American Education Services

Avoid AES at all cost and avoid MEFA loans because they use AES to manage the loan after closing. Two daughters and 5 years of dealing with the mind numbing incompetence, frustration, hours of my life I will never get back. I could literally type for an hour citing dozens of examples, but the truth is every single time I ever had to call or have them do something it was a nightmare. We just refinanced with a different company and can not be happier to be finally free from the worst company I have ever had to deal with and now that my son is going to college, we will not even think of using MEFA or any company that pawns of the loans to AES.

I found in January that my loans were due. I assumed because I finished school that I had grace period. That was not the case. Not only were loans not on hold under the Cares Act, I wasn't given a grace period because you only get one per the life of the loan. So fast forward I re up my IDR. AES said it would take 7-14 business days (it took everyone else 3 days) however the minute I made a payment, the IDR was improved. Not cool.

In 2021, I ran into financial trouble because I no longer had a job so I called AES to get a deferment on my student loan. I was advised by a representative there that my deferment was accepted and would be between 6-8 months which I thought at the time was generous. Recently, upon trying to login to my online account I could not gain access so I called. Not only was I put on hold but was given the run around because I am a Canadian and don’t have a Social Security Number. I was then informed that my account is now in default and AES no longer handles my loan.

Tried to lower my payments...and make no mistake I give them what I can in monetary money. But they keep bloodsucking me... They loved me when I gave them more money... Automated phone operator sounds like Hugh Hefner on his death bed. Live phone operators are super sweet and apologetic, they can't help you and legit apologize for the loan you are locked into.

I have Never heard of a loan company reporting a customer to the credit unions for paying too much/too early on their loan? Yes, it's true, confirmed by phone. So here is the warning, if you can refi and get away from AES or any of their many companies Do IT. My son, I am the co-signer, paid his loan early and more than the minimum payment to help himself get out of this debt. According to AES, if you pat 5 days early or 5 days late it is considered by their guidelines and a LATE Payment!!! So my son paying in this manner for 3 years has a bad mark on his and MY credit. So now he is paying the minimum, on the effective due date, auto-drafted. The issue is now we start a new 48-month cycle to get this corrected so I can be removed as co-signing. BUT the credit marks stay. Red tape and a game for sure and AES couldn't care.

Consolidating my loans with AES was one of the worst decisions I've ever made. I'm not complaining to get anything because I know that AES is an unethical company. I also am on track to pay off my debt in the next few years, so this isn't sour grapes. I just want to warn others to NEVER do business with AES. Here's why. At this point, I've paid over $72,000 on $93,000 worth of loans, but I still owe $72,000. How can this be?? Well, it all started back in 2009 when I applied for income-based payments because I made $20,000 that year from my two part-time jobs. The economy had tanked in Michigan and I was not able to find a full time job. The only option for staying current with my loan—according to AES—was to put the loan in forbearance.

When I started school in 2007 I applied for financial aid. Coming from a community college financial aid meant state aid. But, apparently with the vocational school, I was tricked into signing student loans, I was young so I didn't understand. This school had no entrance exam. The student loan that was apparently the original was Barclays something and AES bought the contract I guess. Well the interest won't stop accruing. I made my payments and had it on forbearance. I could have swore it ended in October, yet they ended it in July and I found out just today I am past due and they want almost $500, I started a chat with them and they said it ended in July, they didn't seem to care. I asked what can I do since I cannot afford it, they put what seemed like a copy and past about how I should apply for a Income driven payment. I was like ok, apparently I can no longer put it in forbearance because I did it too many times.

Just found out I'm delinquent on my loans because they don't fall under the cares act. They never sent communication letting me know. They said I happened to be ahead in payments that's why it's just showing now.

American Education Services is robbing Americans of their hard-earned money. As others who have reviewed this company have noted, they are shady and provide no assistance to the borrower. I just recently found out that they do not fall under the Care Act, so during the pandemic, we did not get deferred interest even if they were federal loans. I have been out of college for almost 15 years and only borrowed $21,000 for school. I worked and got grants to supplement the cost. I have NEVER missed a payment on my loans or put them in forbearance and to this date, I have paid them $26,741.40 and $15K of that total is interest alone. They're saying I still owe them over $9K.

I had AES loans for over 27yrs. My original loan balance was $41,989.57 and additional $3,850 for 2 courses after the Master's degree. The total amount of loans at that time was $45,839.57. By the end of year 2000 the interest amount was $19,642.72 which made my total loan amount increased to $76,098.24. I paid off several of the smaller subsidized and nonsubsidized loans over the years. As years went by, I struggled to pay off loans, no matter what I paid the interest kept going. I was told in 2000 I consolidated my loans at 8.25% which I don't remember doing. My loans were in and out of forbearance and deferment since then. Now today, my loans has increased to $108,339.29. That's $62,499.71 interest added on a 45,839.58 student loan. No matter how much I have pleaded with them over the years, they simply say, "there's nothing we could do about it". These loans are designed to destroy young people rather than help.