Michelle Singletary: Student loan relief is extended until Jan. 31, 2022. Here’s what you need to know.

The debt relief provided to federal student loan borrowers has been extended into next year, but the Department of Education says don’t expect another reprieve.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, federal student loan payments and interest were suspended to help folks struggling to make ends meet because of the pandemic.

Collection actions on defaulted loans were halted. So was negative credit reporting for eligible federal student loans, meaning the Education Department reported suspended payments to the major credit bureaus as if they were made on time.

The pandemic-related relief was scheduled to end on Sept. 30 but now the forbearance has been extended until Jan. 31, 2022.

Here’s what you need to know about the forbearance extension.

When will I have to start paying my student loans again?

If you were eligible, your payment pause should have started in March 2020. It was supposed to last…