With a forbearance or deferment, you temporarily stop making payments on your student loan. The difference between these relief options is that you are not responsible for any interest that accrues on subsidized and Perkins loans during deferment. You are still responsible, however, for any interest that accrues during the forbearance period.
Because of this difference, it may be more difficult for you to receive approval for deferment compared to forbearance. If your student loans are not subsidized or you have Perkins loans, however, deferment and forbearance provide the same benefits.
To learn more, read our blog post on student loan forbearance vs. deferment.