FAFSA lender not following SAVE plan rules - who to contact for enforcement?

Thank you! I didn't know about the FSA Ombudsman Group. I'll gather all my documentation and reach out to them. Do you know how long the resolution process typically takes? I'm worried about being charged the wrong amount for months while this gets sorted out.

Yep, same. I'm convinced they deliberately delay implementing the favorable repayment plans hoping people just give up and pay the higher amounts. The fine print says they're supposed to retroactively adjust but good luck getting them to actually do it without a fight.

That's a great idea! I didn't realize states had their own advocates. I'll look up my state's office right now.

Thank you! I'll try calling the Information Center tomorrow. The administrative forbearance is exactly what I need - I didn't know that was an option. If I get the administrative forbearance, will it affect my qualifying payment count for forgiveness down the road? I'm trying to work toward the 20/25 year forgiveness.

Good question. An administrative forbearance usually doesn't count as a qualifying payment for forgiveness programs. However, given that this is the servicer's error, you should explicitly request that they apply a "dispute status" rather than standard administrative forbearance, which can be coded to count toward forgiveness while they resolve the issue. Make sure to get this in writing if they approve it. The key is to emphasize that you WANT to make the correct payment under SAVE, but cannot due to their administrative error.

I was having the same problem with ridiculous wait times trying to reach FSA about my SAVE plan issues. I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They basically wait on hold for you then call you when they reach a human. Saved me so much frustration. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Definitely worth it when you're dealing with complex SAVE plan implementation issues that the regular servicer reps can't handle properly.

Oh wow thanks! I'll check that out. I've literally wasted entire afternoons on hold only to get disconnected. At this point I just need to talk to an actual person who understands the SAVE calculations.

That's EXACTLY what one rep told me! She said my income certification was "under secondary review" but couldn't tell me what was missing or why I got an approval letter. This is so frustrating.

Good call - I just double-checked both. Unfortunately they both show the incorrect higher amount. I even have the paperwork showing exactly what my SAVE calculation should be. It's like they acknowledged the plan but never actually implemented the new payment amount.

This is excellent advice. Documentation is absolutely critical. I'd add that you should send follow-up emails after phone calls summarizing what was discussed and agreed upon. This creates a paper trail that's invaluable if things continue to go sideways. One additional tip: if FSA does open a case, you'll get a case number. Use this in ALL future communications with both FSA and your servicer. It helps track the issue through their systems and prevents you from having to re-explain the situation repeatedly.

Yes, you do need to recertify your income annually for SAVE, just like with IBR/PAYE/REPAYE. However, starting in July 2024, if you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and consent to automatic income information sharing, the recertification should happen automatically without you having to manually resubmit documentation each year. But for now, mark your calendar for recertification about 2-3 months before your anniversary date of entering the plan.