Student loan deferment allows you to temporarily stop making payments. 
Find out if a deferment is the best option for your situation. With deferment , you won t have to make a payment. However , you probably won t be making any progress toward forgiveness or paying back your loan. As an alternative , consider income - driven repayment. 

Get Relief With Lower Payments on an Income-Driven Repayment Plan 
If you re having trouble repaying your loans due to circumstances that may continue for an extended period, or if you re unsure when you ll be able to afford to make your monthly loan payments again , a better option might be to consider changing to an income - driven repayment plan. Income - driven repayment plans base your monthly payments on your income and family size. In some cases , your payment could be as low as $0 per month. Income - driven plans can also provide loan forgiveness if your loan isn t paid in full after 20 or 25 years. Always contact your student loan servicer immediately if you re having trouble making your student loan payments. If you re seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness PSLF or income - driven repayment forgiveness , in most cases deferment will not allow you to make progress toward forgiveness. 

Be Aware That Interest Might Accrue During Deferment 
If you re granted a deferment , you might still be responsible for paying the interest that accrues during the deferment period. The table below shows when you are responsible for paying the interest and when you are not responsible based on loan type. When you are responsible for paying the interest on your loans during a deferment , you can either pay the interest as it accrues , or you can allow it to accrue and be capitalized added to your loan principal balance at the end of the deferment period. If you don t pay the interest on your loan and allow it to be capitalized , the total amount you repay over the life of your loan may be higher. Unpaid interest is capitalized only on Dir

user: Hey there, i'm in some situation and have to do something about my student loan. I heard i could deferment it, but i need guidance. Can you help me there, please?

assistant: You did right. It could be some considerations to be done before you choose a to do a deferment. With a deferment, you won't have to make any payment for your loan, but equally, any progress to pay back your loan will be halted, so it could be a risky choice.

user: Umm, yeah, and that could be bad. Can you give me an alternative to that, then?

assistant: Of course, no problem with that. You can always consider to use an income-driven repayment as a more healthy alternative, so you don't have to delay your payments.

user: Well, that certainly looks like an alternative. I'm not saying anything, but, if i really need a deferment, you know, because my economy, can i get one?

assistant: Well, if you qualify under certain circumstances, indeed you can get a deferment. I have to ask then, Are you receiving welfare benefits right now?

user: No, i'm not on any of those plans right now.

assistant: Good. Next, then. Are you working full time, but happens that your earnings are below 150% of the poverty guideline, based on your family size and state of residence?