaluated.
I made a payment over the phone, and asked to set up electronic payments. I was told that I had to fill out a form that would be sent through the mail, and that it could either be faxed or mailed. I opted to fax it, assured that the process would be done. Each month I would receive a call stating that my account was past due. I informed them that I had faxed the form and in the subsequent months I would receive the same call. Each time they called, I made a payment over the phone, and requested another form to submit.
Fast forward, I received a letter from the Department of the Treasury stating that they would be taking 15% of my SDD and all of my Federal and State Income Tax for 2015. I called PHEAA, no matter what time I called during their business hours I would be put on hold with a recording that stated due to a heavy call volume, it would take X amount of time to speak with a representative. I would hold on for an extended period of time and the call would disconnect. This went on day after day.
I was finally able to reach a representative; I was told that the form for electronic payments had not been received. I reiterated that the form had been faxed numerous times. I was told by a representative that it was my responsibility to check my account each month to make sure that the payments had been made. Infuriated, I called their legal department, and was transferred to a supervisor. The supervisor finally admitted that the form had been received but it didn’t indicate whether the account number was for my checking or savings account. REALLY! When I protested, she said that nothing could be done once the account was sent to the Department of the Treasury. I sent a certified return receipt letter to the Department of the Treasury, only to be told that it was in the hands of PHEAA to make the decision to stop the payments.
It’s an outrage that my payments of $5.00 for a loan that has escalated to $64,000, to having 15% of my income and my income tax return, (that I depended on for the months that I have more month than money). When checking with the Better Business Bureau, they have 275 complaints that have been closed in the last 3 yrs. 181 due to billing issues. In the last 12 months 84 complaints have been closed. They are not accredited; a class action suit was filed against them by the help desk employees but was denied because PHEAA is considered a Federal Agency.
In addition, you are not able to access your account online when you’re in the rehabilitation program. I plan to pursue this with every fiber of my being. I will continue to write and report them to any and every agency, government official and anyone else that I believe can help me to get out of the dire straits that I’ve been put in by PHEAA. In addition to reporting them on this site, I have also reported them to the Better Business Bureau, and the Consumer Financial Protective Bureau. I look forward to updating my progress.
This is complaint is in reference to PHEAA student loan forgiveness program. I see that they have other complaints other than mine. I wish I would have looked up this site before I allowed them to cooerce me into believing that if I paid them $5.00 per month for 6 months, they would take my loans out of default and allow me to start all over again.
They allow you to pay for six months, after the six months they want you to sign up again for another six months. They also state that this cannot be determined until you send in your tax return. They do not wait for you to send in your tax return so that they can determine if you are eligible for the $5.00 month.
I was not working when I signed up for the first 6 months but then I found a job at a Charter School, they start garnishing my wages. This is a temporary job, and they are taking out more than the $5.00. They say the only way to get the garnishment off is to pay them $5.00 a month in addition to the garnishement..
I am writing the Attorney General and I am seeking legal counsel. They should not be able to take advantage of those who are indigent and trying to get on their feet.