Heather,

I recently graduated from law school, and my law school loans are in automatic grace right now.  But my undergraduate loans are due for repayment already.  I have requested unemployment deferments, but I have yet to consolidate all of my loans.

1. why aren’t my undergrad loans also in automatic grace like my graduate loans are?  should they be?
2. when should i consolidate?  I was told to wait until near the end of my grace period (of my graduate loans), but if my undergraduate loans are starting to be due ( although I am now using up some of my unemployment deferment period), should i consolidate sooner?
3. If I consolidate now, would that put the undergrad loans in grace, or would all of the loans be due for payment?

Thanks for any help!

Hillary

Sounds like you have already used your grace period on the undergraduate loans.  Maybe you didn’t go straight to law school?  You only get one grace period on each loan.

If and when you consolidate, the consolidation loan enters repayment right away, and any grace period there may have been on the underlying loans is gone.

You can request an administrative forbearance to temporarily suspend payments during the time the consolidation application is pending.  That may be what you want to consider, but yes, as soon as the consolidation goes through, you have to start paying.

Best,
Heather