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Federal student loan repayment options are changing, but they are not all disappearing in 2026—and not every borrower has the same deadline. The new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and Tiered Standard plan became available July 1, 2026. PAYE and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) are scheduled to be retired no later than July 1, 2028. What you can choose depends on your loan types and when each loan was disbursed.
Start by checking your loans and any transition notice in your StudentAid.gov account. Then compare plans with the Federal Student Aid repayment calculator, apply for a plan for which you are eligible, and confirm the processed plan and payment with your servicer.
What is changing—and what is not
Federal Student Aid (FSA), part of the U.S. Department of Education, says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changed federal repayment options. The new RAP and Tiered Standard plans became available July 1, 2026, according to the Department’s July 1, 2026 fact sheet. PAYE and ICR are scheduled to be retired no later than July 1, 2028, according to FSA’s repayment-plan information.
That does not mean every federal plan ends in 2026, or that every borrower must switch now. FSA says eligible borrowers with loans taken out before July 1, 2026 may have access to IBR, ICR, and PAYE on or after that date, subject to eligibility. A new loan disbursement on or after July 1, 2026 can change access to IBR, ICR, and PAYE. Borrowers whose loans were all disbursed on or after July 1, 2026 have RAP as their only income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, according to FSA’s current IDR FAQ.
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FSA describes the broad choice this way: “You can pick from repayment plans that base your monthly payment on your income or plans that give you a fixed monthly payment.” Which options apply to you must be checked against your individual loans, rather than assumed from the age of your first loan or your current plan.
Which repayment plans may be available to you?
The table summarizes the plan changes documented by the Department and FSA. Eligibility is loan-specific, and borrowers with loans from different dates or of different types may have different choices across their loans.
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| Plan or group | Payment structure or status | Key eligibility or timing point |
|---|---|---|
| RAP | Income-driven; the Department describes payments as income-based. | Available starting July 1, 2026. It is the only IDR plan for borrowers whose loans were all disbursed on or after that date. Parent PLUS loans, including certain consolidations, are not eligible, according to FSA’s IDR FAQ. |
| Tiered Standard | Fixed repayment terms of 10, 15, 20, or 25 years; the term is tied to the amount borrowed. | Available starting July 1, 2026 for loans disbursed on or after that date, according to the Department’s July 1 fact sheet and FSA’s repayment-plan information. |
| Standard, Graduated, and Extended | Fixed-payment plan choices listed by FSA; the cited plan-change information does not establish the individual payment or term for a borrower. | Check eligibility for each loan in your account and the current FSA guidance. |
| IBR | Income-driven. | Some borrowers with loans taken out before July 1, 2026 may have access on or after that date, subject to loan-specific eligibility. A new disbursement on or after July 1, 2026 can change access. |
| PAYE and ICR | Income-driven plans scheduled for retirement. | FSA says both will be retired no later than July 1, 2028. Some eligible borrowers with earlier loans may have access in the meantime, subject to current rules. |
| SAVE | The Department directed enrolled borrowers to exit SAVE and choose a legal federal repayment plan. | Follow the notice for your own account for the applicable timing and next step; the Department’s March 27, 2026 announcement does not establish one universal deadline for all borrowers. |
Parent PLUS loans require particular care: FSA says Parent PLUS loans, including certain consolidations, are not eligible for RAP. FSA also says it will provide more information for borrowers with consolidated Parent PLUS loans. Do not assume that consolidating a Parent PLUS loan makes RAP available; check the current eligibility guidance for your specific loan.
Why your loan type and disbursement dates matter
“Not sure which type of loan you have or when it was disbursed?” FSA’s IDR FAQ directs borrowers to their StudentAid.gov account dashboard for loan information. Check every loan, not just the oldest one or the loan with the largest balance. A mixed history can mean that different loans have different eligible plans.
FSA’s repayment information says a new loan disbursement on or after July 1, 2026 can change access to IBR, ICR, and PAYE. So a borrower with older loans should not assume those loans’ prior eligibility settles the status of every loan. Use the current official eligibility guidance and review the account’s loan-level records before selecting a plan.
What to do now, step by step
- Check your account and notices. Sign in to StudentAid.gov and review the account dashboard. For each federal loan, note its type, balance, current repayment plan, and disbursement history. Read any message from the Department or servicer about a required plan change, including its deadline.
- Compare eligible plans in the official calculator. Use the Federal Student Aid repayment calculator to compare payment estimates and scenarios. If your income may change, test different income assumptions. Consider whether a plan is scheduled to end before your expected payoff or forgiveness date.
- Check eligibility loan by loan. Use FSA’s current plan guidance, paying particular attention to Parent PLUS loans, consolidated loans, different disbursement dates, and any SAVE or other transition notice. The options shown for one loan may not apply to all your loans.
- Apply through StudentAid.gov. Submit the official online application for an eligible plan. A calculator estimate is not a final approval or payment amount: FSA says your servicer determines and communicates the final terms after processing.
- Verify the result with your servicer. Keep your application confirmation and review the assigned plan, payment amount, and next due date when your servicer responds. If the result does not match what you expected, contact the servicer using its official contact information.
How to compare plans without choosing on the monthly payment alone
A lower estimated monthly bill is only one part of the decision. Compare the available choices across these dimensions, using your own loan details and calculator estimates:
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- Eligibility: Which plans can cover each loan, given its type and disbursement date?
- Payment design: Is the payment fixed, or does it depend on income? Which estimate fits your budget under plausible income scenarios?
- Repayment length and total paid: How long does the plan project repayment will take, and what does the calculator estimate for total payments? Those are borrower-specific projections, not guaranteed outcomes.
- Plan end date: Does the plan remain available through your expected payoff or discharge timeline? FSA’s calculator guidance advises considering a plan that does not end if your projected end-of-term date falls after July 1, 2028.
- Forgiveness timeline: If you are pursuing income-driven discharge or Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), account for the plan transition and confirm how your qualifying payments and timeline will be treated for your own loans.
The Department’s July 1, 2026 fact sheet characterizes RAP as income-based and Tiered Standard as fixed-term. It does not establish which plan will cost less or be best for an individual borrower; that depends on personal income, loan details, and goals.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you are enrolled in SAVE
In a March 27, 2026 announcement, the Department said it had begun directing borrowers enrolled in SAVE to exit the plan and enter a legal federal repayment plan. It said impacted borrowers would have time to select a new plan and resume repayment. That announcement does not set a single deadline for every account.
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Check your own Department or servicer message for the required action and timing. Before applying, consult current StudentAid.gov plan guidance, then compare the plans available for your loans. If you have not received a notice or cannot tell what it requires, use official account and servicer channels to confirm rather than relying on a deadline described for someone else.
If you are pursuing forgiveness or expect to repay after 2028
FSA says PAYE and ICR will be retired no later than July 1, 2028, and advises borrowers whose projected end-of-term date falls later to consider a plan that does not end. If your strategy depends on income-driven discharge or PSLF, do not assume that changing plans automatically preserves the treatment or timeline you expect. Confirm how your qualifying payments and eligibility will be handled under the plan available to you, using current FSA guidance and your servicer’s account-specific information.
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