In accordance with Federal Program Integrity rules the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) will now review complaints regarding public and private post-secondary institutions in New Mexico, as well as New Mexico resident students attending out-of-state institutions.

NMHED will review complaints that could not be resolved through the institution’s internal complaint process. Generally, in order to file a complaint with NMHED, you must have already filed a formal complaint with the institution and feel you have received an inadequate response.  If you have legitimate reasons preventing you from filing a complaint directly with the institution, you must provide supporting evidence, in the form of documentation, supporting your claim.

All submitted complaints must include:

• Complaint Form,
• FERPA Release Form,
• A copy of the complaint that was filed with the institution, AND
• A copy of the response/ruling received from the institution, OR
• Supporting documentation as to why a complaint could not be filed with the institution.

The following form should ONLY be submitted if the complaint is medical in nature (i.e., it involves disability, injury, illness, etc.):

• HIPAA Release Form

NOTE: All Forms must be notarized.

FSA Complaint Process

Customer Service

Do you have a question about Federal Student Aid or one of the other services FSA and the United States Department of Education offers? Feel free to contact the Customer Service Center. Please note that you should also contact the Customer Service Center before entering dispute resolution with the Ombudsman Group.

• Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC): 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
• TTY (for the hearing impaired): 1-800-730-8913
• Locations without access to 800 numbers: 319-337-5665
• You may email FSA at FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov or you may contact FSA online at https://studentaid.ed.gov/contact.

If you need FAFSA help, please visit https://fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm.

FSA Call Center hours are as follows:

The Office of the Ombudsman

If you’re in a dispute about your federal student loan, contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group as a last resort. The Office of the Ombudsman is the final resource after borrowers seek resolution through other customer service avenues. Borrowers concerned about student loans, should call the toll-free number or visit the Ombudsman section of studentaid.gov for more information.

The Ombudsman Group is dedicated to helping resolve disputes related to Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans, and Guaranteed Student Loans.

When contacting the Ombudsman Group, be ready to:

• Identify the problem and the reason behind it,
• Define your expectations,
• Describe the actions you have already taken to resolve the problem, AND
• Supply documentation to support your position.

To contact the Office of the Ombudsman, please use the following information.

You may also obtain information about dispute resolution online.