Repaying student loans can be quite challenging, especially when the interest rates that a lender applies are steep and financial sources are limited, which is why there is an option called a student loan deferment. More than any other group of borrowers out there, students are the ones that usually experience difficulty in repaying their loans, whether such are consolidated or not. In cases where repayment becomes not only hard but seemingly impossible at the moment, a deferment may just be the answer.

It is a process in which temporary postponement of a student's obligation to repay his or her loans is granted. For students who are struggling with the pressure of academic work and economic strains, a loan deferment can indeed be a saving grace, no less than a godsend. However, not all students can readily avail of deferment privileges. There are requirements that must be satisfied. In order for a student to be entitled to a deferment, he or she needs to meet the eligibility criteria imposed by his or her lender. Lenders have different sets of criteria, but most of them are keen on including a good credit score, which of course is their way of protecting their financial investment.

Aside from a good credit score, the requirements of a student loan deferment also include the formal acceptance of the student to a degree program, registration for at least five credited subjects or courses during the semester when the deferment is applied for, and strict verification of the details provided. It must not be entered into lightly and must only be used as a last resort. Lenders usually grant only deferment privileges only once. Besides, in the end, all student loans still have to be repaid.