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Can I Postpone Repayment Until Graduate School?
Dear American Student Assistance:
I am graduating with my undergraduate degree in May, but plan to go to graduate school in the fall. Can I postpone my loan payments until I get my grad degree?
Thanks,
Scott
Dear Scott:
Your Stafford loans will not be due for repayment until you have been enrolled less than half time in school for 6 months or more. So, the answer is yes. Assuming you have not taken any time off from school previously, you should be able to postpone them until you finish graduate school.
Note that any unsubsidized loans will continue to accrue interest while you are in school, so it would be wise to at least make payments on those loans as you go. Your private loans, however, may be a different story, so make sure you contact all of your lenders to find out when payments are due.
Regards,
Loan Repayment
Graduating from college comes with new responsibilities. Repaying your student loan is one of them. Avoid any pitfalls along the way by learning how to successfully repay your loans.
Resources
Ask American Student Assistance
National Student Loan Data System
Forms
Unemployment Deferment Request for FFELP
Economic Hardship Deferment Request for FFELP
Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Application
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application
Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
