Important Announcements

On Dec. 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education announced a proposed settlement agreement that would end the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. The settlement must be approved by the court before it can be implemented. Borrowers can use the Loan Simulator to begin exploring other repayment options. For more information, visit StudentAid.gov/courtactions.

On Oct. 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education published final Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program regulations that will be effective on July 1, 2026. We'll provide updates when the regulations are implemented. For now, there are no impacts to borrowers, payment counts, or discharges.

Visit StudentAid.gov/publicservice for more information about PSLF and current program requirements.

For more information about employer eligibility, visit StudentAid.gov/pslf/employer-search.

To apply for PSLF, use the PSLF Help Tool at StudentAid.gov/pslf.

Important Updates

PSLF and PSLF Buyback

The PSLF program is managed by the U.S. Department of Education not MOHELA. To learn more about your next steps, and general information on the programs, visit Studentaid.gov/PSLF or Studentaid.gov/PSLFbuyback.

SAVE (Saving On A Valuable Education)

On August 1, 2025, interest began accruing on the SAVE Administrative Forbearance. Visit StudentAid.gov/SAVE to learn more. You can leave the forbearance by switching to an eligible repayment plan using Loan Simulator.

2025 Tax Information

Tax information is available. Log in and select "More" then "Tax Statements" from the navigation bar to view your tax information on or after January 31.

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Options to Postpone Payments

If you're in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for a deferment or a forbearance. With either of these options, you can temporarily suspend your payments. But keep in mind that forbearance and deferment have pros and cons.

How Deferment and Forbearance Work

If you're eligible for a deferment or forbearance, you can temporarily suspend your payments. When it comes to deferment and forbearance, there are two important things to consider:

  • In most cases, interest will accrue during your period of deferment or forbearance. This means your balance will increase and you'll pay more over the life of your loan.

  • If you're pursuing loan forgiveness, any period of deferment or forbearance may not count toward your forgiveness requirements. This means you'll stop making progress toward forgiveness until you resume repayment.

Difference Between Deferment and Forbearance

The difference between deferment and forbearance has to do with interest accrual (accumulation).

During a deferment, interest doesn't accrue on some types of loans. During a forbearance, interest accrues on all loan types.

Deferment

Deferment allows you to temporarily stop making payments on your federal student loans based on meeting certain requirements. During deferment, interest does not accrue on subsidized loans.

Available Deferment Types

  • Cancer Treatment Deferment - You may be eligible during a period when you are undergoing cancer treatment and for the six months following the conclusion of the treatment. Loan(s) under the DL Program or FFEL Program which were either made on or after 9/28/2018, or had entered repayment on or before 09/28/2018, are eligible.

  • Economic Hardship Deferment – You may qualify if you receive government public assistance, are a Peace Corp volunteer, or are working full-time and have a monthly income that does not exceed the greater of (a) the minimum wage rate or, (b) an amount equal to 150% of the poverty guideline applicable to your family size.

  • In-School Deferment – Full-time in-school deferments are available to borrowers attending an eligible school. Half-time, in-school deferments are available to DL borrowers. Parent PLUS borrowers may request that repayment of a Parent PLUS loan first disbursed on or after 07/01/2008 is postponed while the dependent student, on whose behalf the loan was taken out, is enrolled and attending at least half-time.

  • Military Service Deferment – You must be serving on active duty during a war or other military operation with a branch of the military (Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, or National Guard). Documentation with enlistment dates must be certified by a commanding officer. Your military service must have begun on or after 10/01/2007. You or your representative may be able to request the deferment, without documentation, for up to a year.

  • Parent PLUS Borrower With Dependent Student Deferment – New-1 and DL1 Parent PLUS borrowers may elect to have repayment of a Parent PLUS loan postponed while the dependent student, on whose behalf the loan was taken out, is enrolled and attending at least half-time.

  • Post Active-Duty Deferment – You must be a member of the National Guard or Armed Forces Reserve, including a member in retired status who is called or ordered to active-duty service. Service must be for a period of at least 30 consecutive days while enrolled at least half-time in an eligible school at the time of, or within six months prior to, your activation. Active duty does not include training or service school attendance. Documentation must establish an end-of-military service date, and a verbal or written request for the option must be provided. Your military service must have begun on or after 10/01/2007 to qualify.

  • Post-Enrollment Deferment – For Parent PLUS and Grad PLUS loans first disbursed on or after 07/01/2008, you may request that repayment begin six months following the less-than-half-time status of the dependent student (Parent PLUS) or the student borrower (Grad PLUS).

  • Rehabilitation Training Deferment – You must receive, or be scheduled to receive, rehabilitation training services from a rehabilitation training program that is licensed, approved, certified, or otherwise recognized to provide training for vocational rehabilitation, drug abuse treatment, mental health services, or alcohol abuse treatment programs, or by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

  • Unemployment Deferment – You must be unemployed or work less than 30 hours per week. You must also be receiving unemployment benefits or be registered with an eligible employment agency and seeking full-time work in any field in the United States.

Forbearance

Forbearance is a temporary postponement of payment, and the interest on both subsidized and unsubsidized loans accrues and remains the responsibility of the borrower. You can pay the accrued interest at any time; if left unpaid it may be capitalized (added) to the loan principal balance at the end of the deferment or forbearance. You have the right to stop or cancel a deferment or forbearance at any time.

Available Forbearance Types

  • Active Military Duty Forbearance (FFEL/DL) – You must be serving on active military state duty as a member of the National Guard, including a member in retired status, during a time when the governor activates National Guard personnel for active state duty for a period of more than 30 consecutive days. This forbearance is for a borrower who qualified for a Post-Active Duty Student Deferment, but who does not currently qualify for a Military Service Deferment, or other deferment, while engaged in active military service for their state.

  • Cancer Treatment Forbearance - If you are not eligible for the Cancer Treatment Deferment your loan(s) may be eligible for a Cancer Treatment Forbearance for the period when you are undergoing cancer treatment and for the six months following the conclusion of the treatment. See the Cancer Treatment Deferment   this link will open in a new window form for additional information.

  • Department of Defense (DOD) Loan Repayment Program Forbearance (FFEL/DL) – You must be performing service for the U.S. DOD that would qualify you for partial loan repayment under the Student Loan Repayment Programs administered by the U.S. DOD. The beginning and end dates of your eligibility must be certified by an authorized official.

  • Economic Hardship (FFEL)/Loan Debt Burden (DL) Forbearance – Payments on your loan(s) must be equal or greater than 20% of your gross monthly income. This forbearance may be placed for a period not to exceed 12 months at a time. Documentation of income and student loan payments is required.

  • General Forbearance (FFEL/DL) – If you are experiencing a temporary financial hardship or are attending school and not eligible for an In-School Deferment, you may request a General Forbearance. This option may be placed for a period not to exceed 12 months at a time.

  • Internship/Residency Forbearance (FFEL/DL) – You must be engaged in an eligible medical or dental internship/residency program.

  • National Community Service Forbearance – You must be serving in a position for which you receive a national service educational award under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (AmeriCorps). Documentation from an authorized official certifying the beginning and ending dates of this service must be submitted.

  • Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance (FFEL/DL) – You may postpone repayment on eligible loans if you are employed as a full-time teacher at a Title I (low-income) school and expect to apply for Teacher Loan Forgiveness. You are eligible if the expected forgiveness amount for which the qualifying service is being performed will satisfy the anticipated outstanding balance of your eligible loans at the end of the fifth year of qualifying service. You must not have had a balance on a FFEL or DL Program loan as of 10/01/1998, or on the date you obtained a DL of FFEL Program loan on or after 10/01/1998.