Income-driven repayment (IDR) ties eligible federal student loan payments to income and family size or dependents. If a balance remains after the plan’s qualifying repayment period, it may be discharged—but the period, payment count and access to each plan depend on the borrower’s loan types, disbursement dates and history. Federal Student Aid’s current guidance says the SAVE Plan ended by court order in March 2026; affected borrowers must choose another eligible plan by the deadline in their servicer notice. Federal Student Aid’s IDR FAQ and its SAVE transition FAQ describe the current rules.
What IDR forgiveness means
Income-driven repayment plans calculate a required monthly payment using a borrower’s income and family size or number of dependents, rather than setting it only from the amount owed. That differs from a fixed-payment plan, where the payment is based on the loan balance and interest rate. A lower income-based payment can leave an unpaid balance after a long repayment period. If the borrower meets the applicable plan requirements, that remaining balance may be discharged at the end of the qualifying repayment period. Federal Student Aid’s current IDR FAQ explains the payment basis and discharge rules.
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“May” matters. IDR discharge is not a promise that every borrower will have a balance left, qualify for a particular plan, or receive discharge after a fixed number of calendar years. Eligibility, the length of the qualifying period, and credit for repayment history vary. Check the actual loan record, plan rules and qualifying-payment count before making a decision based on a projected discharge date.
How long qualifying repayment lasts under current plans
As of Federal Student Aid’s October 2026 guidance, the listed repayment periods differ by plan. These are plan terms, not a universal “20 years of payments” rule. Eligibility is also separate: a plan’s repayment period does not mean that every borrower or federal loan can use it.
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| Plan | Qualifying repayment period | Payment basis and important limits |
|---|---|---|
| Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | 30 years | Generally 1%–10% of adjusted gross income divided by 12, reduced by $50 per claimed dependent, with a $10 monthly minimum. Eligibility varies by loan type and disbursement date; parent loans are excluded. |
| Income-Based Repayment (IBR) | 25 years; 20 years for new borrowers | Generally 15% of discretionary income, or 10% for new borrowers, capped at the 10-year Standard Plan payment. Eligibility and the definition of a new borrower depend on applicable rules and loan history. |
| Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) | 25 years | The lesser of 20% of discretionary income or an income-adjusted 12-year fixed-plan payment. The plan is scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. |
| Pay As You Earn (PAYE) | 20 years | Generally 10% of discretionary income, subject to an initial payment eligibility test. The plan is scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. |
These plan terms and payment summaries come from Federal Student Aid’s October 2026 IDR FAQ. ICR and PAYE have limited, rule-dependent access and are scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028; do not assume they will be available to a new applicant. For exact eligibility by loan, use the live federal eligibility guidance rather than treating the table as an eligibility determination.
Which loans and borrowers can qualify
Federal loans do not all qualify for every IDR plan. Loan program, disbursement date, consolidation history and borrower circumstances can change which options are available. The Federal Student Aid account dashboard is the starting point for identifying loan types, balances, interest rates and current repayment plan. Then use the current eligibility guidance to check each loan against each plan.
- Parent loans: Loans made for parents are generally not eligible for IDR plans. Some older Parent PLUS consolidation cases receive different treatment, depending on the plan and consolidation date.
- FFEL loans: Some plans may require an eligible FFEL loan to be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Consolidation is consequential: it can change payment counts, so check the rules and account impact first.
- Defaulted loans: A defaulted loan is not eligible for an IDR plan until the default is addressed through an eligible route.
- Loan dates and types: Direct, FFEL and Parent PLUS status, along with disbursement dates, may affect access. A borrower with several loans may not have the same plan choices for all of them.
Federal Student Aid’s eligibility FAQ describes these restrictions; it is not safe to infer a borrower’s eligibility from the plan name alone.
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How to pursue IDR discharge
The practical task is to choose an eligible plan, keep its requirements current, and track qualifying credit rather than simply count years since graduation or the first bill.
- Review the official account record. Sign in to StudentAid.gov and inspect the dashboard for each loan’s type, balance, interest rate and repayment plan. Note disbursement dates and whether a loan is Direct, FFEL or Parent PLUS; those facts can affect plan access and discharge rules.
- Check eligibility for every loan. Compare the account details with the current Federal Student Aid plan eligibility guidance. If there are multiple loans or a consolidation, verify how the rules apply to each loan and whether any earlier qualifying credit is affected.
- Estimate available plans with your own information. Use the Federal Student Aid repayment calculator to compare estimated monthly payments, repayment periods, total paid and projected IDR or PSLF discharge. Results depend on the loan and financial information entered; an estimate is not a final eligibility ruling or a guaranteed discharge date. Federal Student Aid’s FAQ links to its official tools.
- Apply and provide income information. Federal Student Aid provides an online IDR application. Depending on the application route, borrowers can authorize tax-information import or submit income documentation. Follow the application status and any servicer instructions, especially if a plan transition deadline applies.
- Keep records and monitor payment credit. Review account notices and the recorded qualifying-payment progress. If the count or plan status looks wrong, contact the servicer and keep the response and relevant account records. A monthly payment made, a calendar month passing, and a qualifying payment credit are not interchangeable.
- Act on a discharge notice. Federal Student Aid says it will notify borrowers when their loans are eligible for IDR discharge and allow 21 days to opt out. If a borrower opts out, payments must continue until the balance is repaid. Review the notice and tax implications before choosing.
Federal loan servicer help is free, and borrowers do not have to pay a company to submit an IDR application or manage federal loans, according to Federal Student Aid’s transition FAQ.
What counts toward the qualifying period
Discharge depends on qualifying repayment credit under the rules that apply to the borrower, not merely the number of years a loan has existed. Keep track of the plan in which each loan is enrolled, the account’s payment count, and any periods of deferment or forbearance. In particular, time spent in forbearance is not automatically equivalent to qualifying repayment time.
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Federal Student Aid says changing plans does not erase qualifying IDR payments credited before a borrower entered SAVE forbearance. But months spent in SAVE forbearance do not count toward IDR discharge. Its transition FAQ also says consolidation can change counts; qualifying payments on Direct Loans included in a consolidation are credited using a weighted average. Because consolidation can therefore alter the path to discharge, confirm the likely count treatment before consolidating. The SAVE transition FAQ covers these transition-specific rules.
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SAVE ended: what affected borrowers need to do
Federal Student Aid says a court order ended the SAVE Plan in March 2026. Borrowers affected by the change receive a notice from their servicer. The 90-day period to select another eligible plan begins with that servicer notice—not a separate Federal Student Aid email. If no plan is selected during that period, a final 30-day notice follows. If the borrower still does not choose by the final deadline, automatic placement in a fixed-payment plan may occur. Which plan applies depends in part on whether the loan was received on or after July 1, 2026. Federal Student Aid’s SAVE transition FAQ provides this timeline.
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- Read the servicer notice and record its dates. Individual timelines are tied to the notice, so do not calculate a deadline from the date of a general announcement or an email from another source.
- Review currently available plans for your loans. Check loan type and disbursement date, then compare only plans for which you are eligible. Use the official calculator to assess the payment estimate and projected outcome.
- Submit a plan choice before the applicable deadline. Follow the servicer’s instructions and monitor the application status. If you do not choose, the notices and possible fixed-plan placement can affect what you owe each month.
Borrowers with qualifying IDR payments from before SAVE forbearance retain that prior credited progress when changing plans, according to Federal Student Aid. The forbearance months themselves do not advance IDR discharge or PSLF. A possible PSLF buyback may apply to certain months only when the borrower already has 120 months of qualifying employment; check the agency’s current instructions rather than assuming every forbearance month can be bought back.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.IDR discharge and PSLF are different programs
Income-driven repayment discharge is based on completing the applicable qualifying repayment period under an IDR plan. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) instead requires qualifying employment and payment conditions. Current Federal Student Aid guidance generally describes PSLF as requiring 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full time for an eligible government or nonprofit employer. It lists IDR plans as qualifying for PSLF and Tiered Standard payments as nonqualifying. Federal Student Aid’s forgiveness overview explains PSLF alongside other discharge and forgiveness programs.
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How to compare eligible plans for your circumstances
There is no universally best IDR plan. Compare plans that are actually open to the borrower’s loans and weigh the monthly amount against total cost, time to possible discharge and any PSLF strategy.
- Eligibility: Confirm access for each loan, including restrictions tied to loan type, disbursement date, parent borrowing or consolidation.
- Monthly payment: Compare the plan’s formula and the borrower’s income and dependent inputs. A lower required payment can be useful for cash flow but may leave a larger balance outstanding.
- Time to potential discharge: Use the repayment period for the specific plan and borrower category, then confirm the account’s qualifying-payment credit. Do not equate a calendar anniversary with completion.
- Total paid and interest: Review calculator estimates for total payments and projected balance; a smaller monthly bill does not necessarily mean a smaller total cost.
- Prior credit and plan changes: Check how a switch or consolidation affects the recorded qualifying count before taking action.
- PSLF compatibility: If eligible public-service employment is involved, verify that the payment plan and monthly credits meet PSLF requirements rather than judging only by the IDR term.
The Federal Student Aid calculator can estimate payments and projected discharge using borrower-specific data, while its eligibility guidance clarifies which choices are available. Both are necessary: a favorable estimate is not useful if the borrower cannot enroll in that plan.
Taxes and the final discharge decision
Tax treatment can depend on the borrower’s circumstances and applicable law at the time of discharge. Do not assume that an IDR discharge will always be tax-free or always taxable. When Federal Student Aid sends a discharge-eligibility notice, review its 21-day opt-out period and consider the borrower’s current tax position and applicable rules before deciding whether to opt out. If the borrower opts out, payments continue until the balance is repaid. The general IDR FAQ cannot determine an individual’s tax bill. Federal Student Aid’s IDR FAQ addresses the tax question and notice process.
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