Education
How student loan repayment is structured
Several repayment arrangements exist for federal loans, and the choice is revisitable rather than permanent.
Federal loans offer a standard schedule and a range of alternatives, including plans that set payments as a proportion of income. Which are available depends on the loan type, and the official site sets out the current options, which have changed more than once.
Income-driven arrangements require annual recertification of income and household size. Missing the recertification is a common reason a payment jumps unexpectedly, and it is avoidable with a calendar reminder.
Deferment and forbearance pause payments temporarily, and the difference between them is whether interest continues to accrue on particular loan types. Both are preferable to missing payments, and both have consequences worth understanding before using them.
Private loans are governed by their own contracts rather than by federal rules, so none of the federal arrangements apply to them. That distinction matters most to anyone holding both.
What to do next. Check the current repayment options at studentaid.gov, and set a reminder to recertify income each year if you use an income-driven plan.
studentaid.gov outranks this page. Rules, figures and dates change
between academic years. This is written to help you read the official sources, not to
stand in front of them. Start there.
Nothing here is a determination. We cannot tell you what you qualify
for, and no website can. The programme and the office that runs it decide that, after
you apply.
Still have a question?
Describe what you are trying to work out and a member of the team will answer, or direct you to the office that makes the decision.