How to apply for a deferment

Start by checking your eligibility using our Deferment eligibility checker. Then call your lender. Be sure to have information that supports your request for deferment, such as enrollment status, military deployment orders or pay stubs. If you show that you are eligible for a deferment, your lender is required to grant you one.

If you don’t know who your lender is, go to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), which is the central database for all federal student loan information.

Learn why you should make voluntary payments during deferment

Because unsubsidized federal loans (unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, Grad PLUS loans) accrue interest during deferment, your balance on these loans will grow while you are in deferment. Voluntary payments can keep that from happening. Even small payments during deferment can reduce your total costs.

See how much you can save with our Value of making interest payments calculator.

Types of deferment

Each type of deferment has specific eligibility requirements. Use our Deferment eligibility checker to see if you qualify for one of more of these deferments. Even if you qualify, you will have to work with your lender to get the deferment.

Here are the main types of deferment:

• Unemployment Deferments
• Economic Hardship Deferments
• In-School Deferments
• PLUS Borrower with Dependent Student Deferments
• Education-Related Deferments
• Public Service Deferments
• Military Service Deferments
• Post-Active Duty Student Deferments
• Parental Leave Deferments
• Working Mother Deferments
• Temporary Disability Deferments

Unemployment Deferments

If you are currently unemployed or underemployed, you may qualify for an Unemployment Deferment. Any of the following conditions may qualify:

• Complete unemployment
• Temporary employment that does not last more than 90 consecutive days

You must be actively seeking employment when you apply to qualify, and you must reapply every 6 months. The length of an Unemployment Deferment depends on when your loan was made.

• If your first loan was made before July 1, 1993, the maximum cumulative is 24 months
• If your first loan was made on or after July 1, 1993, the maximum cumulative is 36 months

Economic Hardship Deferments

If you are experiencing economic hardship, you may qualify for this deferment. There is a 36-month limitation on Economic Hardship Deferments, and you must reapply every 12 months.

In-School Deferments

You can defer your loans if you are enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school. Your school must provide verification of enrollment to your lender. An In-School Deferment may be automatically granted based on enrollment data from the school, but to be safe, you should contact your lender to secure your deferment.

There is no time limit for In-School Deferments for qualified students. Parents with PLUS loans may also qualify for deferments.

PLUS Borrower with Dependent Student Deferments

Parents may be eligible for a deferment if their dependent student is enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school, or full-time in a rehabilitation program. Upon request, parents with PLUS loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2008, have the following options:

• Defer payments while the undergraduate student is enrolled in school at least half-time
• Defer payments 6 months after the student graduates or leaves school
• Choose not to defer and begin repayment within 60 days of the loans being fully disbursed

Education-Related Deferments

To qualify for an Education-Related Deferment, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Enrolled full-time in a graduate fellowship
• Participating in rehabilitation training
• Enrolled in an internship or residency program
• Teaching in a designated Teacher Shortage Area

Public Service Deferments

You may qualify for a Public Service Deferment if one of the following criteria describes you:

• Active-duty member of the U.S. Military or National Guard
• Full-time officer of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service
• Peace Corps volunteer
• Full-time paid volunteer in an ACTION program
• Full-time paid volunteer for a tax-exempt organization
• Active-duty member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

There are limits on the length of these deferments, usually 3 years. Refer to the Public Service Deferment form for eligibility requirements, or contact your lender.

Military Service Deferments

This deferment is available if you are serving on active duty in the U.S. Military or National Guard, during a war or other military operation, or during a national emergency. There is no time limit for military service deferments.

Post–Active Duty Student Deferments

If you are enrolled in school and are called to active duty as a member of the National Guard or other reserve component of the U.S. Military, you qualify for this deferment.

• This deferment provides a 13-month deferment following the conclusion of active-duty military service
• It is open to any member (current or retired) of any reserve component of the U.S. Military
• You must have been enrolled in an eligible school within 6 months prior to or at the time you were called to active duty
• You must have been enrolled at least half-time to qualify

If you return to school on at least a half-time basis while you are on a Post–Active Duty Student Deferment, the deferment ends. Of course, you would then qualify for an In-School Deferment.

Parental Leave Deferments

If you are pregnant or caring for a newborn or newly adopted child, you may qualify for this deferment. To qualify, you must:

• Have been enrolled in school at least half-time within the 6-month period preceding the deferment
• Not be working full-time or attending school during the deferment period

Parental Leave Deferments are limited to 6 months at a time.

Working Mother Deferments

If you are the mother of preschool-age children and are entering or re-entering the work force, you may qualify for this deferment. There is a 12-month limitation on working mother deferments.

Temporary Disability Deferments

If you, your spouse or your dependent is temporarily totally disabled, you may be eligible for this deferment. To qualify, you must:

• Have at least one outstanding FFEL Program loan made before
  July 1, 1993
• Provide certification—from a physician—that you, your spouse or your dependent is temporarily totally disabled

Temporary Disability Deferments are granted in 6-month increments for up to 36 months. To continue the deferment, you must request the deferment and a physician must re-certify your condition, or that of your spouse or your dependent, every 6 months.