Defer my private student loans!

March 20, 2010 10:02 AM

How do I qualify for an in-school deferment on my CitiAssist loans?

As an undergraduate from 2003-2007, I took out a lot of Citassist loans. These are private loans, not federal. When I spoke with someone from Citibank student loan customer service, she told me that I would only qualify for in-school deferment if I enrolled in undergraduate-level classes, but that enrolling in any graduate program (working toward a Master's, e.g.) would NOT defer my payments. Anyone have experience with CitiAssist loans? Is this true?

posted by guybrush_threepwood to Education (2 answers total)

Umm...I have CitiAssist loans and they've totally been deferred for grad. school so long as I am taking at least half-time credits. They could have changed things in the past year due to the economic climate, but it seems weird to me. I'd call back and ask again ---- also, if you do happen to start a grad program, you may just get a letter saying if you sign this paper, they'll defer the loans and do you want the loans deferred?

At least, that's always what's happened with me.
posted by zizzle at 3:35 PM on March 20, 2010

Also have a CitiAssist loan. I'm in a post-law-school program, and as long as I'm enrolled at least half time (6 credits in my case), the loan is deferred. Check the terms of your specific loan, but it sounds like what customer service told you is BS. Usually the school you're enrolled in for grad classes will automatically send the notification to the clearinghouse and defer the loans.
posted by melissasaurus at 6:48 AM on March 21, 2010