Fresh Start Program failure: wage garnishment restarted despite FAFSA loan collections freeze

This happened to me too! The Fresh Start program is a JOKE. I enrolled back in March, got my confirmation letter and everything, then THREE paychecks later the garnishment came right back. Called ED four times and got four different answers. One rep told me 'the system hasn't updated yet' and another said my employer needed to receive an official stop order. Which is it?? Nobody at ED knows what they're doing.

I work in financial aid and can explain what's happening. The Fresh Start program DOES stop garnishments, but the implementation has been problematic. Here's what you need to do: 1. Get a copy of your Fresh Start enrollment confirmation 2. Draft a letter to your employer's payroll department with this confirmation attached 3. Specifically reference the Federal Student Aid Operations Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) ID: GEN-23-03 4. Request that they immediately cease garnishment pending official notification 5. CC the Department of Education's Default Resolution Group The communication breakdown is between ED systems and employer notification. Your employer is legally required to stop garnishment once properly notified of your Fresh Start status.

my sister had this exct problem!!! she got garnshments for like 6 weeks after fresh start. found out her HR person was just ignoring the paperwork bc they thought it was fake or somethin? maybe check if your paperwork even got to right person at your job

When I had a similar issue with Fresh Start not stopping my tax refund offset, I finally got it resolved by taking these steps: 1. Contact your loan servicer directly (not just ED) and confirm they've processed your Fresh Start enrollment 2. Request a "Stop Collection" letter specifically for your employer 3. Ask for the letter to be emailed to you immediately 4. Hand-deliver it to your payroll department with delivery confirmation In my experience, the Department of Education and servicers don't communicate effectively about these programs. You basically have to do their job for them by carrying documentation between parties. It's frustrating but it works.

Has anyone tried Claimyr when dealing with this? After spending 3 days trying to reach someone at FSA about my Fresh Start issues, I used claimyr.com and actually got through to a human in about 10 minutes. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with was able to send an emergency stop order to my employer that same day. Worth it when you're losing hundreds of dollars while waiting on hold forever.

I'm going through something similar with my Parent PLUS loans. The miscommunication between ED, servicers, and employers is ridiculous. One thing that helped me was filing a formal complaint through the FSA Feedback System and specifically mentioning the collections freeze. They have to respond within 15 days, and in my case, they expedited the stop garnishment order within 48 hours after I submitted the complaint. Don't let them get away with this bureaucratic nonsense. The Fresh Start program is your right, not a favor they're doing for you.

wait do u have private loans or federal?? cuz fresh start only works for federal loans not private ones. my cousin thought he was covered but some of his loans were actually with navient private so garnish kept happening

Quick update on my earlier advice - I just learned that with the new SAI (Student Aid Index) replacing EFC this year, some of the processing systems at ED are experiencing delays. This might be contributing to the Fresh Start implementation problems. When you contact them, specifically mention the SAI transition if they try to give you the runaround. Several financial aid administrators I know have confirmed this is causing system glitches.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO FAIL!!! They make these programs sound great in the news but make them IMPOSSIBLE to actually use! I spent 6 MONTHS trying to get my garnishment stopped under Fresh Start. SIX MONTHS!!! Lost $4800 in wages that I'll never get back. The ED and loan servicers should be SUED for this garbage implementation.

One more important tip: keep detailed records of EVERY communication. Note the date, time, name of representative, and what was discussed. If you speak with someone at ED who confirms your Fresh Start status, ask them to email you confirmation that same day. Also, if your garnishment continues despite your efforts, you have the right to request refund of improperly garnished wages once the issue is resolved. The Department of Education won't volunteer this information, but they are required to refund wages garnished during periods when collections should have been suspended.