Are Private Student Loans Eligible for Forbearance? It's Complicated
There are benefits to taking out federal student loans rather than private ones. For one thing, the interest rates that come with federal student loans tend to be far more competitive than the interest rates private lenders charge. And also, federal student loans come with certain protections that private borrowers aren't always privy to.
One such means of protection is forbearance, or the option to hit pause on student loan payments for a period of time without being considered delinquent on that debt. There are certain circumstances where federal student loan borrowers are automatically entitled to forbearance. On the other hand, private student loan borrowers are generally at the mercy of their lenders when it comes to forbearance.
Source Fool.com