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Deferment of PLUS Loans
Under certain circumstances, you may find it hard to pay back your educational loans. Such circumstances may include unemployment, economic hardship, disability, military service, attending graduate school or going to college part time. If any of these situations prevent you from making payments, you may be eligible for loan deferment. Deferment gives you a period of time in which you are not required to pay your Federal PLUS Loan’s principal, but interest will still accumulate. You can request a deferment through your lender, providing required documents for approval and if you meet all eligibility requirements, the lender must grant the deferment.

Deferments are not automatic.  You must contact your lender as soon as an event occurs that temporarily affects your ability to make your loan payments.  Also, you must continue to make your loan payments until the deferment is approved.

Deferment Options for Federal PLUS Loans

For current Federal PLUS loans (including those for graduate students), seven deferment options are available. Each has a specific time limitation associated with it. In addition to the deferment types listed below, parent PLUS borrowers may be able to defer based on their dependent student's enrollment.

Mapping Your Future provides charts designed to assist you in determining your deferment eligibility based on the disbursement date of your oldest outstanding loan.

Deferment Types

Time Limits

Enrollment in school at least half time No time limit
Graduate fellowship No time limit
Military Service No time limit
Rehabilitation training No time limit
Post-Active Duty Student 13 months
Unemployment 36 months
Economic hardship 36 months

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