What to know about putting your student loan payments on pause

More than a quarter of federal student loan borrowers paused their payments in the third quarter of 2025, double from the year earlier. Here is what to know.

There’s been a sharp uptick in the number of student loan borrowers hitting the pause button on their monthly bills.

The U.S. Department of Education offers two primary ways to postpone your payments — deferments and forbearances.

Between those statuses, more than a quarter of the country’s over 40 million federal student loan borrowers had suspended their repayment progress during the third quarter, according to a recent analysis by higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. That’s more than double the number of such borrowers with payments paused during the same period in 2024.

Here’s what to know about those relief options, and their possible consequences.

Deferments and forbearances can help student loan borrowers avoid the harsh consequences of falling behind on their bills, consumer advocates said.