More than 27 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the coronavirus pandemic began. Around 45 million Americans have student loan debt, leaving many of the unemployed concerned about how they’ll pay their student loans while the future of their jobs remains uncertain.

Here’s some advice from finance experts on what to do about your student loans and college tuition during the coronavirus pandemic.

I was just furloughed, but I have student loans. Can I defer my loans? How long can I defer them?

You typically have the choice to defer student loans, Addye Buckley-Burnell, the associate director of Auburn’s career center, said, although it is entirely up to the lender. Normally, if they agree to allow you to defer your payments, the loans will still accrue interest, so that’s a serious decision you need to make. Students and recent graduates are recommended to talk to their university’s financial services to make the best decision.

Because of the coronavirus, many student loan companies are offering deferments until September, and all federal student loan borrowers have been granted automatic forbearance (the loans will not accrue interest) through September because of the CARES Act. Borrowers are still allowed to make payments during the forbearance period.

However, you should check with your loan company to be sure of what your options are, Isaac Cooper, CEO of IMC Financial Consulting in Birmingham, said. “You don’t want to skip a payment because you assumed it was deferred.”

I’m a college student and work for my school. Can I file for unemployment? Will I get a check?

While some student workers may qualify for unemployment, students who are part of the federal work-study program or financial aid job programs may not be eligible for unemployment benefits. If you’re not sure, ask your manager at your university job or check with the university human resources office.

“Students currently enrolled in a program … might find it difficult proving to the Department of Labor that they are available to work and are actively seeking employment as this will likely conflict with their status as a student,”Dr. Damion McIntosh, a finance professor at Auburn, said.

However, those workers would still be entitled to a check if they have a valid social security number and can’t be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.

Some universities, such as Auburn, are still paying their student workers, so those students would not qualify.

Should I keep paying my student loans while there’s no interest or save that money?

If you can afford to keep paying those loans, then do so, McIntosh said. Since there’s no interest, each payment will reduce the principal by 100 percent of the payment amount. In the long run, that will be more helpful than saving the money you typically put towards loans. Any extra money you put into your emergency fund should come from the excess you may have from reduced spending rather than from dipping into the money set aside for paying off debt.

“Interest rates are so low right now that the return you will get from saving that money is significantly less than the cost of interest on the student loan,” McIntosh said. “It’s not worth it. Keep paying!”

Will colleges waive tuition next year? Will there be a payment plan? Will my loans be adjusted / will the government help me based on what I’m making now?

No one has heard any conversation about colleges waiving tuition. It is unlikely because many colleges couldn’t afford to do that. Payment plans are more likely, but the advisors we spoke to have not heard about that. However, if universities stick to online classes, students will save money in other areas like rent, transportation and food. McIntosh has also heard of textbook companies that plan to offer free access online, which could save students hundreds of dollars.

I was going to hold off on grad school. Is now the time to go while the job market may be down?

If that was a debate you were having, and you have the means, then start applying. You’d have to be flexible about completing grad school online since there hasn’t been a decision about upcoming semesters, but it’s a good time to start the process.

“Now is the time to go ahead and do that if the job market is down because when it picks back up, it might be just around the time when you are graduating,” McIntosh said. “Not only will you be better placed in 2 years’ time but your earning capacity would have improved as well.”

On top of that, many schools have waived the entrance exam requirement for upcoming application days, Buckley-Burnell said. The guidelines are a bit vague, and it’s based on the program, so you should check with the specific programs you are interested in.

If you’re about to begin graduate school or if you are considering going to graduate school, now is a good time to reevaluate the “why,” Cooper said.

“Be honest with yourself about how that degree or added skill set will develop or refine and if that career will exist post-pandemic,” he said. “A number of industries are being challenged as we speak.”

Cooper said you should also consider if you have a good financial plan to make loan payments before any expected salary increase from getting a graduate degree.

My internship was delayed. How will that affect me?

Every employer is handling internships differently. Some have cancelled, some have delayed and some are paying students for any costs they may have accrued when preparing for the upcoming internship. No matter what happens, it won’t harm you because so many students are experiencing the same thing. It will look different for students depending on if they were taking it for course credits or not.

“Many of the programs are working with students because it’s not as if it’s the students’ fault in any way that all this is going on,” Buckley-Burnell said. “Any kind of blips on your resume, in your employment, that are going on right now are going to pretty much be forgiven.”

If you have more questions about unemployment, savings and buying a house, you can find those answers here.