Financial Aid
This includes students with athletic scholarships (for more information, see here). If you have scholarships or funding that isn’t sponsored by the university, different rules may apply.
Parental Leave and Student Loans
Taking leave may have an impact on your student loans, depending on your registration status during your time off. Be sure to meet with your financial aid office before taking any extended absence. More information is available from the Department of Education’s student loan information website.
A few common leave scenarios and their implications for federal loan status are below. Be sure to ask your financial aid status for details about your particular situation.
Remain registered in full-time status: no change to student loan status. Remain registered and drop to part-time status: if you are enrolled for less than half-time, you may be required to start repaying your loans after a 6 month grace period. You can request a deferment on your federal loans (no payments and paused interest on subsidized loans) or forbearance (no payments, but loans accrue interest). Your lender may be able to assist if you face illness or an economic hardship. For more information on deferment or forbearance on federal loans, see here. Terminate your registration during leave: At some schools, when you take a leave of absence of a certain length, you automatically lose your status as a registered student. When a student is no longer registered, they typically have a 6 month grace period before they may be required to start repaying loans. You can ask for a deferment on your loans (no payments and paused interest on subsidized loans) or a forbearance (no payments but loans accrue interest). Your lender may be able to assist if you face illness or an economic hardship. For more information on deferment or forbearance on federal loans, see here.
