Fill Out General Forbearance Request Online
General Forbearance Request (GFB)
Federal Student Aid
Requests a temporary suspension or reduction of federal student loan payments due to financial difficulties, medical expenses, or employment changes.
Reviewed July 2026
How it works
- 1
Open the form. The official PDF loads straight into the editor, no download needed first.
- 2
Fill it out in the editor. Click anywhere to type, add checkmarks and place your signature.
- 3
Download your PDF. Save the completed form, ready to print or submit.
The General Forbearance Request (GFB) asks your loan holder to temporarily suspend or reduce your federal student loan payments because of financial difficulties, a change in employment, medical expenses, or another hardship you explain on the form. It covers Direct Loans, FFEL Program loans, and Perkins Loans, and approval is at your loan holder's discretion.
The form is short, and you can complete every field in the Universal PDF editor, then download the finished PDF to sign and send to your loan servicer.
What a general forbearance does
Forbearance lets you stop making payments temporarily or make smaller payments for a set period. Interest is charged on all of your loans during forbearance, including subsidized loans, which makes it more expensive over time than a deferment for borrowers who qualify for one.
Before requesting it, the form itself points out two alternatives worth checking: a deferment, which has an interest benefit on some loan types, and an income-driven repayment plan, which sets your payment based on your income and can be as low as zero.
Who uses this form
Borrowers and, in limited cases, endorsers of PLUS loans who are experiencing a temporary hardship. Section 2 asks you to check the reason that applies:
- Financial difficulties
- Change in employment
- Medical expenses
- Other, with a text box to explain the situation
How to fill out the form
The request takes four steps in Section 2 plus your signature:
- Check the hardship reason that applies to you
- Choose whether you want to stop payments entirely or make smaller payments of an amount you specify
- Enter the month and year you want the forbearance to begin
- Enter the month and year you want it to end, keeping in mind it is granted in increments of up to 12 months
- Read the understandings in Section 3, then sign and date the form
How to submit it and what to expect
Return the form to your loan servicer at the address shown in Section 6 of your copy, and send a separate request to each loan holder if your loans are split. Your loan holder decides whether to grant the forbearance and for what dates, and it may apply an additional forbearance to cover processing time or an existing delinquency.
The forbearance ends on the earlier of your requested end date, 12 months from when it begins, or any limit your loan holder sets. Perkins Loans have a cumulative general forbearance limit of three years. You can reapply if the hardship continues.
Frequently asked questions
No. Unlike mandatory forbearances, a general forbearance is discretionary. Your loan holder has sole discretion over whether to grant it and for what period.
Yes, on all loan types, including subsidized loans. Unpaid interest may capitalize on FFEL Program loans not held by the Department, though interest never capitalizes on Perkins Loans. You can pay the interest as it accrues to keep your balance from growing.
No. The form states that payments made during a forbearance do not count toward forgiveness under income-driven repayment plans or Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
It is granted in increments of up to 12 months at a time. For Perkins Loans there is a three year cumulative limit, and for Direct and FFEL loans your loan holder may set its own limit. You can request another forbearance when one ends if you still face hardship.
The form itself suggests checking whether you qualify for a deferment, which has an interest benefit on some loans, or an income-driven repayment plan before choosing forbearance. Information on both is available at StudentAid.gov.
You can complete the PDF in the Universal PDF editor, download it, and sign it before sending it to your servicer. Many servicers also accept forbearance requests through their own websites.
Related forms
Universal PDF is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Forms are provided from official government sources; always confirm you have the current version before filing.