If my friend pays off my student loans in one lump sum so they stop accruing interest and then I pay him back as I can, will I owe taxes on the money he gives me?

[Anonymous]

this would appear to be a loan 

What kinds of loans have imputed interest

The rules for below-market loans apply to:

• Gift loans—loans between friends and family members other than spouses

Key exceptions to the rules

The tax code provides a couple notable exceptions to the imputed interest rules:

• Gift loans of less than $10,000 are exempt, as long as the money isn't used to buy income-producing assets.
• Compensation-related and corporation-shareholder loans under $10,000 are also exempt if the lender can demonstrate that tax avoidance wasn't the purpose of the loan.

non-tax 

The most important thing is simply having a written document containing information on the amount owed, the payment plan, the interest rate and terms to exit the contract in the future.