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Compare federal repayment plans in a borrower-specific order: narrow the list to plans you can use, model each one with your actual loans, then weigh payment size, total cost, payoff or discharge timing, and PSLF eligibility before applying.
1. Gather the loan facts that determine your choices
Sign in to your StudentAid.gov account and open your Dashboard before comparing plans. Record each loan’s type, outstanding principal, interest rate, first disbursement date, current repayment plan, current payment and servicer. Eligibility is not based on balance alone: loan type and when the loan was first disbursed can eliminate plans from consideration.
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Also write down the facts the formulas will use: current adjusted gross income (AGI), expected income changes, family size, tax-filing status and whether you work for a qualifying public-service employer. If your income or family circumstances are changing, prepare more than one realistic scenario rather than comparing plans against a single income snapshot.
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- Download or save the Dashboard details for every federal loan, including loans held by different servicers.
- Separate Direct Loans from Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or other older federal loans; the distinction can affect income-driven repayment (IDR) access.
- Note any previous consolidation, because a consolidation loan can have different term rules and can change which plans are available.
- For a Parent PLUS loan, flag the account before using a generic comparison. Parent PLUS and consolidation histories have special restrictions that require the official plan chart and servicer confirmation.
The official plan descriptions and eligibility rules are summarized in Federal Student Aid’s Federal Student Loan Repayment Plans page. Your Dashboard and the calculator remain the authoritative starting points for your individual account.
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2. Filter for eligibility before ranking costs
Do not begin by choosing the plan with the smallest advertised payment. First remove plans that your loans, disbursement dates or borrower category cannot use. Federal Student Aid’s October 2026 guidance describes different fixed-payment options for loans disbursed before July 1, 2026 and those disbursed on or after that date, while IDR eligibility varies by loan and date.
| Plan | Payment structure | Published repayment period | Important comparison point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Fixed payments | Generally 10 years for eligible non-consolidation loans; consolidation loans can have longer terms | Usually the shortest standard schedule for eligible non-consolidation debt, so payments can be higher even though interest generally has less time to accrue |
| Graduated | Payments start lower and increase over time | Standard listed period is 10 years, with consolidation exceptions | Useful only if you can reasonably handle scheduled increases; a low opening payment does not represent the cost of the full schedule |
| Extended | Fixed or graduated payments | Up to 25 years for eligible borrowers | Longer amortization can reduce the required payment but generally extends interest accumulation; eligibility requirements apply |
| Tiered Standard | Fixed payment tied to balance tiers | 10 to 25 years under the schedule described for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026 | Confirm both the disbursement-date rule and PSLF treatment before selecting it |
| Income-Based Repayment (IBR) | Income-based formula; payment cap and qualifying period depend on borrower category and applicable rules | 20 or 25 years, depending on the applicable category | Compare the calculated payment with the standard-plan cap and check the qualifying-payment rules for potential discharge |
| Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) | Lesser of 20% of discretionary income or an adjusted 12-year fixed-plan amount | 25 years | Scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028; do not select it without reviewing transition instructions |
| Pay As You Earn (PAYE) | Generally 10% of discretionary income, subject to a payment cap and eligibility criteria | 20 years | Scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028; verify whether you can enroll and what replacement plan would apply later |
| Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) | No longer an available plan under current guidance | Ended | A court order ended the SAVE Plan in March 2026; affected borrowers should follow their servicer’s notices and choose another eligible plan |
| Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | Formula based on AGI, with dependent-related reductions described by Federal Student Aid | 30 years in the current comparison | Model the payment with your actual income and family details rather than applying a generic percentage |
For the current formulas, borrower categories and eligibility definitions, read Federal Student Aid’s Top FAQs About Income-Driven Repayment Plans. The table describes plan structures published in 2026, not a prediction of the terms your servicer will approve.
3. Check transition rules that could make a plan temporary
Plan availability is changing, so a comparison that ignores transition dates can produce a misleading result. Federal Student Aid states that a court order ended SAVE in March 2026. Borrowers affected by that termination must select another eligible plan and should use the instructions and deadlines in their servicer’s notices. Read the current SAVE Plan Borrowers: FAQs About Choosing a Different Repayment Plan before submitting a change.
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4. Use the official Repayment Calculator for an apples-to-apples comparison
Federal Student Aid’s current tool is called the Repayment Calculator, the successor to the previously named Loan Simulator. It can retrieve your federal loan information after sign-in or let you enter the details manually. The calculator shows plans available for the data you provide and estimates payments, total paid, principal, interest, possible discharge and the end-of-term date.
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- Open the tool. Go to Compare Repayment Plans With Our Repayment Calculator and choose the sign-in path if you want your Dashboard data imported.
- Verify the imported loans. Check balances, loan types, disbursement dates and current plan against your records. Correct an error before interpreting any result.
- Choose a scenario. Enter current income and family information, or switch to manual entry when you need to model a different income, family size or loan set.
- Review only eligible plans first. The calculator filters its initial results based on the information supplied. If you believe a plan is missing, confirm the loan data and read the eligibility explanation rather than assuming the omission is an error.
- Reveal additional plans when offered. Some views allow you to display more options. Record why a newly displayed plan is eligible before comparing its numbers.
- Sort the results three ways. Use low-to-high monthly payment to test cash-flow relief, low-to-high total paid to test lifetime cost, and fastest payoff to test how quickly the balance would be cleared under the estimate.
- Save the output. Keep a copy of the estimates, the date you ran them and the income scenario used. Run a second scenario if your income, dependents or employment may change.
The calculator is not an approval decision. Federal Student Aid expressly warns that its results are estimates only. After you submit an application, your servicer processes the request and communicates the final payment, effective date and other terms.
5. Read every output instead of focusing on the monthly payment
| Calculator output | Question it answers | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated monthly payment | Can my budget sustain the required bill? | Compare it with a conservative monthly budget, not with your best month. For graduated or IDR plans, examine how the amount can change. |
| Estimated total paid | What could I pay over the modeled schedule? | Use it to identify the cost of lower-payment options. A smaller bill today can produce a larger lifetime total when repayment lasts longer. |
| Principal and interest | How much of the modeled total is debt versus interest? | Look for plans that reduce interest accumulation if your priority is minimizing cost and you can afford the payment. |
| Possible discharge amount | Could a balance remain at the end of the qualifying period? | Treat the figure as conditional. It depends on qualifying payments, continued eligibility and the plan rules; it is not a guaranteed forgiveness award. |
| End-of-term or payoff date | When would scheduled repayment finish? | Compare the date with career, housing and retirement plans. A longer term can lower the bill while keeping the debt outstanding for decades. |
Federal Student Aid recommends considering effects on interest, principal and possible discharge when switching plans. Use one sorting method at a time, then inspect the other columns so an apparently attractive result does not hide a cost or timing trade-off.
6. Understand the fixed-payment choices
Standard repayment
Standard repayment uses fixed payments and is generally a 10-year schedule for eligible non-consolidation loans. Consolidation loans can receive longer terms. This option is straightforward: the payment is set for the schedule rather than adjusted to income. It can be a strong cost-control choice when the payment fits your budget because the balance is scheduled to amortize relatively quickly, but a high required bill can create delinquency risk if your income is unstable.
Graduated repayment
Graduated repayment starts with lower payments and raises them over time. The standard listed period is 10 years, with exceptions for consolidation loans. Compare the entire sequence of payments, not only the first bill. Ask whether your expected income growth is sufficient to absorb the increases and whether the total interest is acceptable.
Extended repayment
Extended repayment permits fixed or graduated payments over as many as 25 years for eligible borrowers. The longer schedule can make a payment manageable when a 10-year bill is unrealistic, but it usually keeps principal outstanding longer and allows more interest to accrue. Check the eligibility conditions and compare the estimated total paid with a shorter plan before choosing it solely for payment relief.
Tiered Standard
For loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, the current Federal Student Aid FAQ describes Tiered Standard as the fixed-payment option, with a term tied to balance tiers from 10 up to 25 years. Because this is a newer structure, verify the tier assigned to your balance and whether the resulting payments count for any forgiveness program you are pursuing. The current PSLF treatment is addressed separately below.
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7. Understand the income-driven choices
IDR plans link payments to income and family size, but each plan uses its own formula, eligibility test, cap and qualifying period. A generic statement such as a fixed percentage of income cannot reproduce your result without the plan’s definitions and your loan data.
IBR
IBR payment calculations and the 20- or 25-year qualifying period depend on the borrower category and rules that apply to the loan. Compare the calculator’s IBR payment with the standard-plan amount and inspect the payment cap. If your income rises, the cap can matter as much as the initial IDR calculation.
ICR
ICR uses the lesser of 20% of discretionary income or an amount based on a 12-year fixed plan, with a 25-year term in the current description. It is scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. If ICR appears to solve an immediate affordability problem, include the likely replacement plan and transition timing in your decision rather than treating the displayed schedule as permanent.
PAYE
PAYE generally calculates 10% of discretionary income, subject to a payment cap and eligibility criteria, over a 20-year term. It is also scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. Confirm that you meet the applicable borrower and loan requirements and obtain the servicer’s instructions for what happens when the program closes.
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RAP
RAP uses AGI and includes dependent-related reductions described by Federal Student Aid; its current comparison lists a 30-year repayment term. Because family details affect the formula, run the calculator with the correct number of dependents and test how the payment changes if that number or your income changes.
Discharge is conditional, not automatic
Federal Student Aid says remaining IDR balances may be forgiven after the applicable number of qualifying payments, commonly 20 or 25 years depending on the plan and borrower category. The qualifying-payment count, annual income certification, loan type and other plan requirements all matter. A calculator discharge estimate is therefore a planning figure, not a promise that a specific amount will be forgiven. See Student Loan Forgiveness (and Other Ways the Government Can Help You Repay Your Loans) for the federal program framework.
8. Give PSLF its own comparison test
If you work toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness, payment-plan eligibility is a separate decision axis from affordability. Current Federal Student Aid guidance identifies IDR plans, including RAP, IBR, ICR and PAYE, as qualifying plans and says Tiered Standard payments do not count toward PSLF. Do not infer PSLF credit from a low payment or from the word federal in a plan name.
- Confirm that your loans are eligible Direct Loans or determine whether a permitted consolidation is needed.
- Use the PSLF Help Tool to check qualifying employment and obtain the appropriate form instructions.
- Compare only payment plans that satisfy the current PSLF rules for your account. If a fixed plan is not qualifying, include the cost of moving to an eligible IDR plan in your analysis.
- Submit a PSLF form annually and whenever you change jobs so employment and qualifying-payment records are reviewed while documentation is available.
- Keep copies of servicer confirmations and payment histories. A later dispute is easier to resolve when you can show the plan, employer certification and dates.
Because PSLF depends on qualifying employment and qualifying payments, a plan with a higher estimated total paid can still be the rational choice if it preserves a realistic path to discharge. Conversely, choosing a plan solely because it has the lowest monthly bill can fail your forgiveness objective if its payments do not qualify.
9. Test income and family changes before committing
An IDR result is sensitive to the information entered. Run at least two additional scenarios when you expect a promotion, job change, marriage, a new dependent or a significant income reduction. In the calculator, use manual entry to replace the imported income and family figures, then record the resulting payment, total paid, discharge estimate and end date for each scenario.
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Use conservative assumptions: model an income increase you could reasonably reach, not an optimistic bonus, and include the possibility that a temporary reduction ends. For fixed plans, the payment generally does not respond to income, so the key test is whether your emergency fund and monthly budget can carry the bill. For graduated and IDR plans, inspect the later payment years and not just the first year.
10. Handle consolidation and other special cases carefully
Consolidation loans
Consolidation can change repayment-term rules and may affect which plans are available. It can also alter how prior qualifying payments are treated under applicable programs. Do not assume that consolidating automatically improves eligibility or lowers total cost; obtain a loan-specific calculation and read the current consolidation and forgiveness instructions before signing.
Parent PLUS and older federal loans
Parent PLUS loans and loans with FFEL or other older histories can have narrower IDR access or special pathways. The calculator may require a particular loan configuration before showing a plan. If your result conflicts with the published chart, ask the servicer to identify the exact eligibility rule and the documentation needed rather than selecting a different plan at random.
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A wrong disbursement date, duplicate balance or missing loan can change the plan list. Capture the error, contact the listed servicer and request a correction. Re-run the calculator only after the account data is updated or the servicer explains which information should be used.
11. Apply only after you have verified the final terms
- Choose a target plan and a fallback. The fallback should be affordable under the same income scenario and should not undermine a documented PSLF strategy.
- Read the application disclosures. Check certification requirements, effective date, recertification timing and any statement about capitalization or unpaid interest.
- Submit through the official Federal Student Aid or servicer channel. Avoid third-party forms that do not clearly identify the federal application process.
- Monitor processing. Continue making the payment required under your current instructions until the servicer confirms a new plan and effective date.
- Review the servicer’s decision letter. Compare the approved payment, term, first due date and plan name with your calculator record. The servicer’s processed terms control your account.
- Calendar future actions. Set reminders for annual IDR income certification, PSLF forms, recertification deadlines and any transition deadline for a plan scheduled to end.
12. Common comparison mistakes and how to correct them
- Choosing by payment alone. Re-sort by total paid and fastest payoff, then inspect interest and discharge fields.
- Assuming every federal loan qualifies for every plan. Verify loan type, first disbursement date and consolidation history in the Dashboard and official chart.
- Treating a calculator number as a quote. Label every result as an estimate and wait for the servicer’s processed terms.
- Ignoring a plan’s scheduled end. Include the March 2026 SAVE termination and the no-later-than-July-1, 2028 PAYE and ICR end dates in your transition planning.
- Overlooking payment growth. For graduated plans, inspect future increases; for IDR plans, model income and family changes.
- Assuming a discharge estimate is guaranteed. Track qualifying payments and certification requirements; forgiveness depends on continuing to meet program rules.
- Using a nonqualifying plan while pursuing PSLF. Check the current PSLF rules and use the PSLF Help Tool before changing plans.
- Failing to document the comparison. Save the inputs, date, plan results and servicer correspondence so you can explain why a plan was selected and challenge an incorrect term.
13. A practical decision rule
After eligibility filtering, select the plan that meets your primary objective without creating an unacceptable secondary risk. If preserving monthly cash flow is the priority, choose the lowest payment you can sustain while checking the lifetime total and later payment changes. If minimizing interest is the priority, favor the shortest affordable schedule. If PSLF is the priority, give qualifying-plan status and employment certification precedence over a lower payment on a nonqualifying plan. If your preferred plan is scheduled to end, compare the transition plan now rather than waiting for the deadline.
Re-run the official calculator whenever your loan balance, income, family size, employment or federal guidance changes. The final decision should be based on the approved terms your servicer communicates, not on an outdated estimate.
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