Dept. Of Education's New Site Giving Headaches To Folks With Student Loans

<p>Slightly different issue, but to do with loans. One of my son’s federal loans was moved to another server. He had been paying more than required to try and get the loans paid off quicker. When the transferred the loan, it now does not show it as having payments made in advance - (the correct balance is there but it is like the clock is reset and the loan starts there at the current balance). The annoying thing is that they sent him the information saying the loan was transferred and telling him he now had a new payment date which is earlier than his original one - and he received the letter a few days *after *the new payment date had already passed. Quite annoying when he not only has been religious about paying on time but was actually a couple of months ahead. </p>

<p>I don’t think it has had any repercussions as he talked to them on the phone and got it sorted out. The same server now has both loans which will be somewhat convenient. But we had never thought about the possibility of the loan getting transferred would take away that nice little cushion he had built up by paying around 50% more on his loans every month.</p>

<p>Update…DS just let me know that the “loan people” (whoever they are) called him last week to let him know that his money would not be withdrawn until NEXT week (had been the 5th of the month). I don’t know whether this was a live person or what. DS’s checking account WAS withdrawn for the amount last month…he will check next week to make sure it was again.</p>

<p>Hope they don’t try to call my daughter…she’s in Africa.</p>

<p>Update again…it was a robocall…and was not clear and was also not completely played. DS is keeping an eye on his checking account…I told him to keep an eye on his LOAN account. Seriously…do they think incomplete robocalls are the way to go. Shame on them.</p>

<p>Eek, my son’s are managed by Nelnet and I have authorization to the account so we can “help” if necessary. They have a really easy to use website and clear communication. I’m crossing my fingers all his loans stay with Nelnet after reading some of these posts.</p>

<p>Getting Nelnet as your servicer is like hitting the servicer lotto!</p>

<p>^^Cool if you can get excited about loan servicer then I guess am. Let’s hope it stays there and hope it’s like public elementary schools and schools of choice…if the older brother is there, then the younger brothers will be too :-)</p>

<p>And having the ED as your administrator…like batting zero? Kids have Ford Direct Loans…</p>

<p>I don’t even know who to tell my kid to call. The robocall was not complete. He has gotten NO info about a change of websites or anything else.</p>

<p>This is something they ought to be ashamed of. These kids did the right thing by setting up an automatic withdrawal so their accounts would be paid in full on time…and this is the thanks they get? Why?</p>

<p>I don’t know but I’m one for one…I went and looked to see if Nelnet had son #2 and nope, I’ve got the US Dept of Education for him…I texted him and sent him the web address and told him to establish a user name and password…he texted me back 3 hours ago and said it won’t let him register because his soc number and birthdate don’t match up…oh my gosh how could they screw that up when everything is on the FAFSA, on your tax forms, part of your college records and on and on and on…and they give those numbers at birth and your birthdate is the one on your birth certificate. Here’s we go…hopefullly they will get their act together before he graduates in two years.</p>

<p>Same with me! I just attempted to register and it said my DOB and SSN did not match.</p>

<p>Lovely. I guess I’ll just wait a year LOL til they work out the glitches. Clearly they are the Dept. of Education’s glitches not “student errors” or “colleges errors” or “FAFSA errors”…all that “stuff” matches. I’ll not report the problem as I’m assuming recent grads have their hands full dealing with this organization and it’s not essential for my son right now although it will make me think twice about making random interest payments anytime soon which I’m perfectly comfortable doing with S1’s nelnet account.</p>

<p>Does my son need to register again with this “new” website? He already was in the system…has been paying on loans for two years.</p>

<p>Well, here’s a scary little follow-up - apparently the glitches included displaying private user info, including bank account and routing numbers, to other users! I would be very concerned about this and am surprised that no one has been notified that their personal information may have been compromised!</p>

<p>[WDIO.com</a> - Updated: Problems on Federal Student Loan Site](<a href=“http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/s2327980.shtml?cat=10335]WDIO.com”>http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/s2327980.shtml?cat=10335)</p>

<p>I think I’ll just use the good old USPO for now…</p>

<p>Please tell me one thing. HOW is the education department letting loan repayers KNOW about this website change. HOW? My son has heard NOTHING except a robocall saying his payment would be withdrawn this week instead of last. NO notification at all about any changes…none. </p>

<p>He has not been notified of a website change. He has not been notified of a need to register newly. He has not heard anything about this change…except from me…and I read it here.</p>

<p>I posted way upstream…what about the THOUSANDS who don’t read college confidential? You know…not everyone who is repaying a loan reads here. How are these students being notified…HOW???</p>

<p>And…if students already HAD payments scheduled through auto withdraw…do they have to do this AGAIN???</p>

<p>UPDATE…DS’s auto withdrawal for his loan payment was taken out on November 8.</p>

<p>If you have DL servicing, it’s really a company called ACS (Affiliated Computer Services). I am not clear on the deal with ACS … we always had to call the DL folks even when it was ACS, so I don’t know. What I DO know is that ACS was the servicer we had BIG issues with. When they did the changeover last year, student accounts were a mess. We had so many overawarded students show up … only to go into the system, do a hand calculation, and realize that the servicer’s records were screwed up. We then had to do write-ups on every student who we could document was not overawarded … and had to wait to disburse aid to others until the records were fixed, because even though we were sure they weren’t overawarded, we could not document it. </p>

<p>Supposedly, all of those issues are in the past & all is now well with ACS accounts. I am not sure what is happening these days, as I am no longer involved in the field. Just watch carefully & stay on top of things!</p>

<p>Those of you who couldn’t register because the SSN and DOB supposedly don’t match–what did you do? Have you been able to get the situation fixed? The same thing happened to my son tonight.</p>

<p>The exact same issue happened to us… Due to the new system, we were told that our automated payment was cancelled without any notification. Due to the cancellation, our payments weren’t being processed. As a result, we were sent to the collection agency - STILL NO NOTIFICATIONS! When we received the letter from the collection agency, that’s when we realized the issue. We settled the total payment right away. And now 3 months later, our credit bureaus not only still shows us in collections but also says that we have “charged off”. We are trying to clear all this and prove the error on the Dept of ED’s side and all we encounter are VERY RUDE reps.</p>

<p>Your loan servicer is paid by ED to service your loans. Who is your servicer? If they are not doing what they are supposed to do, call the Ombudsman: [Federal</a> Student Aid - About Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.ombudsman.ed.gov/]Federal”>http://www.ombudsman.ed.gov/).</p>

<p>The only way bad servicers will get better is if they are forced to do so. That won’t happen unless everyone who is upset contacts the Ombudsman and complains.</p>