What deferment actually is and who can get it
Deferment is a period during which you stop making payments on a federal student loan, and the government does not charge you interest (on subsidized loans) or count the months toward your repayment timeline. You are not forgiven the debt — you still owe it — but you get temporary relief from the payment obligation itself.
Deferment is available only on federal loans: Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), and Perkins Loans. Private student loans do not offer deferment; your lender may offer forbearance instead, which pauses payments but charges interest the whole time. The two are not the same.
You can request deferment if you are in one of these situations: you are enrolled at least half-time in school, you are in a residency program for a medical or dental profession, you are unemployed or underemployed and looking for work, you are experiencing economic hardship, or you are serving in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. Some borrowers also may have access to based on military service or public service work.
Key Takeaways
- Deferment pauses your federal loan payments and stops interest from accruing on subsidized loans, but you must meet one of the Department of Education's specific conditions to request it.
- You must submit a deferment request form to your loan servicer with documentation that proves your reason — a school enrollment letter, proof of job search, or a hardship statement, depending on your situation.
- Deferment is not automatic; your servicer will review your request and tell you whether it is approved, usually within two to four weeks.
- Interest continues to accrue on unsubsidized loans during deferment, so the balance you owe grows even though you are not making payments.
- Deferment periods count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and some income-driven repayment forgiveness programs, but not toward standard 10-year repayment.
How to request deferment from your loan servicer
Contact your federal loan servicer — the company that sends you your bill each month. You can find your servicer's name and phone number on your loan statement or by logging into studentloans.gov. Call them and ask for a deferment request form, or download it from their website. The form name varies by servicer but is usually called an "Application for Deferment" or "Request for Deferment."
Fill out the form completely, including your loan account number, the reason you are requesting deferment, and the dates you want the deferment to cover. Then attach the proof your servicer requires. For school enrollment, send a letter from the registrar or a current class schedule. For unemployment, send a copy of your job search log or a letter from an employment agency. For economic hardship, send a written statement explaining your situation and any supporting documents — a termination letter, medical bills, or proof of reduced income.
Mail the form and documents to your servicer, or upload them through your servicer's online portal if that option is available. Keep a copy for your records. Your servicer will review the request and send you a letter confirming whether deferment was approved and when it begins and ends.
What counts as proof for each deferment reason
The Department of Education does not accept vague statements. Your servicer needs specific documents that match your reason.
School enrollment: A letter from your school's registrar dated within the last 30 days, or a current enrollment verification from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). The letter must state that you are enrolled at least half-time and list your expected graduation date.
Unemployment: A letter from a state employment agency, a job search log you have kept for at least 30 days showing employers you contacted and dates, or a letter from a job training program. You must also sign a statement saying you are looking for work.
Economic hardship: A written statement from you describing the hardship, plus documents showing your income and expenses — recent pay stubs, tax returns, a lease or mortgage statement, and utility bills. Your servicer will compare your income to your expenses to decide whether the hardship is real.
Military-related deferment: A copy of your military orders or a letter from your commanding officer. The type of deferment depends on your service status.
How long deferment lasts and what happens when it ends
Deferment periods are not permanent. The length depends on your reason. School enrollment deferment lasts as long as you are enrolled at least half-time, plus a grace period after you graduate or drop below half-time status. Unemployment deferment typically lasts three months and can be renewed if you remain unemployed. Economic hardship deferment usually lasts one year and can be renewed. Military deferment length depends on your service dates.
Your servicer will send you a notice 30 to 60 days before your deferment ends. At that point, your regular monthly payment resumes. If you cannot pay when deferment ends, you can request forbearance (which pauses payments but charges interest) or switch to an income-driven repayment plan before the deferment period closes. Do not wait until the last day — servicers process requests slowly, and if you miss a payment after deferment ends, it will be reported as late.
The difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans during deferment
On a subsidized loan, the government pays the interest that accrues during deferment. Your balance stays the same when deferment ends. This is the main advantage of subsidized loans.
On an unsubsidized loan, interest accrues the entire time you are in deferment, and it is added to your balance. If you defer for one year and your interest rate is 6%, you will owe roughly 6% more when deferment ends, even though you made no payments. This is called capitalization — the unpaid interest becomes part of the principal you owe.
If you have both types of loans, your servicer will apply deferment to subsidized loans first, which is why knowing which loans you have matters. You can check your loan types on studentloans.gov.
Deferment and forgiveness programs
Deferment periods count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) if you work for a government agency or nonprofit and are on an income-driven repayment plan. They also count toward forgiveness under income-driven plans — if you are on SAVE, PAYE, IBR, or ICR, months in deferment count as months toward the 20- or 25-year forgiveness timeline.
Deferment does not count toward the standard 10-year repayment plan. If you are on standard repayment and request deferment, your 10-year clock pauses, and you will have longer to repay once deferment ends.
If you are pursuing forgiveness, check with your servicer before requesting deferment to confirm how it will affect your timeline. Some borrowers choose forbearance instead of deferment to avoid pausing their forgiveness clock, even though forbearance charges interest.
When deferment is denied and what to do next
Your servicer can deny a deferment request if your documentation does not match the reason you gave, if you do not meet the Department of Education's criteria, or if you did not submit proof. If your request is denied, your servicer must send you a letter explaining why and telling you how to appeal.
To appeal, contact your servicer and ask what additional documentation they need. If you believe the denial was wrong, you can file a complaint with the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman at studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman. You can also contact your state's attorney general's office if you think your servicer acted unfairly.
If deferment is not an option, ask your servicer about forbearance, which pauses payments without requiring you to meet specific criteria — though interest will accrue. You can also explore income-driven repayment plans, which lower your monthly payment based on your income and may be easier to get than deferment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deferment hurt my credit score?
No. Deferment is an approved pause on payments, so it does not show as a missed payment or default on your credit report. Your credit score should not be affected. However, if you stop paying without requesting deferment, that will damage your credit.
Can I request deferment while I am in forbearance?
Yes. You can switch from forbearance to deferment if you meet the criteria. Contact your servicer and explain your new situation — for example, if you were in forbearance for hardship but are now enrolled in school, you can request school enrollment deferment instead.
What if I have both federal and private student loans?
Deferment applies only to federal loans. Private lenders do not offer deferment under federal rules. Contact your private lender separately to ask what options they offer — some may allow you to pause payments temporarily, but they will likely charge interest the whole time.
Can I work while in deferment?
Yes, with one exception. If you are in school enrollment deferment, you can work part-time. If you are in unemployment deferment, you must be actively searching for work, but you can take temporary or part-time jobs while you search. You cannot be employed full-time and claim unemployment deferment.
How many times can I renew deferment?
There is no federal limit on how many times you can renew deferment, but each reason has its own rules. School enrollment deferment renews automatically as long as you stay enrolled. Unemployment and hardship deferment must be renewed each time the period ends, and your servicer will ask for updated proof of your situation.