FAFSA loan balance suddenly doubled - dept of education added $4,356 while I'm on time with payments

omg that's insane!! they can't just double ur loan amount like that! u need to keep calling and get an explanation asap. maybe they consolidated another loan u had? or added fees? def don't give up - they're counting on u getting frustrated and just paying

Something similar happened to my mom last year. Turns out they had applied her payments to the wrong account for months, then suddenly "corrected" it by adding all the unpaid interest at once. She had to file a formal complaint with the FSA ombudsman to get it fixed.

This is absolutely a mistake that needs to be investigated. As someone who's dealt with the Department of Education loan system for years, I can tell you a few things: 1. Check if your loan was transferred to a new servicer - sometimes they mess up the balance during transfers 2. Look for any letters about capitalized interest (they sometimes add unpaid interest to principal) 3. Verify if your income-based plan was renewed properly - if they think you didn't recertify, they might have adjusted retroactively 4. Request a complete account history in writing Most importantly, don't give up! You've been making payments and deserve proper accounting of your loan.

I work as a financial aid counselor and see this exact issue all the time. The biggest issue with the Department of Education loans is their absolutely awful customer service. Their phone system is designed to make people give up. I've had great results using Claimyr to get through to actual Department of Education agents. It's a service that basically waits on hold for you and calls you when a human answers. I've used it with several students who had similar loan balance problems. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or visit claimyr.com. Much better than wasting hours on hold just to get disconnected.

I hate to say this, but you need to check if they placed you in DEFAULT status. Happened to me after I missed ONE payment during covid when they said we didn't have to pay! When loans go into default, they add massive fees and penalties. The whole system is predatory toward older borrowers especially. Check your credit report too - they might have damaged your credit score.

Couple things to check: 1) Verify if your IDR plan was properly recertified. Sometimes they auto-convert to standard repayment which capitalizes all interest 2) Check if there was a FAFSA verification issue from your original application that's just now being corrected 3) Look for consolidation that might have happened without proper notification 4) Review if any deferment/forbearance periods ended with capitalization The fact that it's almost exactly doubled suggests capitalized interest rather than a random error. Either way, they MUST provide itemized accounting of where that $4,356 came from.

this system is CRIMINAL!!! i've been dealing with dept of ed loans for 15 years and they CONSTANTLY pull this kind of garbage. they're hoping ur too tired to fight it. don't let them win!!!

Just following up - were you able to get through to someone at the Department of Education? Did you get any explanation for the balance increase?

That's such great news that you got it resolved! A system migration error makes total sense - those big database transfers are notorious for creating duplicates and other glitches. I'm so glad you didn't give up and that the Claimyr service actually worked. It's crazy that we have to use third-party services just to talk to our own government agencies, but whatever gets results! Make sure to keep all that written documentation they're sending you in a safe place. Stories like yours give me hope that these nightmarish loan situations can actually be fixed when you get the right person on the phone.

Wow, what a rollercoaster! I'm so relieved to hear you got this resolved. As someone new to navigating student loans, this whole thread has been both terrifying and educational. The fact that a simple system migration could cause such a massive error really shows how fragile these government databases are. I'm definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service for future reference - it's ridiculous that we need third-party help just to reach our own loan servicers, but if it works, it works! Your persistence is inspiring, especially after dealing with multiple disconnected calls. Thanks for sharing the resolution - it gives hope to others who might face similar nightmares with their loan balances.