What are the two types of forbearance?

Asked by: Rae King  |  Last update: September 10, 2025
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Find links to the forms under the forbearance types listed below. There are two main categories of forbearance: general and mandatory.

What is a mandatory forbearance?

A forbearance can be a mandatory forbearance, meaning that your loan holder must grant the forbearance if you qualify for the forbearance and supply all supporting documentation. A forbearance can also be a discretionary forbearance, meaning that your loan holder may grant the forbearance, but is not required to do so.

What is an example of a discretionary forbearance?

Discretionary forbearances must be approved by the lender. For example, if a person has experienced a recent financial hardship or illness, they may apply for forbearance on their student loan. They may have to provide proof and documentation of their hardship to the lender.

What are the new forbearance rules?

Under the new law, forbearance shall be granted for up to 180 days at your request, and shall be extended for an additional 180 days at your request. 1 Remember to make the second 180-day request before the end of the first forbearance period.

How long can you be in forbearance?

Mandatory forbearances may be granted for no more than 12 months at a time. If you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for the forbearance when your current forbearance period expires, you may request another mandatory forbearance.

Student Loan Forbearance

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What is the new loan forgiveness program?

The Biden-Harris Administration announced today several additional actions to forgive federal student loans for public servants and borrowers with disabilities, as well as the loans of borrowers who attended colleges that engaged in wrongdoing.

Why am I not eligible for forbearance?

If you are in default on your student loans – have not made a payment in 270 days – you are not eligible for either deferment or forbearance.

What is the law of forbearance?

In the context of the law, it refers to the act of delaying from enforcing a right, obligation , or debt . For example, a creditor may forbear legal action against the debtor if they settle the debt payment with new payment conditions.

What is an alignment forbearance?

If the borrower wants the same due date for all loans, they could contact their servicer and request a forbearance alignment. The servicer would then put the undergraduate loans into forbearance so that the payment due date would match the repayment due date of the medical school loans.

Is there a downside to forbearance?

Unless your loan servicer specifies otherwise, they will report your mortgage forbearance to the credit bureaus, which can lower your credit score because it shows a period when you weren't making mortgage payments.

What is loan forgiveness forbearance?

With forbearance, you won't have to make a payment, or you can temporarily make a smaller payment. However, you probably won't be making any progress toward forgiveness or paying back your loan. As an alternative, consider income-driven repayment. You have a limited amount of forbearance available.

What is the forbearance clause?

Forbearance is a temporary postponement of loan payments. Lenders may grant forbearances instead of forcing the borrower into foreclosure or default. The terms of a forbearance agreement are negotiated between you and the lender.

How do you qualify for forbearance?

When You Can Get a Forbearance
  1. experiencing financial difficulties, such as medical expenses or changes in income;
  2. serving in AmeriCorps;
  3. performing service that would qualify you for partial loan forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Defense;
  4. working in a medical or dental internship or residency;

Is it better to get a deferment or forbearance?

Both deferment and forbearance allow you to temporarily postpone or reduce your federal student loan payments. The difference has to do with interest accrual (accumulation). During a deferment, interest doesn't accrue on some types of Direct Loans. During a forbearance, interest accrues on all types of Direct Loans.

Does forbearance hurt your credit?

Loan forbearance can impact your credit depending on how lenders report relief payments to credit bureaus. If payments are reported as delinquent, forbearance may harm your credit. However, many types of forbearance shouldn't hurt your credit.

How long can a forbearance last?

Mortgage forbearance is intended to provide relief while you're dealing with a short-term financial problem, so it generally does not last more than one year. Some lenders will ask you to provide them with updates during the forbearance period.

What is promise of forbearance?

forbearance. n. an intentional delay in collecting a debt or demanding performance on a contract, usually for a specific period of time. Forbearance is often consideration for a promise by the debtor to pay an added amount.

How to legally stop paying your mortgage?

How To Get Out Of Your Mortgage Legally
  1. Talk To Your Lender. Homeowners who find themselves under financial duress are advised to speak with their lender as soon as possible. ...
  2. Sell Your Home. ...
  3. Request A Deed In Lieu Of Foreclosure. ...
  4. Have A Short Sale. ...
  5. Let Your House Go Into Foreclosure. ...
  6. Strategic Default.

What is a discretionary forbearance?

There are several types of forbearance that have different eligibility criteria. Some forbearances must be granted by your federal loan servicer if you are eligible (mandatory forbearance); others are offered only at the discretion of your federal loan servicer (discretionary forbearance).

How do you get rid of forbearance?

It takes a plan to exit mortgage forbearance. Find out about your options, get expert help, and find the right path for your situation. Before your mortgage forbearance ends, you should contact your servicer to plan what comes next. They will work with you on ways to repay your forbearance.

Which loan should you try to pay off most quickly?

Pay Off High-Interest Loans First

With this approach, you pay off your loans from the highest interest rate to the lowest. You make the minimum payments on each balance except the highest-rate loan. You also make an extra monthly payment based on how much you can put toward the debt.

Does the US government have a debt relief program?

When it comes to credit card debt relief, it's important to dispel a common misconception: There are no government-sponsored programs specifically designed to eliminate credit card debt. So, you should be wary of any offers claiming to represent such government initiatives, as they may be misleading or fraudulent.

Are student loans forgiven at age 70?

Are student loans forgiven when you retire? No, the federal government doesn't forgive student loans at age 50, 65, or when borrowers retire and start drawing Social Security benefits. So, for example, you'll still owe Parent PLUS Loans, FFEL Loans, and Direct Loans after you retire.