The Department of Education hasn’t extended administrative forbearance to loans that it doesn’t own, which includes some Perkins Loans and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program loans that are in good standing. But there’s a workaround: If you combine these student loans into a federal Direct Consolidation Loan, the ownership shifts to the Department of Education. The new consolidated loan then qualifies for suspended principal and interest payments through June 2023. To figure out if this is the right move for you, first call your loan servicer to confirm that your loans are eligible for consolidation. Then ask whether your repayment term and interest rate will change and figure out how much more you’d pay in the long run. Consolidating might not be the best move if your ultimate goal is to save money.