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: Do student loan deferments allow me to temporarily stop making payments?

assistant: Yes, student loan deferment could help you temporarily stop making payments  and sometimes is the best solution; but it does not help in making progress in paying back your loan.

user: Are there any other alternatives to consider?

assistant: Actually yes, there is an income-driven repayment plan that you should consider.

user: Why is an income-driven repayment plan better at getting relief?

assistant: It is a better option because income-driven repayment plans base your monthly payment on your income and family size and your payment could be zero a month.

user: If I am in the military or have been in the military could I get a deferment?

assistant: Do you believe you are eligible for the military deferment?

user: Yes, I believe I am.

assistant: Are you on active duty military service ?

user: Yes, I am.

assistant: Then you may be eligible for the Military service deferment.

user: What if I don't pay the interest on my loan and allow it to capitalize?

assistant: It will actually make your total amount you repay higher and unpaid interest is only capitalized on Direct Loans and FFEL loans.