How Many Forbearances Are Allowed for Student Loans?

• General forbearance is capped at 3 years total. You can use it in 12-month chunks, but once you hit 36 months, you’re out.

• SAVE Plan forbearance has no set limit, but it won’t count toward forgiveness. If you’re going for PSLF or IDR forgiveness, staying in too long could delay debt cancellation.

• Private loan forbearance isn’t guaranteed. Lenders set their own rules, and interest always accrues, making your loan more expensive.

The term forbearance can apply to both student loans and mortgage payments, but the rules and long-term impact vary significantly. This article focuses on federal student loan forbearance, which pauses payments due to financial hardship or administrative decisions, like the shutdown of the SAVE Plan.

Under the SAVE Plan’s administrative forbearance, payments are paused but interest is not. The Department of Education restarted interest accrual on these loans on August 1, 2025, so the amount you owe grows each month you stay in it — and that time still does not count toward forgiveness progress for programs like PSLF or IDR forgiveness.

Since “forbearance” is commonly associated with both student loans and mortgage relief, it’s helpful to break down how they differ.

Key Difference

Student loan forbearance, especially under the SAVE Plan, offers temporary payment relief but does not advance forgiveness progress. Mortgage forbearance, on the other hand, usually requires repayment of paused amounts and offers no forgiveness benefit.

Since this article focuses on student loan forbearance, the following sections will break down how it works and its limitations.

There are three main types of forbearance for federal student loans, each with different rules:

• General Forbearance: Limited to 12 months at a time, with a total cap of 3 years. Approval is based on financial hardship.

• Mandatory Forbearance: No cumulative limit but requires meeting specific eligibility (e.g., medical residency, National Guard service).

• Administrative Forbearance: Temporary payment pause due to federal decisions, like the shutdown of the SAVE Plan. Interest still accrues, and no forgiveness credit.

For most borrowers, the SAVE Plan’s administrative forbearance is the focus right now—payments are paused, but the time spent in forbearance won’t count toward forgiveness.

You can apply for forbearance multiple times, but here’s the limit: General forbearance is capped at 3 years total, period. Other types—like mandatory and administrative forbearance—don’t have a set cap but follow different rules. Let’s look at how each type differs:

• General Forbearance: The initial forbearance is limited to 12 months per request. You can reapply with a total cap of 3 years.

• Mandatory Forbearance: No cumulative limit as long as you meet eligibility criteria.

• Administrative Forbearance (SAVE Plan): SAVE was struck down; this forbearance is temporary and winding down, and no time in it counts toward forgiveness.

While you can technically apply multiple times, general forbearance is capped at three years total. The current SAVE Plan administrative forbearance doesn’t require an application—the Department of Education automatically placed borrowers into forbearance due to the program’s legal challenges.

Related: What Happened to the SAVE Plan?

Private student loan forbearance isn’t guaranteed. Most lenders let you pause payments for 3–12 months at a time, but they set their own rules, and some have lifetime caps. Also, interest keeps growing while you pause payments. Let’s look at the following details:

• Limited Duration: Typically granted for 3 to 12 months per request, often with a lifetime cap.

• Interest Accrual: Interest always accrues and is added to the loan balance.

• Eligibility Requirements: Approval is based on the lender’s discretion, often requiring proof of financial hardship.

Unlike federal loans, private lenders aren’t required to offer forbearance, and periods in forbearance never count toward loan forgiveness since private loans don’t have forgiveness options. If you’re struggling with private loan payments, it may be worth exploring settlement or refinancing options instead.

Related: How to Get Rid of Private Student Loans?

The current SAVE Plan administrative forbearance is unique—it pauses payments, but interest keeps accruing and it doesn’t help borrowers move closer to loan forgiveness. And SAVE itself isn’t coming back—the 8th Circuit permanently struck down the SAVE plan on March 10, 2026.

• No Progress Toward Forgiveness: Months in SAVE forbearance don’t count toward required payments for programs like PSLF or IDR forgiveness. For PSLF, a “buyback” option may let you recover some of that time later.

• Interest Still Accrues: Interest was set at 0% early in this forbearance, but the Department of Education restarted it on August 1, 2025 and did not charge it retroactively. Your balance grows every month you stay in it.

• Automatic Enrollment: Borrowers were placed into this forbearance after SAVE was blocked in court, without needing to apply.

Because SAVE is gone for good, this forbearance is a temporary holding pattern, not a long-term plan. For most former SAVE borrowers, moving to an income-driven repayment plan like IBR is the most stable choice. While forbearance offers short-term relief, it could delay forgiveness timelines for borrowers pursuing PSLF or seeking loan discharge through an income-driven plan. Some borrowers may want to explore switching to a PSLF-eligible repayment plan if they’re actively working toward forgiveness.

Related: The SAVE Plan: What Happened and What’s Next

Should You Stay in SAVE Forbearance?

If you’re in SAVE forbearance, here’s the big question: Should you stay?

The problem is that time in SAVE forbearance doesn’t count toward forgiveness, and because SAVE isn’t coming back, staying put is only a stopgap. If you’re going for PSLF or IDR forgiveness, every skipped payment delays your progress. If you need short-term relief, staying in might make sense, but switching to an IDR plan ensures your payments count.

You should stay in the SAVE forbearance if:

• You need temporary payment relief due to financial hardship.

• You’re weighing your options and aren’t ready to choose a new plan yet.

You should switch to a repayment plan if:

• You’re actively pursuing PSLF or IDR forgiveness, where each payment matters.

• You want to ensure your monthly payments count toward forgiveness progress.

For more on whether switching plans makes sense for you, check out our detailed guide on switching from SAVE to IBR.

Forbearance can give you short-term relief, but it’s not a long-term fix. If you’re struggling with your financial situation, you need to know the trade-offs.

General forbearance is capped at 3 years total, while other forbearance options—like mandatory or administrative forbearance—have different rules. If you’re in SAVE Plan forbearance, remember that this time won’t count toward PSLF or IDR forgiveness, which could delay forgiveness.

If you’re unsure about your forbearance options or how they impact your financial situation, talk to our student loan lawyer. Our experts can help you avoid costly mistakes, protect your progress toward forgiveness, and find the best way forward.

Related Reading:

• Why Is My Student Loan In Administrative Forbearance?

• MOHELA: Why Are My Student Loans in Forbearance?

• Parent PLUS Loan Forbearance: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

• Will My SAVE Months Still Count Toward Forgiveness?

• What is Forbearance Steering?