> How Do I Forward Deferment Forms to the Clearinghouse?

Deferment forms that you forward to the Clearinghouse are processed within 10 business days (if we have your enrollment data for the applicable term).

The deferment forms that you should be forwarding to the Clearinghouse include: SSCRs from guarantors, lender or servicer deferment request forms, and enrollment verification reports. We maintain a record of all deferments processed on your behalf, which you can review on our school secure site by clicking on the Student Reporting tab after logging in. When forwarding deferment forms to the Clearinghouse:

• Make sure the student’s name and Social Security number are on the form
• Write the servicer’s name (or name of the agency where the completed forms should be sent) on the top of the form
• Page 1 and 2 of the deferment form (if labeled page 1 of 2 on the bottom of the form)
• Ask the student to write, in pencil, the term for which he/she is requesting a deferment at the top of the form
• Enclose a cover letter with your school’s code and branch
• Mail your cover letter and deferment forms to the Clearinghouse: National Student Clearinghouse, 2300 Dulles Station Blvd, Suite 300 Herndon VA 20171

> Why Haven’t Our Students’ Deferments Been Processed Yet?

This situation can occur for various reasons. Here are several questions you can answer that will allow you to identify and correct the problem.

• Was your enrollment data reported on schedule? Check our secure Web site to find out when you were scheduled to deliver your enrollment data to us, when your data was actually submitted, and when the Clearinghouse processed it. The Clearinghouse cannot notify your students’ lenders until you submit data to us. If you are late in submitting your data to us, we cannot pass updated enrollment information onto your students’ lenders and guarantors in a timely fashion, which may result in lenders prematurely contacting your student borrowers for repayment. You may wish to talk to your staff about the importance of adhering to your Clearinghouse transmission schedule, as they may not be aware of the consequences when data arrives late.

• When did the Clearinghouse electronically notify an individual student’s lenders? On our school secure site, you can learn when we notified the lenders as well as when we completed that student’s deferment forms. If your school does not already have a password to our secure site, contact service@studentclearinghouse.org.

• How far is your end-of-registration period from the beginning of the term? If your end-of-registration period occurs significantly after the beginning of the term, you may want to schedule an “early registration file.” Submitting an early registration file enables the Clearinghouse to send out enrollment information almost as soon as the term begins rather than waiting several weeks.

• Is the student enrolled in a special program of study? If so, the student may be enrolled part-time at your school and part-time somewhere else, with neither school reporting the student as full-time and thus eligible for deferment.

> Should Students Mail Deferment Forms Directly To The Clearinghouse?

No. It is much more efficient — and the student will likely receive the deferment quicker — if deferment forms are regularly bundled together and sent to the Clearinghouse by your school rather than individually by students.

Please instruct your students to return their deferment forms to you. That way, you can be sure that only the appropriate forms are sent to the Clearinghouse.

> Which Deferment Forms Should We Send To The Clearinghouse?

Forward FFELP and Direct Loan program deferment forms to the Clearinghouse. Please make sure that your students fill out the deferment forms before you forward them to us, including the lender’s name and address and the student’s Social Security Number.

> Why Do We Still Get Deferment Forms?

Servicers that do not yet participate in the Clearinghouse still request paper deferment forms. However, most of the largest servicers offer “paperless deferments” whereby students from a Clearinghouse school can request a deferment over the phone. These servicers rely on electronic enrollment status supplied by the Clearinghouse instead of using paper forms.