How long can I defer the loan? Can I defer payments until I’m done with school?

If you choose the deferred repayment option, full principal and interest payments can be deferred as long as the students remain enrolled at an eligible school at least half-time. For graduate student loans, full principal and interest payments would begin 6 months after the student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment. To learn how different repayment options can affect your monthly payment amount and what you might pay overall for the loan, check out our repayment options and examples page.