Loan Deferment or Cancellation

Federal student loans have certain conditions under which you may postpone repayment. You may be able to postpone repayment while you are:

• Enrolled in school at least half time
• On active duty in the military
• Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty: See the brochure titled "What You Need to Know About Your Federal Student Loan Benefits" (PDF; download Adobe Acrobat Reader, if needed) for information about your student loans while you are on active duty.
• Temporarily unemployed or disabled
• Volunteering for certain qualifying organizations
• Under certain conditions you may be able to have a portion of your loan balance canceled for your qualifying service.
• You may be eligible for loan deferment or cancellation under the provisions of the Peace Corps Act, the Domestic Volunteer Services Act of 1973, and comparable service as a volunteer within a tax-exempt organization active in community service.

Interest accrual

For some loans, interest continues to accrue during authorized deferment periods. The accrued interest is added to the principal amount (capitalization) and increases the total amount you must repay. Or, you may pay the accumulating interest while you qualify to defer repaying the principal balance.

Loan Forgiveness Scams

It is not uncommon for students to receive questionable messaging promising student loan forgiveness. Be sure to never give out personal information and to delete these emails. For more information, please review: How to Avoid Student Loan Forgiveness Scams 

Get more info

• For more information on loan deferment, visit the Federal Student Aid website.
• For more information on loan cancellation, visit the Federal Student Aid website.