General forbearance request

GENERAL FORBEARANCE REQUEST
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program / Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program / Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program

OMB No. 1845-0018
Form Under Review
Expiration Date
xx/xx/xxxx

WARNING: Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or misrepresentation on this form or on
any accompanying document is subject to penalties that may include fines, imprisonment, or both,
under the U.S. Criminal Code and 20 U.S.C. 1097.
You never need to pay for help with your federal student loans. Your loan servicer will help you for FREE.
Contact your servicer if you have questions about this form or need any information regarding your
federal student loans.
SECTION 1: BORROWER INFORMATION
Please enter or correct the following information.
Check this box if any of your information has changed.
Social Security Number (SSN) _________________________________________
Date of Birth (mm-dd-yyyy) _________________________________________
Name __________________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________________
City _________________________________________
State ____________
Zip Code ____________
Phone – Primary ___________________________________
Phone - Alternate___________________________________
Email ___________________________________
SECTION 2: FORBEARANCE REQUEST
Carefully read the entire form before completing it. Answer all questions in Section 2. Your loan
holder has sole discretion in whether to grant your general forbearance request, and, if granted, for
what period your forbearance will be applied. As an alternative to this forbearance, you may qualify for
a deferment (which has an interest benefit for some loan types) or for a repayment plan that
determines your monthly payment amount based on your income. Visit StudentAid.gov/IDR for more
information on repayment plans based on income.
1. I am requesting a forbearance because I am experiencing a temporary hardship related to one of the
following situations (check one):
Financial difficulties
Change in employment
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GENERAL FORBEARANCE REQUEST
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program / Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program / Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program

OMB No. 1845-0018
Form Under Review
Expiration Date
xx/xx/xxxx

Medical expenses
Other (explain the situation below)

2. If approved for a forbearance, I would like to:
Temporarily stop making payments.
Temporarily make smaller payments of ________________ per month.
3. I would like my forbearance to begin with the monthly payment that is due in the month and year
below:
(mm-yyyy)________________________________
4. If approved for forbearance, I would like my forbearance to end in the month and year below, and
begin making payments the following month:
(mm-yyyy)________________________________
SECTION 3: BORROWER/ENDORSER UNDERSTANDINGS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND AUTHORIZATION
I understand that:
•
•
•
•
•
•

I am not required to make payments of loan principal or interest during my forbearance, but
interest will continue to be charged on all my loans.
Interest may capitalize on my FFEL Program loans that are not held by the Department during or
at the expiration of my forbearance, but interest never capitalizes on Perkins Loans.
My loan holder may grant me an additional forbearance while processing my form or to
cover any period of delinquency that exists when I submit my form.
My loan holder has sole discretion in whether to grant my general forbearance request and for
what dates it will be granted.
For Perkins Loans, there is a cumulative limit on general forbearance of 3 years. For Direct Loans
and FFEL Program loans, my loan holder may set a limit on general forbearance.
My forbearance will end on the earlier of the end date that I requested, 12 months from the
date my forbearance begins, or when I exhaust any limit that my loan holder has on
forbearance.

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GENERAL FORBEARANCE REQUEST
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program / Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program / Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program

•
•

OMB No. 1845-0018
Form Under Review
Expiration Date
xx/xx/xxxx

I can request another forbearance after my forbearance ends if I am still experiencing financial
hardship.
Any payment I make during forbearance will not count towards forgiveness under incomedriven repayment plans or Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

I certify that:
•

The information I have provided on this form is true and correct.

•

I will provide additional documentation to my loan holder, if requested, to support my general
forbearance request.

•

I will repay my loans according to the terms of my promissory note, even if my request is not
granted.

I authorize the entity to which I submit this request and its agents to contact me regarding my request
or my loans at any cellular telephone number that I provide now or in the future using automated
telephone dialing equipment or artificial prerecorded voice or text messages.
Borrower's or Endorser’s Signature ____________________________________________________
Date (mm-dd-yyyy)____________________________________________
SECTION 4: INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE FORM
Type or print using dark ink. Enter dates as month-day-year (mm-dd-yyyy) or (mm-yyyy) as appropriate.
Example: March 14, 2024 = 03-14-2024. Include your name and account number on any documentation
that you may be requested to submit with this form. If you want to apply for a forbearance on loans that
are held by different loan holders, you must submit a separate forbearance request to each loan holder.
Return the completed form and any requested documentation to the address shown in Section 6.
If you are an endorser, you may request forbearance only when you are required to repay the loan
because the borrower is not making payments. If you have a loan that was made jointly to you and your
spouse (as co-makers), both of you must individually meet the requirements for a forbearance and each
of you must submit a separate forbearance request.
SECTION 5: DEFINITIONS
The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program includes Federal Direct Stafford/Ford
(Direct Subsidized) Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford (Direct Unsubsidized) Loans,
Federal Direct PLUS (Direct PLUS) Loans, and Federal Direct Consolidation (Direct Consolidation) Loans.
The Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program includes Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans,
Federal Consolidation Loans, and Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS).
The Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program includes Federal Perkins Loans, National Direct
Student Loans (NDSL), and National Defense Student Loans (Defense Loans).
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GENERAL FORBEARANCE REQUEST
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program / Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program / Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program

OMB No. 1845-0018
Form Under Review
Expiration Date
xx/xx/xxxx

Capitalization is the addition of unpaid interest to the principal balance of a Direct Loan Program or FFEL
Program loan (interest never capitalizes on Perkins Loans). Capitalization causes more interest to accrue
over the life of your loan and may cause your monthly payment amount to increase. The Capitalization
Chart below provides an example of the monthly payments and the total amount repaid for a $30,000
unsubsidized FFEL Program loan granted a forbearance. The example loan has a 6% interest rate and the
example forbearance lasts for 12 months and begins when the loan entered repayment. The example
compares the effects of paying the interest as it accrues or allowing it to be capitalized.
A co-maker is one of the two individuals who are joint borrowers on a Direct or Federal Consolidation
Loan or a Federal PLUS Loan. Both co-makers are equally responsible for repaying the full amount of the
loan.
A deferment is a period during which you are entitled to postpone repayment of your loans. Interest is
not charged to you during a deferment on your subsidized loans. Interest is always charged to you
during a deferment on your unsubsidized loans. Unpaid interest that accrues during a deferment on an
unsubsidized Direct Loan or on an unsubsidized FFEL Program loan that is held by the Department is
capitalized at the end of the deferment period. Unpaid interest that accrues during a deferment on a
FFEL Program loan that is not held by the Department is capitalized at the end of the forbearance but
may be capitalized as frequently as quarterly on loans disbursed prior to 7/1/2000.
On loans made under the Perkins Loan Program, all deferments are followed by a post-deferment grace
period of 6 months, during which time you are not required to make payments.
An endorser is an individual who agrees to repay a Direct PLUS Loan or Federal PLUS Loan if the
borrower does not repay the loan.
A forbearance is a period during which you are permitted to postpone making payments temporarily,
allowed an extension of time for making payments, or temporarily allowed to make smaller payments
than scheduled. Interest is charged during a forbearance on both subsidized and unsubsidized loans.
Unpaid interest that accrues during a forbearance on a Direct Loan or on a FFEL Program loan that is
held by the Department is not capitalized. Unpaid interest that accrues during a forbearance on a FFEL
Program loan that is not held by the Department may be capitalized at the end of the forbearance but
may be capitalized as frequently as quarterly on loans disbursed prior to 7/1/2000.
The holder of your Direct Loans is the Department. The holder of your FFEL Program loans may be a
lender, guaranty agency, secondary market, or the Department. The holder of your Perkins Loans is an
institution of higher education or the Department. Your loan holder may use a servicer to handle billing
and other communications related to your loans. References to “your loan holder” on this form mean
either your loan holder or your servicer.
A subsidized loan is a Direct Subsidized Loan, a Direct Subsidized Consolidation Loan, a Federal
Subsidized Stafford Loan, portions of some Federal Consolidation Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, NDSL,
and Defense Loans.
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GENERAL FORBEARANCE REQUEST
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program / Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program / Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program

OMB No. 1845-0018
Form Under Review
Expiration Date
xx/xx/xxxx

An unsubsidized loan is a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, a Direct Unsubsidized Consolidation Loan, a Direct
PLUS Loan, a Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, a Federal PLUS Loan, a Federal SLS, and portions of
some Federal Consolidation Loans.
Capitalization Chart (Note: this chart only applies to FFEL Program loans that are not held by the
Department)
Treatment of Interest
with Forbearance

Loan
Amount

Capitalized Outstanding
Interest
Principal

Monthly
Payment

Interest is paid

$30,000

$0

$30,000

$333

Interest is capitalized at
the end

$30,000

$1,800

$31,800

$353

Number
Total
of
Repaid
Payments
120
$41,767
120

$42,365

SECTION 6: WHERE TO SEND THE COMPLETED APPLICATION
Return the completed form and any documentation to:
(If no address is shown, return to your loan holder.)

SECTION 7: HELP WITH COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
If you need help completing this form, call:
(If no phone number is shown, call your loan holder.)

SECTION 8: IMPORTANT NOTICES
Privacy Act Statement.
Authority: The authorities for collecting the requested information from and about you are §421 et seq.,
§451 et seq., or §461 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq., 20 U.S.C.
1087a et seq., or 20 U.S.C. 1087aa et seq.) and the authorities for collecting and using your Social
Security Number (SSN) are §§428B(f) and 484(a)(4) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1078-2(f) and 1091(a)(4)) and
31 U.S.C. 7701(b). Participating in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, Federal
Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, or Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program and giving us
your SSN are voluntary, but you must provide the requested information, including your SSN, to
participate.
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GENERAL FORBEARANCE REQUEST
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program / Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program / Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program

OMB No. 1845-0018
Form Under Review
Expiration Date
xx/xx/xxxx

Purpose: The principal purposes for collecting the information on the General Forbearance Request
form, including your SSN, are to verify your identity, to determine your eligibility to receive a loan or a
benefit on a loan (such as a deferment, forbearance, discharge, or forgiveness) under the FFEL and/or
Direct Loan Programs, to permit the servicing of your loans, to enforce the conditions or terms of a title
IV, HEA obligation, to originate, disburse, service, collect, assign, adjust, transfer, refer, furnish credit
information for, and discharge a title IV, HEA obligation, to verify whether a title IV, HEA obligation
qualifies for discharge, to determine credit balances to be refunded by the U.S. Department of the
Treasury (Treasury) to the individual or loan holder, and, if it becomes necessary, to locate you and to
collect and report on your loans if your loans become delinquent or default. We also use your SSN as an
account identifier and to permit you to access your account information electronically.
Disclosures: The information provided on the General Forbearance Request form will only be disclosed
outside of the U.S. Department of Education (Department) with prior written consent or as otherwise
allowed by the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act) (5 U.S.C. 552a). One of the exceptions to
the Privacy Act’s prior written consent requirement that allows for disclosure, without consent, is for
“routine uses” that the Department publishes in our System of Records Notices (SORNs). The
Department may disclose, without consent, the information provided on a Graduate Fellowship
Deferment form, on a case-by-case basis or under a computer matching program, to third parties
pursuant to the routine uses identified in the “Common Services for Borrowers (CSB) System” (18-11-16)
SORN. This notice is available on the Department’s “Privacy Act System of Record Notice Issuances
(SORN)” webpage located at https://www2.ed.gov/notices/ed-pia.html.
These routine uses include, but are not limited to, the following:
•

•

•

To verify the identity of the individual who records indicate has applied for or received title IV,
HEA program funds, disclosures may be made to guaranty agencies, educational and financial
institutions, and their authorized representatives; to Federal, State, Tribal, or local agencies, and
their authorized representatives; to private parties, such as relatives, business and personal
associates, and present and former employers; to creditors; to consumer reporting agencies; to
adjudicative bodies; and to the individual whom the records identify as the party obligated to
repay the title IV, HEA obligation;
To determine program eligibility and benefits, disclosures may be made to guaranty agencies,
educational and financial institutions, and their authorized representatives; to Federal, State, or
local agencies, and their authorized representatives; to private parties, such as relatives,
business and personal associates, and present and former employers; to creditors; to consumer
reporting agencies; and to adjudicative bodies;
To provide customers with information to help them make informed decisions on repayment
options, including deferment, forbearance, and recurring auto debit, based on their unique
situations, disclosures may be made to guaranty agencies, educational and financial institutions,

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GENERAL FORBEARANCE REQUEST
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program / Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program / Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program

OMB No. 1845-0018
Form Under Review
Expiration Date
xx/xx/xxxx

and their authorized representatives; and to Federal, State, or local agencies, and their
authorized representatives.
For additional routine uses, view the “Common Services for Borrowers (CSB) System” (18-11-16) SORN.
This notice is available on the Department’s “Privacy Act System of Record Notice Issuances (SORN)”
webpage located at https://www2.ed.gov/notices/ed-pia.html.
Consequences of Failure to Provide Information: Participating in the Federal Family Education Loan
(FFEL) Program or the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and providing the
Department your SSN and requested information is mandatory to participate.
Paperwork Reduction Notice: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control
number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1845-0018. Public reporting
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including time
for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed,
and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection
is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with 34 CFR 674.33, 682.211, and 685.205.
If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form,
contact your loan holder directly.

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