Loan Deferments
A loan deferment is for a specific period of time during which a borrower may delay the repayment of the principal and interest on his or her loan if certain criteria are met. An individual who seeks a loan deferment must contact his or her individual loan provider or servicer to apply. Deferments are for a specifically agreed upon length of time and are specific to the loan or borrower specified in the application.
During a federal loan deferment, the borrower does not need to make payments. However, please note that on some types of loans, the federal government will not pay the interest that continues to accrue during the deferment period. If a borrower does not pay the interest that accrues during the deferment period, it may be capitalized and added to the principal amount. This means that the borrower may be responsible for higher future payments.
The Office of the Registrar signs and seals deferment forms. (Students can download the forms from their individual loan servicers or lenders.) Matriculated students must turn in these forms for completion to the registrar. The Office of the Registrar will mail the forms directly to the lending institutions.
Widener Law Commonwealth reports your current enrollment status to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) on a monthly basis, as per federal regulations. NSLDS is the US Department of Education's central database for student aid. You can access all your federal student loan information, including loan history, loan repayment status, and contact information for your loan servicer.
Federal loan deferments may be available for the following reasons:
- Period of at least half-time enrollment in college or career school
- Graduate fellowships
- Rehabilitation training
- Economic hardship
- Military service
Additional information on deferment of federal loans (e.g., Direct, Stafford, or Perkins loans) can be found at https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/lower-payments/get-temporary-relief/deferment. For a list of federal loan servicers, go to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers.