Forbearance Deferment Count PSLF 2026: What Borrowers Need to Know

What Is PSLF Payment Counting for Forbearance and Deferment?

Under standard PSLF rules, only months when you made a full, on-time payment while working full-time for a qualifying employer count toward the required 120 payments. Forbearance, a temporary pause in payments due to financial hardship, medical expenses, or military service, and deferment, which often pauses payments and interest on subsidized loans, were generally excluded from the count.

The one-time IDR account adjustment, which the Department of Education began implementing in 2023, retroactively credits certain periods of forbearance and deferment toward PSLF. This includes:

• Any month in forbearance of 12 or more consecutive months
• Any month in forbearance of 36 or more cumulative months
• Any month in deferment prior to 2013 (except in-school deferment)
• Economic hardship deferment months after 2013
• Cancer treatment deferment
• Post-active duty deferment for borrowers with qualifying employment

Months spent in in-school deferment, internship/residency deferment, grace period, and default are not eligible for PSLF credit under the adjustment.

The one-time IDR account adjustment, originally set to conclude in 2024 but with processing continuing into 2026 for some borrowers, retroactively applies months spent in forbearance and certain deferments toward PSLF payment counts. This adjustment is automatic for borrowers who have Direct Loans and have submitted a PSLF form or have loans in repayment. Borrowers with commercially held FFEL loans need to consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan by June 30, 2024 (the original deadline), though late processing requests may still be accepted.

The adjustment updates your payment count history on StudentAid.gov. For example, a borrower who spent 24 months in consecutive forbearance and 14 months in economic hardship deferment could see up to 38 additional payments credited. The adjustment does not credit forbearance or deferment periods beyond the maximums noted above, shorter forbearance periods under 12 consecutive months or under 36 cumulative months remain excluded. The calculation works as follows:

Borrowers should log into StudentAid.gov and review their account under the PSLF payment tracker. If the adjustment has not been applied, or if the count appears lower than expected, borrowers can call the PSLF servicer (MOHELA) at 1-855-265-4038 to confirm their status.

To confirm which months in forbearance or deferment have been credited toward PSLF, follow these steps:

1. Log into StudentAid.gov, use the PSLF payment tracker under 'My Aid' to see your updated count. If you have not consolidated FFEL loans, check if consolidation is still possible before the adjustment is fully implemented.
2. Locate your forbearance and deferment history, download your account data from the 'Download My Data' section. Look for entries labelled 'Forbearance' and 'Deferment' with start and end dates. This shows periods that the adjustment may have credited.
3. Cross-check against eligible employment, only months when you were employed full-time by a qualifying employer count. If a forbearance period coincides with a gap in eligible employment, it may not count even under the adjustment. Submit a PSLF Employment Certification Form for each qualifying employer.
4. Look for 'Qualifying - Special Waiver' labels, in the payment tracker, months credited under the adjustment may appear with a special designation. If you see no change, call MOHELA at 1-855-265-4038 and ask: 'Has the one-time IDR adjustment been applied to my account?'
5. File a reconsideration request, if you believe months were incorrectly excluded, submit a PSLF reconsideration request through StudentAid.gov. Include documentation of the forbearance/deferment period and your employment.

The adjustment is automatic for most borrowers with Direct Loans who have at least one PSLF form on file. Borrowers who have never submitted any PSLF form should do so as soon as possible, even if they are early in their repayment timeline, it triggers the count update.

The IDR account adjustment is a one-time correction, not a permanent rule change. It does not mean future forbearance or deferment months will count toward PSLF. Going forward, only months when you are in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan and make qualifying payments will count. If you need a payment pause in the future, consider requesting a forbearance that keeps your count intact only if you are aware of the consequences: normal forbearance does not count, and interest will continue to accrue.

Expert Tips

• If you are close to 120 payments, request a buyback of months spent in any forbearance or deferment period if not covered by the adjustment.
• Consolidate FFEL loans before the deadline if you haven't already, commercially held FFEL loans are not eligible for the adjustment as-is.
• Use the PSLF Help Tool at StudentAid.gov to check employer eligibility before submitting an employment certification form.
• Review your account data download, it includes every loan status change, including forbearance and deferment dates.
• If your servicer is not MOHELA, confirm that your PSLF forms have been transferred to MOHELA, the current PSLF servicer.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming in-school deferment months qualify, they do not under any circumstance.
• Relying on the adjustment for future forbearance periods, it only applies retroactively.
• Failing to certify employment for a forbearance period that the adjustment now credits, the month still requires eligible employment.
• Consolidating without checking your current payment count first, consolidation may reset it if not handled carefully.

Pros and Cons

• ✅ Pros: Automatic for most Direct Loan borrowers; can add years of forgiveness credit; no application needed.
• ❌ Cons: Does not cover all forbearance periods; requires eligible employment; processing delays still common as of 2026.

Bottom Line

The IDR account adjustment is a meaningful opportunity for many PSLF-track borrowers. If you have spent months in forbearance or hardship deferment while working in public service, the adjustment may bring you significantly closer to forgiveness. Verify your count, consolidate FFEL loans if applicable, and follow up with MOHELA to ensure the update is applied.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized student loan or tax advice. Consult a qualified student loan counselor or attorney for guidance specific to your situation.