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As of Oct. 13, 2026
Federal student loan repayment changed a lot in 2026. A court order ended the SAVE plan in March, a new income-driven plan (the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP) opened July 1, and PAYE and ICR are set to close by July 1, 2028. This page lays out what each federal plan does, in plain English, with the source and date for every fact. It covers federal loans only, not private loans.
Not financial advice. Rules change. This page republishes published federal rules with dates. It doesn't tell you which plan to pick. Your servicer and StudentAid.gov have the final word on your loans: log in to StudentAid.gov and use its Repayment Calculator before you change plans. Help from your federal servicer is free; you never have to pay a company to enroll in a repayment plan.
Ended by court order, March 2026. You can't enroll in SAVE, and borrowers who were in it must move to another plan.
Sources: StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026) · ED release, Mar. 27, 2026 · StudentAid.gov court actions page.
Havens v. U.S. Department of Education, No. 1:26-cv-00816-LLA (D.D.C.). Borrowers argue that vacating the SAVE rule should have put the older REPAYE plan back in force and that moving SAVE enrollees to other plans is unlawful. ED has moved to dismiss. A preliminary-injunction motion was filed June 23, 2026; briefing on it and the motion to dismiss ended in August 2026.
Status: No ruling appears on the public CourtListener docket as of Oct. 13, 2026 (last entry shown: Aug. 19, 2026). RECAP copies can lag the official PACER docket. (CourtListener docket)
A ruling could change these facts. We re-check this box when StudentAid.gov or the dockets change; the date at the top is the last check.
| Plan | How the monthly payment is set | Time until any remaining balance is forgiven | Which loans | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | 1%–10% of adjusted gross income (AGI), by $10,000 income band, divided by 12; minus $50 a month per dependent; never less than $10 a month. | 30 years (360 qualifying payments) | Direct Loans disbursed any time. Parent PLUS loans (and consolidations that repaid them) are never eligible. FFEL and Perkins loans only after consolidating into a Direct Consolidation Loan. | Open since July 1, 2026. The only IDR plan for borrowers whose loans were all disbursed on or after July 1, 2026. | StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026) · 20 U.S.C. § 1087e(q) |
| Income-Based Repayment (IBR) | 15% of discretionary income (10% for new borrowers since July 1, 2014). Never more than the 10-year Standard payment. In the statute, the 15% figure is applied to AGI above 150% of the federal poverty line for your family size. | 25 years (20 years for new borrowers since July 1, 2014) | Direct and FFEL loans disbursed before July 1, 2026. Not parent PLUS loans. A Direct Consolidation Loan that includes a parent PLUS loan can qualify only if at least one payment is made under ICR before July 1, 2028. | Open. StudentAid.gov lists no end date for IBR (only PAYE and ICR are scheduled to end). | StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026) · StudentAid.gov IDR FAQ (Aug. 2026) · 20 U.S.C. § 1098e |
| Pay As You Earn (PAYE) | 10% of discretionary income. Your PAYE payment must be lower than the 10-year Standard payment or you don't qualify. | 20 years | Direct Loans disbursed before July 1, 2026; new borrower on or after Oct. 1, 2007 with a Direct Loan disbursement on or after Oct. 1, 2011. Never parent PLUS loans. | Ends no later than July 1, 2028. | StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026) · StudentAid.gov IDR FAQ (Aug. 2026) |
| Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) | The lesser of 20% of discretionary income or the payment on a 12-year fixed plan adjusted for income. | 25 years | Direct Loans disbursed before July 1, 2026 (FFEL must consolidate first). The only IDR path for a Direct Consolidation Loan that repaid a parent PLUS loan. | Ends no later than July 1, 2028. | StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026) · StudentAid.gov IDR FAQ (Aug. 2026) |
| SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) | No longer available. | — | No new enrollment; current enrollees must move to another plan. | Ended by court order, March 2026. | E.D. Mo. order, Mar. 10, 2026 · StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026) |
"Discretionary income" is defined differently by each plan; StudentAid.gov's Repayment Calculator applies the right definition for your loans. "New borrower" for IBR means your first loan was made on or after July 1, 2014, or you had no loans when you borrowed on or after that date.
| Adjusted gross income | Yearly base payment |
|---|---|
| $10,000 or less | $120 a year |
| $10,000 – $20,000 | 1% of AGI |
| $20,000 – $30,000 | 2% of AGI |
| $30,000 – $40,000 | 3% of AGI |
| $40,000 – $50,000 | 4% of AGI |
| $50,000 – $60,000 | 5% of AGI |
| $60,000 – $70,000 | 6% of AGI |
| $70,000 – $80,000 | 7% of AGI |
| $80,000 – $90,000 | 8% of AGI |
| $90,000 – $100,000 | 9% of AGI |
| Over $100,000 | 10% of AGI |
Then divide by 12 and subtract $50 a month per dependent; the minimum is $10 a month. Bands are "more than" the lower figure and "not more than" the upper one. Source: 20 U.S.C. § 1087e(q).
Applies the Repayment Assistance Plan formula in 20 U.S.C. § 1087e(q)(4)(B): base payment from your AGI band, divided by 12, minus $50 per dependent, with a $10 minimum. It does not check whether your loans qualify, and it doesn't compare plans. Use StudentAid.gov's Repayment Calculator for your official numbers.
| Plan | Payment | Repayment period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Fixed | 10 years (10–30 years for Consolidation Loans) | Loans disbursed before July 1, 2026 |
| Graduated | Starts lower, usually rises every two years | 10 years (10–30 years for Consolidation Loans) | Loans disbursed before July 1, 2026 |
| Extended | Fixed or graduated | 25 years | Loans disbursed before July 1, 2026 |
| Tiered Standard | Fixed | 10 years under $25,000; 15 years under $50,000; 20 years under $100,000; 25 years over $100,000 (balance tiers as StudentAid.gov publishes them) | The only fixed plan if you have a loan disbursed on or after July 1, 2026. Payments do not count toward PSLF. |
Source: StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026).
Sources: StudentAid.gov IDR FAQ (Aug. 2026) · StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026) · 26 U.S.C. § 108.
Source: StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (Oct. 2026).
No. A federal court order (E.D. Mo., Mar. 10, 2026, after an Eighth Circuit judgment on Mar. 9, 2026) vacated the SAVE rule. Borrowers who were in SAVE get a servicer notice with 90 days to choose another plan, then a final 30-day notice; otherwise they're placed in the Standard or Tiered Standard plan (StudentAid.gov, checked Oct. 13, 2026).
1% to 10% of adjusted gross income depending on your $10,000 income band (a flat $120 a year at $10,000 or less), divided by 12, minus $50 a month per dependent, with a $10 monthly minimum. Remaining balance is cancelled after 360 qualifying payments (20 U.S.C. § 1087e(q)).
PAYE and ICR end no later than July 1, 2028. SAVE has already ended. IBR and RAP remain (StudentAid.gov).
No. We publish the federal rules with sources and dates. Your servicer and StudentAid.gov's Repayment Calculator show the plans you qualify for and your payment.
Facts, not financial advice. Federal repayment rules and court status change; confirm your options with your servicer and StudentAid.gov before switching plans.