Student Loan Deferments For Active Military Service

Millions of people in all sorts of circumstances have to take out student loans every year. Student loans can create a path to a college education for people who couldn't afford it otherwise, and have enabled many people to follow their dream career regardless of how wealthy (or not) a background they come from. Usually, the system works very well, because you can borrow the money while you study and then pay it back once you have graduated and got a job, but sometimes things happen that make repayments difficult for people, and when that is the case, deferments are available to help people avoid having to default on their loans, which is bad for both the lender and the debtor.

Most commonly deferments are made because of financial hardship caused by an inability to find work, or an inability to work due to poor health. However, for people who go on to serve in the military or who are in any form of the military reserves, there are deferments available for when they are on active duty.

Active military deferments while you are studying

If you are in the National Guard or any wing of the US military reserves, and you are called into active duty while you are enrolled on at least a half time basis at college, you get a deferment on your loans until you return to school, or for 13 months from the end of your active duty, whichever comes first. If you are called into duty during the first six months after you graduate, you get a deferment on your student loans of 13 months from the date your active duty ends.

Active military deferments

Once you have left college and are into the repayment period of your student loans, if you are called upon to serve on active duty in a military campaign, war or national emergency, your student loan will be deferred for the entire duration of your active service. You will also get a 180 day grace period added on to your military duty deferment as part of this, which will run from the date your military service concludes.

These deferment options are there to help people who want to undertake a course of study whilst still belonging to the US Armed Forces reserves, as well as those who end up going on to serve their country in the military after they graduate from college.

These deferral types are available on the majority of federal student loans, including the Perkins loan and the Direct or FFEL loan programs.

To apply for these types of military service deferments you need to complete the relevant deferment request form. It is the same form for both the Post Active Duty Student Deferment (while you are in or just out of school) and the Military Duty Deferment (any other time in the period of your loan. This form can be downloaded and completed online. It is a brief form and easy to fill in, but does need authorization from a commanding or personnel officer.