Student loan forbearance is a way to temporarily suspend or reduce your student loan payments, typically for 12 months or less, during times of financial stress. It is a type of agreement between the student and the lender that allows the student to stop making payments or reduce their monthly payments for a designated period. Forbearance can be granted for various reasons, such as unforeseen medical expenses, unemployment, or almost any financial difficulty that prevents the student from making loan payments.

It is important to note that interest can accrue (build up) while the loan is in forbearance, which can increase the overall cost of the loan. Forbearance is not as desirable as deferment, which is another option that allows students to postpone repayment of a student loan for a designated period, during which interest may not accrue on certain types of loans.

If you are considering forbearance, it is recommended that you contact your loan servicer to discuss your options and eligibility. You may request a general forbearance by filling out an online form or by calling your loan servicer and requesting a forbearance over the phone. It is also important to consider the pros and cons of forbearance, as it has both advantages and disadvantages. If you can afford to, it is a good idea to pay at least the interest that accrues each month during forbearance to prevent interest capitalization, which would result in a larger amount of interest being added to your loans principal.