To be clear, Wells Fargo bank provides outstanding retail banking service; Wells Fargo Education Services is a toxic division thereof. Wells Fargo education services is a disservice to both borrowers and the mandatory co-signers. The late fees are exorbitant, the computer loan system that Wells Fargo education services is outdated and inadequate, and this company will not accept credit cards for payments or late payments. Having experienced the cruelty of their policies and the computer loan system as a
Co-signer, I can only say "Find another lender that has social and community values". Example one: the late fees are 60% of the payment amount
Example two: payment that was $0.70 short caused a late fee to be assessed
Example three: after describing my extended hospitalization, late fees still assessed
Example four: WFES files negative credit reports with the three credit bureaus
While I can't justify my college student's financial irresponsibility, I can complain about Wells Fargo education services treatment of the co-signer whose FICO score was 830. Because of two late payments and three negative credit reports filed by Wells Fargo education services, the co-signer's FICO score changed to 730: this was the news received after being released from the hospital.
In the new millennium, college loans are necessary to pay for the exorbitant costs associated with the acquisition of degrees, however, filing negative credit reports on college grads struggling with self sufficiency and financial demands does not benefit anybody. If Wells Fargo education services chooses to do business in the college loan space, then conduct that business responsibly, with the goal of improving society, and with a concern for the community.