Yeah, the #DeptEd #NCES servers are definitely struggling today.

Seeing this on an NCES sub-site today, though the homepage appears to still be up.

#DeptEd

Added data from globalchange.gov (and more #DeptEd and #CDC data) today.

https://git.lsit.ucsb.edu/publicdata/globalchange-gov

Now including data from #DeptEd as well. Added more CDC data. More on the way!

https://git.lsit.ucsb.edu/publicdata/DeptEd

If you're looking for an archive of #DeptED #NCES data:

https://git.lsit.ucsb.edu/publicdata/DeptEd

#datascience #DepartmentofEducation #archive

Just got a letter from #DeptEd that says (despite news reports to the contrary) that the new administrative forbearance for #studentloans will count towards #PSLF and IDR forgiveness credits. That's at least a sliver of good news in the midst of a lot of bad news.

Depending on which paperwork from #MOHELA is valid, I either should have had around 1.5 years of payments as of last November or I still need to make 8 years worth of payments. I have been working in public sector since 2012.

#StudentLoans #DeptEd #PSLF

OK, after a lot of back-and-forth, they finally agreed to re-process the paperwork I (properly re-) submitted in December to fix their previous Consolidation screw up. They also agree to put in a administrative forbearance through May to give them time to process the paperwork and count that time toward PSLF.

I advised that my payment count has dropped since consolidating and that I would be checking in *after* the SAVE/IDR mess is finally cleared up.

#StudentLoans #DeptEd #PSLF

The #MOHELA lady came back and said they it's not possible to stay on the #SAVE plan when you consolidate direct loans and so MOHELA didn't mess up (near verbatim quote). I protested saying I have the paperwork to show that SAVE application along with the Consolidation from #DeptEd. She admitted that she sees that, too, and... place me back on hold.

#StudentLoans

Roughly 2 hours in, I got transferred to someone in training who said they couldn't reprocess my already approved IDR/SAVE application, but that I would need to re-apply which triggered a higher payment and said I would need to take a general, not administrative forbearance to cover their mess up. It was at this moment, I decided lost my cool and was placed back on hold while they "consult about further options".

#MOHELA #StudentLoans #DeptEd

Now 1.5 hours into being on hold for this call to #MOHELA. This was calling during their recommended off-peak timeframe and in addition to the hours spent on the exact same issue Tuesday.

I feel a duality of things. Both that MOHELA must be understaffed and yet I can't imagine how terrible of a workplace it must be since Betsy DeVos had her dementors suck the soul out of #DeptEd and everything around it.

#StudentLoans

@chris MOHELA is grossly incompetent where Sallie Mae/Navient was more actively predatory. The fact that #DeptEd keeps hiding behind and deferring blame to these awfully run companies isn't helping anyone.

I always feel like Wesley* getting years of his life sucked out of him by the lackey of some tyrant whenever I have to deal with #MOHELA and #DeptEd.

These people have utterly lost all sense of humanity.

*Princess Bride, not John

I very foolishly trusted the "Let us call you back" service offered by #MOHELA. They did not, in fact, call me back.

#StudentLoans #DeptEd

You're not going to believe this. They see the error on their end. They are transferring me to a "specialist" and the anticipated hold wait time is 127 minutes.

#MOHELA #StudentLoans #DeptEd

OK, finally talked to a human at 1h3m in. Very briefly. I'm back on hold.

#MOHELA #StudentLoans #DeptEd

And we've now reached over an hour on hold. Still have yet to talk to a single human.

#MOHELA #StudentLoans #DeptEd

Now crossing the 45 minute on-hold mark. I have yet to talk to a human and it's a miracle in and of itself that I survived their updated phone tree to get into the line.

#MOHELA #StudentLoans #DeptEd

Looks like #MOHELA has increased my payment over 10x, removed me from the SAVE/IDR program, added some 3 years to my PSLF requirement, and I've now been on hold for 30 minutes trying to get any sort of answer for the why for any of it.

#studentloans #DeptEd