Choose among the federal repayment plans you are eligible for by comparing more than the monthly bill: test whether the payment fits your household budget, then weigh estimated total paid, interest, time to payoff or discharge, payment predictability, and any plan end date. Federal Student Aid’s Repayment Calculator can help you make that comparison, but its figures are estimates; your servicer confirms final terms after processing your application.
Start with your own loans, not a generic plan list
There is no single repayment plan that is best for every borrower. The plans available to you depend on your federal loan types and when the loans were first disbursed. Those details can also affect a fixed plan’s term and whether a plan is relevant to a goal such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
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Sign in to StudentAid.gov and review your loan information before comparing options. Record the loan type, first disbursement date, current repayment plan, and servicer for each loan. If you have several loans, do not assume they all have the same characteristics or qualify for the same plans. Use the calculator’s eligible-plan results rather than treating a list of plan names as a list of options available to you.
This guide concerns federal student loans. Private loans have separate lender contracts, so the federal plan descriptions and calculator comparison here do not establish what repayment choices are available for a private loan.
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Compare the plans by how they affect your budget and timeline
Federal Student Aid’s October 2026 descriptions show that repayment plans can differ in starting payment, payment changes over time, length, income-based calculation, and eligibility. The table is a high-level orientation, not a guarantee that any particular plan will appear for your loans. Eligibility and terms should be confirmed in your StudentAid.gov account and through the official calculator.
| Plan | How payments are structured | Term or other consideration in Federal Student Aid’s October 2026 guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Fixed payments. | Commonly 10 years; some consolidation loans have longer terms. Listed as a fixed option for loans disbursed before July 1, 2026. |
| Tiered Standard | Fixed-payment option for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026. | Federal Student Aid’s cited guidance identifies it as the fixed option for those disbursement dates. Check your eligible-plan results for the terms that apply to you. |
| Graduated | Payments start lower and typically increase, usually every two years. | Generally a 10-year term, with specified longer terms for some consolidation loans. Listed for loans disbursed before July 1, 2026. |
| Extended | Payments may be fixed or graduated. | Up to 25 years for eligible borrowers; listed for loans disbursed before July 1, 2026. |
| Income-Based Repayment (IBR) | Payment is based on a percentage of discretionary income. The percentage and repayment period depend on borrower status. | Payment is capped at the applicable Standard amount under the agency’s description. Check the calculator for your estimated amount and term. |
| Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) | The payment is the lesser of 20% of discretionary income or an adjusted 12-year fixed payment. | The summary describes a 25-year term. Federal Student Aid says ICR will end no later than July 1, 2028. |
| Pay As You Earn (PAYE) | 10% of discretionary income, subject to an eligibility and payment cap. | The summary describes a 20-year term. Federal Student Aid says PAYE will end no later than July 1, 2028. |
| Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | Payment is based on 1%–10% of adjusted gross income divided by 12, reduced by $50 for each claimed dependent, with a $10 monthly minimum. | The cited guidance describes a 30-year period and interest and principal support features for qualifying payments. Check current official eligibility and calculator results. |
These are summaries of Federal Student Aid’s October 2026 guidance, not personal payment quotes. Federal Student Aid says plan availability varies with loan type and first disbursement date; income-driven eligibility also varies. Rules can change through legislation or court-related implementation, so use the current calculator and notices rather than relying on a static chart.
What the payment pattern means in practice
- Fixed payments: A fixed schedule can make the amount more predictable. That predictability does not by itself mean the payment fits your budget or produces the lowest total cost.
- Graduated payments: A lower starting payment may ease an early cash-flow constraint, but typical increases mean you need to consider whether later payments will still be manageable.
- Extended repayment: Spreading payments over as long as 25 years can reduce pressure on the monthly budget for eligible borrowers, while a longer repayment period can mean paying more interest overall.
- Income-driven repayment: The amount depends on the plan’s rules and your relevant income and household details. It may fit a borrower whose current earnings make fixed payments hard to sustain, but compare the estimated total paid and projected timeline as well as the first payment.
Use the Repayment Calculator to compare eligible options
Federal Student Aid calls its current tool the Repayment Calculator; it was formerly called Loan Simulator. Its August 2026 guide describes estimates for monthly payment, repayment period, possible PSLF or income-driven repayment (IDR) discharge, principal and interest, and total paid. Logging in can import loan and income information; manual entry lets you test income scenarios. The tool can sort results by low-to-high monthly payment, low-to-high total paid, or fastest payoff.
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- Sign in and check your loan details. Use the information in your StudentAid.gov account to verify that the loans and disbursement dates you are comparing are the right ones.
- Open the Repayment Calculator. Start with the eligible plans shown for your loans. Do not assume a plan is available simply because it appears in a general plan description.
- Review the imported information. Check the loan and income details the calculator uses. If you enter information manually, make sure it reflects the scenario you want to compare.
- Compare the outputs that answer different questions. Look at estimated monthly payment for affordability, total paid and principal and interest for cost, and the repayment or potential discharge timeline for duration.
- Test another plausible income scenario. If your earnings could change, use manual entry to see how the comparison shifts. Treat the result as an estimate, not a promise of a future bill.
- Apply for the plan you choose. Use the calculator’s Apply option or follow the plan’s official instructions through StudentAid.gov. The servicer communicates final terms after processing.
The calculator is most useful when its inputs reflect your actual loans and current circumstances. A change in income, family circumstances, loan details, or policy can change the estimate. If an IDR application asks for financial information, Federal Student Aid says you may consent to secure IRS financial-information retrieval or provide acceptable documentation.
Decide what “affordable” means for your household
The lowest payment displayed is not automatically the right choice. A useful test is whether you can make the payment on time while meeting essential household expenses and retaining a reasonable buffer. Consider the payment alongside other recurring obligations and the possibility that income or expenses may change. This is a budget-fit test, not an income threshold: the available information does not establish one universal payment amount that is affordable for every borrower.
Compare at least two scenarios if your budget is tight: the payment you expect under current circumstances and a plausible change in income or household situation. For an income-driven plan, make sure the information used in the estimate reflects the details relevant under that plan’s rules. Also understand any application or recertification requirements that apply to your plan. Do not choose based on a payment estimate alone if you have not checked how the plan’s terms and timeline fit your longer-term finances.
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Use the trade-off that matters most to you
- If cash flow is the immediate constraint, identify which eligible options produce a payment your household can sustain, then compare the extra time and estimated cost that may come with a lower payment.
- If predictability matters most, compare fixed schedules with plans whose payment can change. A predictable schedule can be easier to budget for, but check its amount against your actual monthly capacity.
- If paying the least overall is the priority, compare total paid and estimated principal and interest, as well as the fastest payoff result. A larger payment may shorten repayment, but only choose an amount you can reliably pay.
- If forgiveness is part of your plan, compare qualifying-payment treatment and the projected discharge timing rather than choosing solely by the monthly amount.
- If you need an option for a long horizon, check whether the plan is scheduled to end and what that could mean for a projection that extends past its end date.
Include PSLF rules in the choice if you are pursuing forgiveness
For PSLF, plan selection is part of a larger eligibility check: confirm that your loans and employment meet the program’s requirements, then verify that your repayment plan and payments qualify. Federal Student Aid’s current guidance says qualifying IDR plans count for PSLF and Tiered Standard payments do not. Do not assume that every plan with a federal payment schedule counts simply because it appears in the calculator.
Use the calculator’s possible PSLF estimate as a comparison aid, not as confirmation that you personally qualify. Compare the projected payment and timeline with the qualifying-payment rules, and check current Federal Student Aid guidance for the plan you are considering. If forgiveness is not your goal, you can still compare the same outputs, but the PSLF-specific distinction may not determine your choice.
Account for the scheduled end of PAYE and ICR
Federal Student Aid says PAYE and ICR are scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. If your estimated repayment or forgiveness horizon extends beyond that date, do not assume either plan will remain available for the entire projection. Include the possible transition in your decision and follow future official instructions about how a change would apply to your account.
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This end date is different from an individual borrower’s payoff or discharge estimate: it is a stated plan sunset, not a prediction of when your balance will be resolved. The calculator can help show your estimated timeline under current information, but a long-range projection involving a plan scheduled to end needs that additional qualification.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you are on SAVE, follow your servicer’s notice
Federal Student Aid’s October 2026 SAVE transition FAQ says a court order ended SAVE in March 2026. Affected borrowers are being notified by servicers in groups. The 90-day window to choose another plan is based on the date of an individual servicer notice, followed by a final 30-day notice if no plan has been selected. There is no single deadline that applies to every borrower.
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- Check your servicer inbox and account notices. Find the notice date, your response deadline, and the instructions that apply to your loans.
- Compare the eligible alternatives promptly. Use the Repayment Calculator and consider budget fit, total cost, duration, and any forgiveness goal.
- Submit your plan selection by the deadline in your notice. Follow the notice and official application instructions; do not substitute another borrower’s deadline for your own.
- Check for a final notice if you have not selected a plan. The FAQ describes a final 30-day notice after the initial window. If no plan is selected by that final deadline, a borrower may be placed into Standard or Tiered Standard depending on loan disbursement dates.
Borrowers who were never on SAVE or have not entered repayment may not need to switch for this reason. If you are affected, use your own servicer’s current instructions, since notification timing and the applicable deadline depend on that notice.
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Apply through official federal channels
After choosing an eligible plan, use the Repayment Calculator’s Apply option or the official instructions for that plan through StudentAid.gov. For an IDR application, Federal Student Aid says borrowers may allow secure retrieval of financial information from the IRS or supply acceptable documentation. Keep your submitted information and the servicer’s later confirmation together so you can compare the finalized terms with the estimate you used to decide.
Federal Student Aid says federal servicer help is free and borrowers do not have to pay a company to apply for a plan or manage federal loans. Be cautious of anyone charging to submit a federal plan application on your behalf; use official federal channels and contact your servicer for account-specific processing questions.
Check the choice again when circumstances change
A repayment plan is a decision based on current loan facts, budget, goals, and rules—not a permanent verdict that the same option will always be best. Revisit the comparison when your income or household circumstances change, when your servicer sends a plan notice, or when official rules affect an option you are using or considering. For a revised comparison, check the account data, update the calculator inputs, and look again at the payment, total paid, interest, timeline, and eligibility that matter to your decision.
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