Deferring loans while studying abroad

[onawintersday]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to figure out if/how I can defer my student loans while I complete my MA in another country. I have federal student loans from my time as an undergrad and I am now getting an MA in history in Turkey. I called the loan service to ask them what the criteria is for eligible universities, but they couldn't give me any useful information (they said just to send in the deferment request and see what happens). Does anyone here have experience with this?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

[Alaskah]

All of my federal Stafford loans have been in forbearance for nearly a year due to economic hardship - I didn't even have to prove that I was having a hardship, so I found this to be a very easy process.

I am looking at going back to school part-time to keep deferring them since I still cannot afford them on top of my private loans. I don't think the process is very difficult in comparison to private loans. But it's true they won't give you much information until you send in a request. I would think as long as the international school is still a credited school (meaning the degree can go anywhere and is viable) then you should not have a problem.

If they would decline you due to it being an international school, then you could always apply for forbearance due to hardship, since I would assume you wouldn't be making a whole ton of money in the program even if funded.

[kyjin]

To my knowledge you just need to have the program sign the forms for you and submit them if they're not a US-based institution. I had to do that last year for a program in Japan and this year for my MA in Canada.

[Carlv]

Hi all,

Would you know which US based private student loan lender offers in-school deferment while attending full-time graduate school abroad? Also how the application process would be?

Appreciate any info.

Thanks.