Forbearance is a period during which a lender permits a borrower to cease making monthly loan payments or to reduce the amount of monthly payments. Unlike deferments, a forbearance is not an entitlement.
Interest continues to accrue throughout the forbearance period.
If you are able to pay the interest during the forbearance period, then you should do so. This increases the amount you owe and usually means that your monthly payment will be larger at the end of the forbearance. Loan Consolidation allows you to combine your existing federal student loans into a single Federal Consolidation Loan. You can consolidate your loans only if they are in the grace period or repayment. When your loans are consolidated, the consolidating lender pays off your loans and then issues you a new loan.