When student loans are deferred, you aren’t required to make payments toward your balance. If you’re applying for new credit, such as a mortgage, some lenders will want to know the repayment status of your student debt to determine your ability to make payments on the new loan. The quickest way to document the deferment status of your loans is to view a copy of your credit report.
Step 1
Order a copy of your credit report. By law, you’re entitled to one free credit report every year from each of the three major credit bureau. You must go to annualcreditreport.com to place your order, and reports from all three bureaus – TransUnion, Experian and Equifax – are available through this site.
Step 2
Look for your student loan accounts on each report. Your loans are reported to the credit bureaus when you take the loans out, so they’ll appear even if you’re still in school.
Step 3
Check the status for each loan. You’ll see a note such as “Deferred,” “Deferred – In School” or "Deferred – Not in Repayment” for each account. Some loan servicers lump all your loans together in one account listing, while other servicers group your loan balances separately based on the type of loan you took out. For example, if your loans are funded through the U.S. Department of Education, you may see a separate account listing for subsidized and unsubsidized loan balances.
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Tips
- If you don't have access to a free credit report, contact the company that services your loan and request a repayment status letter.
- Some loan information is available for free through the National Student Clearinghouse. To view your information, your school must participate in the Clearinghouse program and grant you access to the website. However, the status of your loans may not specify a deferment. For example, if you're in school your Clearinghouse loan status would read "in school." This is a valid deferment status and may be sufficient documentation for some lenders, but for others it may not.
Writer Bio
With a background in taxation and financial consulting, Alia Nikolakopulos has over a decade of experience resolving tax and finance issues. She is an IRS Enrolled Agent and has been a writer for these topics since 2010. Nikolakopulos is pursuing Bachelor of Science in accounting at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.