Disclaimer: I know nothing about this, but...
If Sallie Mae is anything like the crooks that are handling the foreclosure debacle, I would go ahead and make monthly payments anyway. Will they absolutely not accept payments, as in they won't cash your check and credit your account? The reason I ask: from what I've read, multiple banks have told homeowners to skip a few payments so they can get a special hardship status so they can qualify for lower payments. The banks tell the homeowners to wait until they hear from the bank (months and months from now) until they start to repay. The homeowners dutifully do what they're told, only to find out later that following these explicit instructions caused them to default on their mortgage (though the bank assured them that wouldn't be the case), ruin their credit and they lose their house.
Now, student loans are certainly different than mortgages. However, I've had enough problems with my loan processors just trying to pay my loans the regular way that I'd be wary of any exceptions to the process. If you can afford repayment, I'd just keep repaying - send the checks, make copies, keep documentation if payments get returned to you, etc. It takes A LOT of work to try to correct a mistake on your credit report. You'll need to be prepared to fight if this turns against you.
Just my two cents. Again, I speak without any claim of authority or expecation that I know what the heck I'm talking about. Good luck.
