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You can request a move from a federal Graduated Repayment Plan to an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan online. Start by checking each loan’s type and disbursement date, compare the available plans in the Federal Student Aid Repayment Calculator, then submit the IDR application at StudentAid.gov/idr. Keep paying as directed until your servicer confirms the new payment and effective date.
The best choice depends on your loan history, current income, family size, future income, and whether you are pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). A lower first payment can mean more interest and a longer path to any remaining-balance discharge, so compare the full cost and timeline rather than the first bill alone.
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What changes when you leave Graduated Repayment?
A Graduated Repayment Plan starts with lower payments and usually increases them every two years. An IDR plan instead bases the required payment on a formula tied to income and family size. Your payment may fall, stay similar, or rise after the switch; the servicer, not the calculator, sets the final amount.
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The switch is a new plan election, not a refinancing or a cancellation of your debt. The loan’s principal, interest rate, and federal status generally remain in place. What changes is the payment formula, the recertification requirement, and the timeline used to determine whether a remaining balance could eventually be discharged.
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Federal Student Aid currently lists IBR, PAYE, ICR, and RAP as IDR options in the relevant guidance. Eligibility is controlled by the loan type, when the loan was disbursed, and your borrowing history. A loan on Graduated Repayment is not automatically eligible for every IDR plan.
Check these facts before you apply
Identify every loan and servicer
Sign in to StudentAid.gov and make a list of each federal loan, including its program, outstanding balance, disbursement dates, current repayment plan, and assigned servicer. If your loans are split among servicers, you may need to submit a separate request to each one.
This federal process applies to eligible federal loans. A private student loan does not become eligible for a federal IDR plan; ask its lender separately about any private hardship or income-based option.
Review the July 1, 2026 disbursement-date rule
Current Federal Student Aid guidance generally limits IBR, ICR, and PAYE to eligible loans disbursed before July 1, 2026. Receiving a new loan disbursement on or after July 1, 2026 can remove eligibility for those plans. Check the rule against your own loan record before relying on an estimate.
RAP is listed for specified Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, graduate or professional Direct PLUS Loans, and qualifying consolidation loans. The list is narrower than “all federal loans,” so verify the exact loan types shown in your account and application.
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Decide whether PSLF is part of your plan
If you expect to pursue PSLF, confirm that you have eligible Direct Loans and qualifying employment. Use the PSLF Help Tool to check employment and submit the required forms. Federal Student Aid’s current SAVE-transition guidance identifies IBR, ICR, PAYE, and RAP as qualifying IDR plans for PSLF, while payments under the Tiered Standard Plan do not count.
Do not assume that a lower payment automatically produces a qualifying PSLF month. Your loan type, qualifying employment, payment status, and the plan in effect for that month all matter. Keep copies of servicer confirmations and PSLF correspondence.
Compare the available plans before choosing one
Open the Federal Student Aid Repayment Calculator after signing in and enter the requested loan, income, and family information. Review the estimated monthly payment, total amount paid, interest, and the estimated repayment or discharge timeline. Federal Student Aid instructs borrowers to select “Apply” after reviewing the available options.
| Plan | Payment formula | Cap or minimum | Eligibility and timing points | PSLF status in current guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBR | 10% or 15% of discretionary income, depending on when you first borrowed | Capped at the amount due under the 10-year Standard Plan | Generally for eligible loans disbursed before July 1, 2026; borrower history affects the percentage | Listed as qualifying |
| PAYE | 10% of discretionary income | Capped at the amount due under the 10-year Standard Plan | Additional new-borrower eligibility rules; generally for eligible loans disbursed before July 1, 2026; scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028 | Listed as qualifying |
| ICR | The lesser of 20% of discretionary income or an income-adjusted 12-year fixed-plan amount | The lower of those two calculated amounts | Generally for eligible loans disbursed before July 1, 2026; scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028 | Listed as qualifying |
| RAP | 1% to 10% of adjusted gross income divided by 12, reduced by $50 for each dependent | $10 minimum monthly payment | Specified Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, graduate or professional Direct PLUS, and qualifying consolidation loans | Listed as qualifying |
| Graduated Repayment | Starts lower and usually rises every two years | Not an IDR income formula | Your current plan; leaving it requires an approved new plan election | Do not treat it as a qualifying IDR plan without confirmation |
Use the calculator’s results as estimates. The servicer determines the final payment, effective date, and terms after processing your application.
Look beyond the first monthly payment
- Initial and future payments: Compare the first bill with projected bills after income or family-size changes and annual recertification.
- Total interest and total paid: A lower payment over a longer period can increase the amount of interest you pay.
- Payment cap: IBR and PAYE have a 10-year Standard Plan cap; ICR uses its stated two-part calculation; RAP has a $10 minimum.
- Discharge or forgiveness timing: The calculator’s timeline is an estimate, not a promise of a particular date or balance.
- Spouse-income treatment: Read the application and calculator assumptions carefully if you are married; the result can depend on the information requested for your household.
- PSLF qualification: Choose a plan shown as qualifying in current Federal Student Aid guidance and separately verify your loans and employment.
- Recertification work: Decide whether you can provide annual income and family-size information on time.
- Sunset risk: PAYE and ICR are scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028, so selecting either requires a future-plan check.
How to switch from Graduated Repayment, step by step
1. Gather your account information
- Sign in to StudentAid.gov.
- Open your loan details and record each loan’s type, disbursement date, balance, current plan, and servicer.
- Note whether any loan is a consolidation loan and whether you have received, or expect to receive, a new disbursement on or after July 1, 2026.
- Collect current income and family-size information. You will need it for the calculator and application.
2. Run the repayment comparison
- Open the Federal Student Aid Repayment Calculator.
- Enter the requested loan, income, and family information.
- Compare each plan the calculator shows, including monthly payment, total amount paid, interest, and the estimated repayment or discharge timeline.
- Check whether the result reflects all of your loans. If loans are handled by different servicers, verify each servicer’s balance and plan separately.
- After reviewing the options, use the calculator’s “Apply” direction to continue to the IDR application.
3. Submit the federal IDR application
- Go to StudentAid.gov/idr and sign in.
- Select the income-driven plan application and review which loans you are asking to place on an IDR plan.
- Authorize Federal Student Aid to retrieve your federal tax information from the IRS when the application offers that option. This can speed processing and support automatic annual recertification.
- If you cannot use IRS data retrieval, provide an acceptable alternative such as a recent tax return, pay stubs, or an employer letter, as requested.
- Read the certification and consent statements, submit the application, and save the confirmation for your records.
If the loans are held by multiple servicers, send a separate request to each servicer. One submission may not change loans assigned to another company.
4. Watch for processing messages
- Check your StudentAid.gov account, email, and servicer account for status updates.
- Respond promptly to any notice marked “Action Required.” Missing a document or certification can delay the change.
- Review the servicer’s final notice for the new payment amount, plan name, effective date, and first due date.
5. Continue payments until the change is confirmed
Keep making payments exactly as instructed by the servicer while the request is pending. Do not stop or reduce a payment because the calculator showed a lower estimate. If the servicer confirms a deferment, administrative hold, or different due date, follow that written instruction and retain it.
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How a switch can affect PSLF and forgiveness
PSLF borrowers should verify the plan and the loan
For PSLF, the key questions are whether the loan is a qualifying Direct Loan, whether your employer and employment period qualify, and whether each payment meets the program’s requirements. The current SAVE-transition guidance lists IBR, ICR, PAYE, and RAP as qualifying IDR plans. Use the PSLF Help Tool and keep the resulting employment and payment records.
A switch from Graduated Repayment can be useful when it places you in a qualifying IDR plan, but it does not retroactively turn earlier nonqualifying payments into qualifying payments. Ask the servicer how the effective date will be recorded and check your PSLF payment count after processing.
Do not rely on an assumed forgiveness date
IDR discharge timing depends on the plan, qualifying payment history, loan balance, and changing income and family information. The calculator provides an estimate; it cannot guarantee a particular discharge date or amount. A longer repayment period may lower the bill while increasing total interest before any remaining balance is considered for discharge.
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Understand the 2026 SAVE transition separately
SAVE ended after a court order in March 2026. Borrowers affected by that change receive a notice from their servicer and a notice-based period to choose another eligible plan. If a borrower does not act, the servicer can place the account automatically into a fixed plan.
That transition is separate from a voluntary move out of Graduated Repayment. It still matters because a transition notice, an “Action Required” message, or an automatic placement can change the plan shown in your account. Read every servicer notice, confirm the deadline, and submit the requested plan selection rather than assuming your current election will remain unchanged.
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The servicer asks for more information
Compare the request with the documents you submitted. Upload or send the missing tax return, pay stubs, employer letter, or other item through the channel specified in the notice. Keep a dated copy and confirmation number. If a servicer cannot see a loan that appears on StudentAid.gov, ask which loans were included and whether a separate request is required.
The payment shown is different from the calculator
Calculator results are estimates. Check the income and family-size data, the loans included, the plan selected, and the effective date in the servicer notice. Ask the servicer for the calculation explanation if the difference remains unexplained. Do not use the lower estimate as permission to pay less while the issue is open.
A plan is unavailable
Review the loan’s disbursement date, loan type, consolidation history, and borrower-history rules. A new disbursement on or after July 1, 2026 can affect IBR, ICR, or PAYE eligibility. RAP has its own specified-loan list. If the application still appears inconsistent with your records, ask the servicer to identify the rule that caused the denial and request written instructions for an alternative eligible plan.
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You have multiple servicers
Confirm that each servicer received an application and that each account has the intended effective date. A change processed for one servicer does not automatically change loans held by another.
Keep a simple record of the switch
- Save the calculator results and the assumptions used.
- Keep the submitted application, IRS authorization or income documents, and confirmation number.
- Record every “Action Required” deadline and your response date.
- Save the servicer’s approval notice showing the plan, payment, and effective date.
- Continue saving monthly statements, especially if you are tracking PSLF.
- Set a reminder before the next annual recertification deadline and recheck whether PAYE or ICR remains available before July 1, 2028.
A practical decision framework
Choose an IDR plan when payment flexibility is the priority
An IDR plan may fit when your current income and family size produce a manageable payment, when you need a qualifying plan for PSLF, or when the Graduated schedule is becoming unaffordable. Compare the payment with your budget using the servicer’s final terms, not only the initial estimate.
Be cautious when the lower payment greatly extends repayment
If you can afford the Graduated payment or another plan, compare total interest and the estimated timeline before switching. A lower IDR bill can cost more over time if you remain in repayment longer and do not receive a qualifying discharge.
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Because both are scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028, include a contingency plan in your comparison. Check current Federal Student Aid guidance and your servicer’s notices immediately before applying; federal repayment policies and implementation details can change.
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