What forbearance does to your student loan payments
Forbearance is a temporary pause on your student loan payments. During forbearance, you stop making monthly payments for a set period — usually three to six months, though it can be longer. Your loan does not disappear; you still owe the money. When forbearance ends, payments resume at their original amount unless you arrange something different.
Forbearance is different from deferment, which is another pause option. With forbearance, interest usually keeps building on your loan balance, even while you are not paying. With some types of deferment, the government pays the interest for you. That difference matters: if you choose forbearance, you will owe more money when payments start again.
You request forbearance from your loan servicer — the company that handles your monthly billing and payment processing. Your servicer is not the same as the lender who originally gave you the loan. You can find your servicer's name and contact information on your loan documents or at StudentAid.gov.
Key Takeaways
- Forbearance pauses your payments for three to six months (or longer in some cases), but interest continues to build on most federal loans unless you are in a specific deferment category.
- You must request forbearance from your loan servicer; it does not happen automatically, and you cannot get it retroactively for months you already missed.
- General forbearance is available if you face financial hardship, but you must show your servicer that you cannot afford your current payment amount.
- When forbearance ends, your full payment resumes unless you switch to income-driven repayment, deferment, or another plan before the forbearance period closes.
- Private student loans do not have forbearance options; only federal loans offer this pause.
When you can request forbearance
Federal student loans have two main forbearance paths: general forbearance and mandatory forbearance. General forbearance is what most borrowers use. You can request it if you face financial hardship — job loss, medical emergency, reduced income, or other circumstances that make your current payment unmanageable. Your servicer will ask you to describe the hardship and may ask for proof, such as a termination letter or medical bills.
Mandatory forbearance is automatic in specific situations. If you are a teacher in a low-income school and working toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness, you may be placed in mandatory forbearance. If you are a medical or dental resident, you may also may have access to. Your servicer will tell you if you meet these criteria; you do not have to request it.
Private student loans do not offer forbearance. If you have private loans, your only options are to contact your lender directly and ask about a temporary payment reduction or deferment — but the lender is not required to grant either one, and the terms vary widely by lender.
How to request forbearance from your servicer
Contact your loan servicer directly by phone, mail, or their online portal. You can find the servicer's contact details on your loan statement or at StudentAid.gov by logging into your Federal Student Aid account. Have your loan account number ready.
Tell your servicer you want to request general forbearance and explain your financial hardship. Be specific: say whether you lost your job, had hours cut, faced a medical crisis, or had another concrete change in your situation. Your servicer may ask for documentation — a letter from your employer, a hospital bill, or a statement of your current income.
Your servicer will tell you how long forbearance will last. Most grants three to six months. Some servicers will grant longer periods if your hardship is severe. Ask your servicer in writing (by email or through their portal) how long they are granting and when payments will resume. Get a confirmation number or reference number for your records.
What happens to interest during forbearance
On most federal loans, interest accrues (builds up) during forbearance, even though you are not making payments. That means your loan balance grows. When forbearance ends and you start paying again, you will owe more than you did before the pause began.
The exception is subsidized loans. If you have a subsidized federal loan — such as a subsidized Stafford loan — the government pays the interest during forbearance. Your balance does not grow. Unsubsidized loans, PLUS loans, and Perkins loans all accrue interest during forbearance.
If you cannot afford to pay the accrued interest when forbearance ends, you can ask your servicer about capitalizing it — adding it to your loan balance — so your new payment is spread over the remaining loan term. This makes your monthly payment lower but means you pay more interest overall.
What happens when forbearance ends
Your servicer will send you a notice before forbearance ends, usually 15 to 30 days in advance. The notice will tell you your new payment amount and when it is due. If you do nothing, your regular payment resumes on the date stated.
If you still cannot afford the payment, you have options. You can request another forbearance period — though servicers usually limit how many times you can do this. You can switch to an income-driven repayment plan, which recalculates your payment based on your current income and family size. You can also ask about deferment if you meet the criteria (such as being in school or facing severe economic hardship).
Do not ignore the notice. If you miss payments after forbearance ends without arranging another pause or plan, your loan goes into default, which damages your credit and can trigger wage garnishment or tax refund offset.
Forbearance versus deferment and income-driven repayment
Forbearance, deferment, and income-driven repayment are three different ways to manage a payment you cannot afford. Forbearance pauses payments but interest builds. Deferment also pauses payments, but on subsidized loans the government pays the interest. Deferment is harder to get — you usually need to be in school, unemployed, or facing severe hardship.
Income-driven repayment does not pause payments; instead, it recalculates what you owe based on your income. If your income is very low, your payment might be $0 per month. Interest still accrues, but you are making a payment (even if it is zero), which counts toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness and keeps your loan in good standing. Income-driven plans last the life of your loan unless your income rises.
If you are in forbearance and your income has dropped, ask your servicer whether switching to an income-driven plan makes sense before forbearance ends. That way, you avoid a sudden jump in payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get forbearance if I already missed payments?
No. Forbearance is a pause on future payments, not a way to skip past payments you already owe. If you have missed payments, contact your servicer about bringing the loan current or consolidating the arrears into a new payment plan. Missing payments damages your credit and can lead to default.
Does forbearance hurt my credit score?
Forbearance itself does not report to credit bureaus as a negative mark. However, if you miss payments before requesting forbearance, those missed payments will show on your credit report. Once you are in forbearance, your account is in good standing and does not harm your credit further.
How many times can I request forbearance?
There is no federal limit on the number of forbearance periods you can request, but servicers often impose their own limits — typically three years total of forbearance per loan. After that, you must switch to deferment, income-driven repayment, or resume regular payments. Ask your servicer what their policy is.
What if I have both federal and private student loans?
You can request forbearance on federal loans through your federal servicer. Private loans do not have forbearance. Contact your private lender separately to ask whether they offer a temporary payment reduction or hardship program, but they are not required to grant one.
Does forbearance count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
No. Months in forbearance do not count as may have access to payments for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. If you work for a government agency or nonprofit and are pursuing forgiveness, ask your servicer about income-driven repayment or deferment instead, as those months do count.