I applied for consolidation back in June.  I got my summary finally this month, October.  I am very close to the deadline, and I just found your website.  (I cannot express my relief, seriously!)  Ok, here’s my question - I am awaiting a job offer from a government entity.  I expect their answer on Nov. 1.  (I am very hopeful, and a little bit confident, that I got the job.  Even if I did not, I plan on finding another job that will qualify me for loan forgiveness.  So let’s pretend I will be working in qualifying public service on the 1st of the year, 2012.)  Right now, my consolidation is going to go through with an extended graduated repayment plan, if I do not contact them very quickly to make changes.  The problem is, I can’t afford the payments, and I’d like to not pay anything until I start IBR.  I called direct loan consolidation and they said that I can enter forbearance on my current extended payment plan (once it goes through) until I set up IBR when I get the new job, which I’d like to start working at the 1st of the year.  My loans are in voluntary forbearance right now with my lenders, while I was waiting for the consolidation to be finalized.  In the meantime, I have decided to start working toward loan forgiveness, and I thought it best to set up IBR once I’m actually working for the public entity.  I just want to make sure that there isn’t anything that I need to do right now, BEFORE my loans are consolidated, to ensure that I will be able to switch to IBR and begin working toward the public loan forgiveness as soon as I begin working at the new job.  I hope this isn’t confusing.  Any thoughts are much, much appreciated!!!