How to Defer Prior Loans

Loan Deferments

A deferment is a period of time during which the student's lender (the institution loaning money) or loan servicer (the agency servicing the loan for the Department of Education) postpones the student's regular loan payments. Students will need to work with the appropriate agency to apply for deferment. Students should keep making payments on their loan until the deferment is in place.

If the student's loan is provided as part of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) program, they should visit the StudentAid.gov website for details, including a list of circumstances that may make a student eligible for a deferment. Students can also log into the My Federal Student Aid portal to see a personalized summary of all their FSA loans and loan services.

Students should keep in mind that interest continues to accrue during the deferment period of an unsubsidized loan and PLUS loan. Students have the option to continue making payments on the interest and/or principal while their loan is in deferment. Interest does not generally accrue during the deferment period of a subsidized loan.

In-School Deferment for Half- or Full-Time Students

Students may be able to defer payments on their prior FSA student loans if they are attending at least half-time in an academic semester format. To enroll in a semester format, students must establish an FSA academic year. This step is necessary as APUS has course offerings every month, and students are not enrolled in a semester format unless they submit this form.

Students should log onto the AMU or APU ecampus to complete a request for an academic year within the FINANCE CENTER located under the Federal Student Aid (FSA) menu.
- If students plan to use Federal Student Aid (FSA), select “My FSA Academic Year.”
- If students only plan to defer prior loans and not use FSA, select “Deferment of Loans.”
Students can also establish an academic year through the registration process. Within the registration flow, students will be prompted with questions to determine if they intend to apply for Federal Student Aid or process a deferment on any prior federal student aid loans they have received.
Students should register for all courses they intend to take in the semester. They must be enrolled at least half-time for “In-School” deferment purposes (a minimum of 6 credits each semester as an undergraduate student or 3 credits as a graduate student).
A student's enrollment data will be submitted directly to the National Student Clearinghouse on the 16th of each month that they are enrolled in classes. There is no need to take action to receive in-school deferment, as long as a student is enrolled in eligible, credit-hour courses.
If a student has received a paper loan deferment form from their lender, they should scan and email the form to [email protected] or fax to 304-724-3802 for processing.

Students can email [email protected] with questions regarding the FSA or Deferment Academic Year form.

If a student needs to check on the status of their loan deferment, they should contact the National Student Clearinghouse. Otherwise, a student should contact their lender or loan servicer for additional assistance regarding deferment.

Expedited Deferment Process

If a student needs to provide their enrollment status to their lender before the monthly clearinghouse reporting process is complete, they should request a deferment form from their lender and submit the form using one of the following methods:

Email to: [email protected] (preferred)
Fax to: 304-724-3802
Mail the form to the following address:

APUS
ATTN: Office of the Registrar
111 W. Congress Street
Charles Town, WV 25414

A student's enrollment verification or In-School deferment cannot be processed until the start of week 2 of their first course in the term. Students must have attended a course beyond the first week before any loan deferments or enrollment verifications may be processed.

Military Deployments

If a student is an active-duty service member scheduled for deployment, they should contact the financial aid team if they have payment deferment questions by emailing [email protected] or calling 855-731-9218 (Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sat-Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET).

Students can find more information on federal student loan benefits available to members of the U.S. Armed Forces at StudentAid.Gov.

Obtaining Enrollment Verification

The university processes all requests for enrollment verification through the National Student Clearinghouse. APUS submits a student's current enrollment data directly to the National Student Clearinghouse on the 16th of each month that they are enrolled.

A student's enrollment verification or In-School deferment cannot be processed until they are in week 2 of their first course in the term. Students must have attended a course beyond the first week before any loan deferments or enrollment verifications may be processed.

To obtain enrollment verification, students should:

Access the National Student Clearinghouse website using the following link: National Student Clearinghouse.
Select “Verify Now”
Enter the required information (student's school’s name, student's name, and their date of birth).
Students will be presented with an official Enrollment Verification Certificate that can be printed out and provided to organizations requiring proof of their enrollment status.

Students who need assistance should email [email protected] and include their student ID number in the email.

Troubleshooting Data

If the information in the National Student Clearinghouse does not match a student's APU or AMU student record, they should contact [email protected] for assistance. This may happen if a student drops or adds courses after the initial registration deadline.
Graduates who are reported to the National Student Clearinghouse as full-time during the beginning of their semester, then drop their second registration for that semester to be half-time, may be reported as withdrawn for the remainder of their semester. If this occurs, students should contact [email protected] to have the issue corrected.