[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 34, Volume 3] [Revised as of July 1, 2005] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 34CFR685.205] [Page 829-830] TITLE 34--EDUCATION CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PART 685_WILLIAM D. FORD FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM--Table of Contents Subpart B_Borrower Provisions Sec. 685.205 Forbearance. (a) General. ``Forbearance'' means permitting the temporary cessation of payments, allowing an extension of time for making payments, or temporarily accepting smaller payments than previously scheduled. The borrower has the option to choose the form of forbearance. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(9) of this section, if payments of interest are forborne, they are capitalized. The Secretary grants forbearance if the borrower or endorser intends to repay the loan but requests forbearance and provides sufficient documentation to support this request, and-- (1) The Secretary determines that, due to poor health or other acceptable reasons, the borrower or endorser is currently unable to make scheduled payments; (2) The borrower's payments of principal are deferred under Sec. 685.204 and the Secretary does not subsidize the interest benefits on behalf of the borrower; (3) The borrower is in a medical or dental internship or residency that must be successfully completed before the borrower may begin professional practice or service, or the borrower is serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program leading to a degree or certificate awarded by an institution of higher education, a hospital, or a health care facility that offers postgraduate training; (4) The borrower is serving in a national service position for which the borrower is receiving a national service education award under title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990; or (5) The borrower-- (i) Is performing the type of service that would qualify the borrower for loan forgiveness under the requirements of the teacher loan forgiveness program in Sec. 685.217; and (ii) Is required, by the Secretary, before a forbearance is granted under Sec. 685.205(a)(5)(i) to-- (A) Submit documentation for the period of the annual forbearance request showing the beginning and ending dates that the borrower is expected to perform, for that year, the type of service described in Sec. 685.217(c); and (B) Certify the borrower's intent to satisfy the requirements of Sec. 685.217(c). (6) For not more than three years during which the borrower or endorser-- (i) Is currently obligated to make payments on loans under title IV of the Act; and (ii) The sum of these payments each month (or a proportional share if the payments are due less frequently than monthly) is equal to or greater than 20 percent of the borrower's or endorser's total monthly gross income. [[Page 830]] (b) Administrative forbearance. In certain circumstances, the Secretary grants forbearance without requiring documentation from the borrower. These circumstances include but are not limited to-- (1) A properly granted period of deferment for which the Secretary learns the borrower did not qualify; (2) The period for which payments are overdue at the beginning of an authorized deferment period; (3) The period beginning when the borrower entered repayment without the Secretary's knowledge until the first payment due date was established; (4) The period prior to a borrower's filing of a bankruptcy petition; (5) A period after the Secretary receives reliable information indicating that the borrower (or the student in the case of a Direct PLUS Loan) has died, or the borrower has become totally and permanently disabled, until the Secretary receives documentation of death or total and permanent disability; (6) Periods necessary for the Secretary to determine the borrower's eligibility for discharge-- (i) Under Sec. 685.214; (ii) Under Sec. 685.215; (iii) Under Sec. 685.216; (iv) Under Sec. 685.217; or (v) Due to the borrower's or endorser's (if applicable) bankruptcy; (7) A period of up to three years in cases where the effect of a variable interest rate on a fixed-amount or graduated repayment schedule causes the extension of the maximum repayment term; (8) A period during which the Secretary has authorized forbearance due to a national military mobilization or other local or national emergency; or (9) A period of up to 60 days necessary for the Secretary to collect and process documentation supporting the borrower's request for a deferment, forbearance, change in repayment plan, or consolidation loan. Interest that accrues during this period is not capitalized. (c) Period of forbearance. (1) The Secretary grants forbearance for a period of up to one year. (2) The forbearance is renewable, upon request of the borrower, for the duration of the period in which the borrower meets the condition required for the forbearance. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0021) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) [59 FR 61690, Dec. 1, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 29900, June 12, 1996; 64 FR 58968, Nov. 1, 1999; 65 FR 65629, Nov. 1, 2000; 66 FR 34765, June 29, 2001; 68 FR 75430, Dec. 31, 2003]