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Defense Finance and Accounting Service Providing payment services for the U.S. Department of Defense

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**866-912-6488 **Mon-Fri:7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ESTContact UsPrivacy InformationDebt & Claims FormsAskDFAS

                        - Make a Payment
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                        - Education Debt Information                            - Types of Education Debts
                          - Student Deferment
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# Student Deferment

**On this page:**                        - What is student deferment?
                        - Do I qualify for a student deferment?
                        - What do I need to apply for student deferment?
                        - How do I apply for student deferment?
                        - How do I maintain my student deferment?

## **What is Student Deferment?**

Used by current students or those in the process of completing a residency to request a student deferment (no payments) for the repayment of an educational debt/student loan until date of graduation or completion of residency plus 90 days.

## **Do I Qualify for a Student Deferment?**

You may be eligible to apply for a student deferment if you can answer ‘YES’ to the following statements:
                        - You are an out-of-service civilian or military personnel.
                        - You received a letter from DFAS with an account number that begins with:                            - IN
                          - DE
                          - KC
                          - CL 
                        - You received one of the following types of education debts:                            - Academy Debts - these debts are incurred by graduates or former cadets that fail to fulfill their active duty obligation for the cost of education at the applicable academy.
                          - Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) - these debts are due to disenrollment. You are required to repay the prorated amount of the unserved commitment. 
Types of Education Debts

## **What do I Need to Apply for Student Deferment?**

You’ll need the following items to apply:
                        - A completed Promissory Note for Student Deferment on Education Debts Only.
                        - A current billing statement. If you do not have a current billing statement and you have not made any payments on your account, please contact the DFAS Customer Care Center at 866-912-6488 to verify your account is still active and has not been turned over to the Department of Treasury for enforced collection.
                        - Your account number. This information can be found on your billing statement or demand (debt) notification letter.
                        - Documentation from the Registrar’s office verifying enrollment in an accredited institution of higher education indicating the expected date of graduation.

## **How do I Apply for Student Deferment?**

Submitting your request for student deferment is as simple as 1...2...3... just follow the steps below:

### 1. Gather the Required Documents

To understand what documents are required, visit What do I need to apply for Student Deferment? Failure to provide required documentation may result in a delayed final determination and/or a disapproved request.

### 2. Prepare

Complete the Promissory Note for Student Deferment on Education Debts Only. Ensure you complete all required fields and provide your account number on all supporting documentation in addition to the Promissory Note for Student Deferment.

 Fillable PDF: Promissory Note for Student Deferment on Education Debts Only, click here.

***Please note:** You may need to right click to download or the save the documents to your computer before you are able to fill them out.*

### 3. Apply

Sign the Promissory Note for Student Deferment on Education Debts Only. Failure to do so may result in delayed processing. Submit the completed form and other required documentation via AskDFAS within 15 days of receipt of your billing statement.Submit your Request via AskDFAS:After submitting your Promissory Note for Student Deferment via AskDFAS, a ticket number will be emailed to you for reference and updates on your application. Please keep this ticket number until a final determination.

## **How do I Maintain My Student Deferment?**

                          - Annual recertification is required.
                          - To recertify, follow the steps detailed in ‘ How do I apply for Student Deferment ’  to provide an updated Promissory Note for Student Deferment on Education Debts Only and verification of full-time enrollment from your Registrar’s office.
                          - If proper documentation is not received annually, DFAS may continue the collection process including referral to the Treasury Offset Program, private collection agencies, Department of Justice for enforced collection, and credit bureau reporting.

Return to the Debt and Claims DFAS Homepage
Page Updated July 7, 2023

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