FAFSA loans requiring repayment while still enrolled - should I be getting deferment?

That's definitely not right. Federal student loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized) should automatically be placed in in-school deferment as long as you're enrolled at least half-time. Your school should be reporting your enrollment status to the National Student Clearinghouse, which then updates your loan servicer. Sounds like there might be a disconnect somewhere in that reporting chain.

this happened to me last year!! total nightmare. my school didn't report my enrollment status on time and my servicer thought i'd dropped out. definitely call your servicer ASAP

I'd contact both your school's financial aid office AND your loan servicer right away. Don't wait until the payment due date approaches. The financial aid office should be able to verify your enrollment status, and the loan servicer needs to know you're still in school. Take screenshots of your current enrollment as proof when you contact them.

My brother just dealt with this exact thing!! His school had him listed as 'graduated' when he was actually still taking classes for a double major. Super frustrating. Make sure you have your student ID and FSA ID handy when you call.

This is a common issue I've seen working in financial aid. There are three likely possibilities: 1. Your school hasn't reported your current enrollment status properly 2. Your loan servicer hasn't processed the enrollment information 3. There's been a misclassification of your enrollment status Start by contacting your school's registrar to confirm they've reported your correct enrollment status. Then contact your loan servicer with that confirmation. If they insist on starting repayment, request an administrative forbearance while they investigate. You shouldn't have to make payments while properly enrolled.

have u tried calling the servicer yet?? i had to call mine like 10 times about deferment last year and kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. so frustrating

Update us after you contact them! A few more tips: 1. Get an enrollment verification letter from your registrar 2. Find out exactly how your school reports enrollment to NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System) 3. Ask your servicer for the exact date they last received your enrollment information Also, check your loan details on studentaid.gov to see if there are any notes about why they think you're not enrolled.

I actually had a REVERSE problem where my loans were deferred even though I HAD graduated lol. Didn't complain though. But seriously, they make these systems so complicated, no wonder mistakes happen. All the different servicers and systems don't talk to each other properly.

Update: I called my servicer (finally got through after an hour on hold) and it turns out they somehow had me listed as graduated! The rep said they'll fix it but it could take 2-3 weeks to process. They put my account in administrative forbearance for 60 days while it gets sorted out. Thanks everyone for the advice - especially about requesting forbearance while they investigate! That really helped.

ugh so annoying but glad ur getting it fixed!! this stuff is never simple with fafsa/loans 🙄

So glad you got it sorted out! This is exactly why I always recommend students check their loan status periodically on studentaid.gov - these reporting errors happen more often than they should. It's crazy that you were listed as graduated when you're clearly still enrolled. For future reference, if this happens again, you can also request an in-school deferment form directly from your servicer and have your school's registrar fill it out as backup documentation. The administrative forbearance was definitely the smart move while they fix their mistake!

This is such a helpful thread! As someone new to navigating student loans, I had no idea these reporting errors were so common. It's really reassuring to see how the community rallied to help Diego figure this out. I'm definitely bookmarking this conversation and going to check my loan status on studentaid.gov right now - better to catch any issues early than get surprised by a payment notice! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions.