Deferment Options

Student Deferment

All Perkins Loans are eligible for student deferment as long as you are at least a half-time student. There is no time limit on student deferment. As long as you remain at least half time and this office is notified of your eligible attendance, you could continue to defer until you have graduated or drop below half-time.

We participate in a national database called the National Student Loan Clearinghouse (NSLC). Schools from all of the country send their attendance information to NSLC and then we can access that information for deferment purposes. We are automatically notified each week with a new data from NSLC, and we adjust our deferments accordingly. They are applied, extended, or reduced in the case of withdrawal or graduation.

Not all schools participate in the NSLC. If your school does not participate, ask the Registrar’s Office at the school you are attending to send us an Enrollment Verification. We will apply your deferment based on the dates, terms, and status your Registrar sends to us.

If you continue to get grace notices, bills/coupons, or past due notices from us, then we have not applied a deferment to your account. This could be either because you have not done your exit interview or we do not have verification of your enrollment. Contact our office if you think that your Perkins Loan should be in a deferment status and you are continuing to receive bills and notices from UAS.

Economic Hardship Deferment

Economic hardship is indicated for those borrowers who:

1. Have received an Economic Hardship on another federal student loan.  An Economic Hardship deferment is different from a forbearance -- your documentation must state you have received an Economic Hardship deferment.OR  
2. Are receiving assistance from a federal or state source.  Examples are, but are not limited to, AFDC, SSI, Food Stamps, or WIC.

You Must Provide:

1. Proof of your average monthly gross and net income.  Copies of pay stubs must be provided.  It must be clear on the pay stub how many weeks it covers.
2. Proof that you are receiving public assistance.  A copy of your benefits from your agency that show the dates that you have been eligible must be provided.OR 
3. Proof that you have received an Economic Hardship on another federal student loan.  This must be a copy of a letter from your lender/servicer showing it is under this type of deferment, not forbearance.

This deferment will defer your principal and interest plus a six-month grace period following.  No payments are required during any of this time.

Three-year maximum allowed over the life of your loan.

Unemployment Deferment

Unemployment deferment is indicated if you are not working or only working part-time, but have been looking for full-time employment but have been unable to find it. 

You Must Provide:

Either proof from your unemployment office that you have signed up for benefits, a copy of pay stubs or a letter from your employer showing only part-time work, or, if none of these is available, an affidavit written by you.

An affidavit written by you must show the dates you became less than full-time, general circumstances, explain that you are looking for full-time work, but have been unable to find it, and explain how long you think you will be in this status.

This deferment will defer your principal and interest plus a six-month grace period following.  No payments are required during any of this time.

Three-year maximum allowed over the life of your loan.

Forbearance

Forbearance deferment is indicated if your situation does not fit into either the economic hardship or unemployment criteria.  Forbearance is indicated when your present financial circumstances don’t allow you to make your payments, or you have poor health, or you are required to care for a family member with poor health, or you are on a national military mobilization or you are working for Ameri-Corps as a volunteer (under a reimbursement agreement with them), or for some other acceptable reason.

Documentation that is required should back up the reason you are applying for this deferment.  For example, if you are in poor health, a statement from your doctor stating you are unable to work full-time based on your health would be appropriate.

You are required to complete a simple financial statement and provide documents to substantiate this information. 

Interest will continue to accrue during a forbearance and there is no grace period following the deferment.  Repayment will resume at the regular monthly payment amount when the forbearance ends and will pay all accrued interest before it starts to repay on the principal balance.

Military Deferment

During any period when you are serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency, or if you are performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency

If your active duty period includes October 1, 2007 or starts after that date, you are eligible for an additional 180 days following your demobilization date. 

If your active duty period includes October 1, 2007 or starts after that date, for at least a 30-day period, you are eligible for up to 13 months deferment following the conclusion of your active duty service.  You must have been in school as at least a half-time student at the time of your call to active duty or must have been a student within six-months of being called to active duty to qualify.

Active duty does not include active duty for training or attendance at a service school or employment in a full-time permanent position in the National Guard unless you are reassigned from that position to another form of active duty service. 

No interest accrues and no payments are due during the deferment or the six-month grace period following the deferment.

To Receive the Deferment:

Either you or your representative must notify UAS of your call to active duty for the reasons previously stated.  A copy of your orders will be required to continue the deferment after the first year.

General Process:  

We apply military deferments no further into the future than one year, including the six-month grace period.  This usually coincides with your anniversary date of active duty and is a good reminder that you need to provide proof of continued active duty service.  During this time, no interest accrues and no payments are due.  You must file a new form every year to remain in a deferment status.

We will contact you during the grace period of your deferment to let you know when the deferment ends.  If you or your representative does not provide proof of continued service, or you become ineligible for this deferment, the notices will tell you when repayment will start on your loan.