How to Fill Out and Submit a SoFi Deferment Request Form

To request a deferment on a SoFi student loan, call SoFi’s loan servicer, MOHELA, at 877-292-7470, or log into your SoFi account and use the secure online portal to upload supporting documents.¹ SoFi does not publish a single universal deferment form; the paperwork you submit depends on which deferment category you’re applying under and whether you hold a refinanced loan (SLR) or an in-school loan (ISL).

How to Submit the Request

Start with the phone call. A MOHELA representative will confirm which deferment or forbearance you qualify for and tell you exactly which documents to send. You can then upload those documents through the SoFi online portal, or provide them by whatever method the representative directs.¹

Keep making your regular payments until you receive written confirmation that the request is approved. MOHELA sends the approval or denial notice after review.¹ If you stop paying before that notice arrives, the missed payments can be reported as delinquent even if the deferment is later granted.

What Documentation Each Deferment Requires

The supporting paperwork varies by category.

Active-duty military deferment. If SoFi has already received notification from the Department of Defense, you, a cosigner, or a spouse or dependent can request the deferment over the phone with no additional paperwork. If SoFi hasn’t received DoD notification, you’ll need to submit either a signed certification or written statement from your commanding or personnel officer, or a copy of your military orders.²

Medical residency or internship deferment. You’ll need documentation verifying your match to an eligible residency or internship training program.³

Return-to-school deferment. You’ll need certification of enrollment from your school. SoFi approves this deferment in six-month blocks based on that certification.²

For disability rehabilitation and other categories, MOHELA will specify what to provide when you call.

Which Deferment You Should Request

Before you call, know which loan product you have and which category fits. That determines what you’re actually asking for.

Refinanced Loans (SLR)

Three formal deferment categories are available:²

Return-to-school deferment, in six-month blocks up to a cumulative 36 months. Interest payments are still owed during enrollment; full monthly installments are not.
Disability rehabilitation program deferment, in three-month increments up to a cumulative 36 months.
Active-duty military deferment, in 12-month increments with no cumulative maximum. It automatically extends 180 days after your active-duty period ends, and it lengthens your overall repayment term by the length of the pause.

In-School Loans (ISL)

Medical residency and internship deferment is available for up to 48 additional months on older loans, and up to 54 months on in-school loans disbursed on or after May 1, 2019.³¹ What you owe during the deferment depends on the repayment plan you elected when you originally borrowed:

If you chose fully deferred repayment, you’ll get monthly interest notices, but paying them is optional.
If you chose interest-only or partial interest payments, you must keep making those reduced payments. Missing them causes delinquency.
If you chose immediate repayment, you are not eligible for medical residency deferment.¹

No grace period follows the residency deferment. Full principal-and-interest repayment begins immediately when it expires.³

If you return to school on an in-school loan, the same election logic applies. Full deferment while re-enrolled is available only if you originally chose that plan; interest-only borrowers keep making interest payments; immediate-repayment borrowers have no deferment option.⁴

If Deferment Isn’t Available, Ask About Forbearance

Forbearance is a separate category, and approval is discretionary. The options include:

Economic hardship, for financial difficulty tied to medical expenses, medical leave, job relocation, major home or car damage, or legal fees. It’s classified as a reduced repayment arrangement rather than a full pause.¹
Military mobilization forbearance, for military situations that don’t qualify under the formal active-duty military deferment.
Disaster deferral, if you’re affected by a declared disaster.
Skip-a-pay, for short-term hardships expected to resolve within one month.²

SoFi does not offer a formal unemployment deferment. Private student loans are not eligible for the federal unemployment deferment.⁵ If you’ve lost your job, the economic hardship forbearance is the usual starting point; call MOHELA to see what you qualify for.

What Happens to Interest While Payments Are Paused

Interest accrues on all SoFi private loans during every type of deferment and forbearance. SoFi does not subsidize interest during pauses the way certain federal loan programs do. What matters is whether that unpaid interest gets capitalized (added to your principal) when the pause ends.

These categories are protected from capitalization:²

Military deferment
Disaster deferral forbearance
Return-to-school deferment on in-school loans disbursed between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2018
Return-to-school deferment on in-school loans disbursed after May 1, 2019 where the borrower elected interest-only or fixed-payment repayment

For hardship forbearance, economic hardship programs, and other repayment modifications, unpaid accrued interest may be capitalized at the end of the forbearance period or before a loan modification takes effect.² Capitalization raises your total loan cost because future interest is calculated on the higher principal. Paying interest during a hardship forbearance, even if it isn’t required, prevents the balance from growing.

Active-Duty Rate Cap Is a Separate Request

If you’re on active duty with a SoFi loan taken out before you entered service, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act caps your interest rate at 6% during active duty. This is not a deferment. It reduces payments; it doesn’t pause them. The cap is not automatic: submit a written request with a copy of your official military orders, a letter from your commanding officer on military letterhead, or any official notification of active-duty status.⁶ SoFi’s military deferment for refinanced loans also includes a 6% rate cap for borrowers who don’t otherwise qualify under SCRA.²

How an Approved Deferment Appears on Your Credit

An approved deferment or forbearance should not damage your credit. SoFi reports the account to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion as a paused payment, not as a missed or late payment.⁷ The protection depends on the word “approved.” Stop paying before MOHELA confirms your request in writing and the missed payments can be reported as delinquent, which can seriously affect your score.⁸ The balance still shows on your report throughout the pause, and if interest is accruing, it may rise gradually until you resume payments.

1
MOHELA. Options to Postpone Repayment
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SoFi. Options to Postpone Repayment – SLR
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SoFi. Options to Postpone – ISL
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SoFi. Does SoFi Have Any Deferment or Forbearance Options?
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SoFi. Can You Get Unemployment Deferment for Student Loans?
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SoFi. Active Duty SCRA Military Benefits
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SoFi. How Does Deferring a Loan Affect My Credit Score?
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FICO. How the Resumption of Student Loan Delinquency Reporting May Impact FICO Scores