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1. SAVE was vacated: what should affected borrowers do?
A federal court order vacated the SAVE plan on March 10, 2026, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The Department of Education had announced that affected borrowers would be directed to leave SAVE and choose another legal repayment plan. Borrowers should follow the current instructions and selection deadline in their own servicer communications rather than assume that a general transition date applies to everyone.
Forbearance and borrower counts
GAO reported that about 8 million SAVE borrowers were placed in administrative forbearance after court actions blocked implementation. The Department of Education separately referred to 7.5 million SAVE borrowers in its 2026 announcement. Those figures come from different sources and contexts, so they should not be treated as identical counts.
If you are affected, check your servicer’s latest notice for whether you need to select a plan, when you must act and what to do about payments while your account transitions. Your account—not a general estimate of how long the transition may take—determines your instructions.
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2. The repayment-plan menu is changing
Public Law 119-21 established the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and a revised Standard plan, while changing the availability of some existing plans on different schedules. The changes began July 1, 2026, but borrowers do not all have the same choices: eligibility depends in part on loan type and when the loan was taken out.
RAP: income-linked payments and a longer forgiveness term
GAO describes RAP payments as ranging from 1% to 10% of adjusted gross income (AGI). The Department of Education’s May 1, 2026 Federal Register final rule sets a $10 monthly minimum for RAP borrowers earning less than $10,000 a year. That differs from prior income-driven repayment (IDR) plans that could allow a $0 payment.
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RAP’s forgiveness threshold is 360 on-time payments. The Department’s May 1, 2026 final rule says: “The Repayment Assistance Plan provides loan forgiveness to borrowers who make a total of 360 on-time payments in the plan.” That is 30 years of qualifying payments, compared with the 20- or 25-year timelines described for prior IDR plans. The applicable terms and your eligibility depend on your loans and plan.
PAYE, ICR and IBR: check the loan-date transition rules
GAO summarizes the transition schedule this way:
- PAYE and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) close to borrowers with loans taken out on or after July 1, 2026.
- PAYE and ICR then close to existing borrowers on July 1, 2028.
- Income-Based Repayment (IBR) eligibility is restricted for borrowers with loans taken out on or after July 1, 2026; GAO says IBR remains an option for earlier loans.
Because the dates and restrictions hinge on your loan history and type, confirm eligibility through your StudentAid.gov account and servicer before choosing a plan. The revised Standard plan is also part of the new federal menu; the sources summarized here do not establish an individual borrower’s eligibility or payment under it.
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There is no single best plan for every borrower. Before selecting one, compare the factors that determine what it would mean for your situation:
- Eligibility: Check which plans accept your loan types and when you borrowed.
- Monthly payment: Compare how a plan calculates payments, including RAP’s AGI-linked range and minimum.
- Forgiveness timeline: Consider RAP’s 360 on-time payments alongside the 20- or 25-year terms described for prior IDR plans.
- Forgiveness goal: If you are pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or another forgiveness route, verify the rules that apply to that program and plan.
- Transition instructions: Use your servicer’s notice for your payment status, selection deadline and next steps.
3. Forgiveness rules and other repayment protections have shifted
PSLF rule changes were vacated before taking effect
The Department of Education’s 2025 PSLF eligibility-rule changes were scheduled to take effect in July 2026. The Associated Press reported that federal judges vacated the overhaul on June 30, 2026, the day before its planned effective date. Do not treat those vacated changes as operative. Check current Department of Education guidance for any later appeal or court action before making a decision based on PSLF eligibility.
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Deferment and forbearance changes for later loans
The Department of Education’s May 1, 2026 Federal Register final rule describes additional changes for loans made on or after July 1, 2027: economic-hardship and unemployment deferment options are removed, and forbearance is limited to nine months in any 24-month period. GAO also describes an expanded ability to rehabilitate defaulted loans twice beginning July 1, 2027. These provisions have a later start date than the repayment-plan changes that began in 2026.
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What to do next
- Open your StudentAid.gov account and review your loan types, loan dates, current plan and account notices.
- Read your servicer’s latest communication for any SAVE transition instructions, your personal plan-selection deadline and payment directions.
- Compare only plans you are eligible for, using your repayment timeline and forgiveness goal as well as the monthly payment.
- Check current official guidance before acting on PSLF, because the June 30, 2026 court ruling and any later legal action can affect which rules apply.
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