General forbearance is at the discretion of the loan servicer and is typically granted due to unforeseen medical expenses, unemployment, or almost any financial difficulty that prevents you from making loan payments. You may request a general forbearance by filling out the online form or by calling your loan servicer and requesting a forbearance over the phone.
Mandatory Federal Student Loan Forbearance
Unlike a general forbearance, which is at the discretion of your loan servicer, you must be granted a mandatory forbearance if you qualify and request it. Most mandatory forbearance uses the same form, Mandatory Forbearance Request: SERV, however, there is a different form for Teacher Loan Forgiveness and the Americorps.
- Participation in a medical or dental internship or residency (Direct and FFEL loans only)
- Total student loan payments of 20% or more of your monthly gross income (Direct, FFEL, and Perkins loans)
- Service in AmeriCorps (Direct and FFEL loans only)
- Qualification for Teacher Loan Forgiveness (Direct and FFEL loans only)
- Qualification for partial repayment of your student loans under the U.S.