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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThere is no single new “Trump student loan repayment plan.” As of October 8, 2026, two new federal options are available: the income-driven Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and the fixed-payment Tiered Standard plan. Which plans you can use depends largely on your loan type and when your loans were first disbursed. If you are in SAVE or another plan that is ending, check your StudentAid.gov account and compare your eligible options before choosing.
What changed in federal student loan repayment
The Department of Education says the new federal plans became available July 1, 2026, under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. RAP bases payments on income; Tiered Standard uses fixed payments over a term determined by the amount borrowed. The final regulations also phase out certain older plans and change some rules for default rehabilitation, deferment and forbearance. Most provisions took effect July 1, 2026; some rehabilitation, deferment and forbearance changes take effect July 1, 2027. The Department’s July 2026 overview and the final regulations describe the changes.
| Plan or plan group | Payment structure | What borrowers should know |
|---|---|---|
| Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | Income-driven | Available for eligible loans. Parent PLUS loans and Direct Consolidation Loans that repaid Parent PLUS loans are excluded. Check loan-specific eligibility in Federal Student Aid’s plan guidance and IDR FAQs. |
| Tiered Standard | Fixed payment; 10-, 15-, 20- or 25-year term, depending on the amount borrowed | Available under the new rules. A servicer may place a borrower with a loan disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, into this plan if the borrower does not select a plan; do not assume that default applies to every loan or account. Check Federal Student Aid’s plan guidance. |
| Income-Based Repayment (IBR) | Income-driven | Some borrowers with loans made before July 1, 2026, may choose IBR during the transition window, subject to eligibility. The specific payment formula and eligibility for an individual borrower should be checked in the official account and plan guidance. |
| PAYE and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) | Legacy plans; payment details depend on plan and borrower | Federal Student Aid says PAYE and ICR are scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. Eligibility to remain in or move from a legacy plan depends on loan history and applicable transition rules. |
Why your loan history determines your choices
Look at both the loan type and its first-disbursement date. Federal Student Aid says that receiving a new loan disbursement on or after July 1, 2026, makes a borrower ineligible for IBR, ICR and PAYE; eligible loans can access RAP. If you have loans from different dates or of different types, the available plans may not be the same for every loan. Use your account rather than assuming that one rule covers your entire balance. Federal Student Aid’s eligibility guidance explains the date and loan-type distinctions.
Parent PLUS loans are not eligible for RAP. A Direct Consolidation Loan that repaid Parent PLUS debt is also excluded from RAP, according to Federal Student Aid’s August 2026 IDR FAQs. If you have Parent PLUS debt or consolidated loans, check the plan options shown for those loans specifically.
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When borrowers in older plans need to act
Some borrowers whose loans were made before July 1, 2026, and who are enrolled in plans being phased out have until July 1, 2028, to choose among RAP, Tiered Standard or IBR, if eligible. The Department says PAYE and ICR are scheduled to end no later than that date. These dates do not mean every borrower has the same transition deadline or qualifies for all three choices; review the notice for your plan and loan details. The Department’s June 2026 fact sheet describes the transition window, and Federal Student Aid’s calculator guidance advises borrowers to consider how an ending plan may affect longer-term goals.
If you are enrolled in SAVE
The Department announced that a court-approved settlement ended SAVE and that borrowers enrolled in it would be guided to leave the plan and apply for a legal repayment option. Do not assume that every former SAVE borrower will receive the same replacement plan or payment. Review notices from the Department or your servicer, confirm your loan details in StudentAid.gov, and compare the options shown for your account. The Department’s March 27, 2026, SAVE update explains its direction to enrolled borrowers.
How to compare plans and apply
Compare more than the next monthly bill. A lower payment may come with a longer repayment period, so weigh monthly affordability against total repayment, the length of repayment, and any progress toward income-driven discharge or Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Federal Student Aid’s online repayment calculator estimates eligible plans’ monthly payments and total paid; the servicer determines and communicates final terms after processing an application. Estimates are not approval or a final payment quote. Federal Student Aid’s calculator guidance explains the tool.
- Review your loans and notices. Sign in to StudentAid.gov and confirm loan types, disbursement history and current plan; read any Department or servicer notice about a plan ending.
- Compare account-eligible choices. Use the Federal Student Aid repayment calculator to review estimated monthly payments, total paid and repayment length, and consider how a change could affect your longer-term discharge or PSLF goals.
- Apply through StudentAid.gov. The Department’s June 2026 fact sheet says an application takes approximately 10 minutes. Consenting to federal tax-information access can reduce manual income-document steps. Read the Department’s application guidance.
- Wait for the servicer’s processed terms. Use the terms the servicer communicates after processing rather than treating a calculator estimate as final.
For perspective, the Department’s June 9, 2026 fact sheet illustrates a $30,000 initial balance with a $341 monthly payment under a 10-year standard-plan example and $262 under a 15-year Tiered Standard example. These are the Department’s examples, not individualized quotes or guaranteed payments; compare total repayment as well as the monthly amount. See the Department’s fact sheet.
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Keep the auto-pay rate reduction separate from plan choice
The Department separately announced a temporary 1 percentage-point interest-rate reduction for eligible borrowers enrolled in auto pay, running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, subject to its eligibility conditions. This is not a feature of RAP or Tiered Standard, and the announcement does not establish that every borrower or loan qualifies. Check the Department’s auto-pay announcement for the applicable conditions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do next
Use your StudentAid.gov account to identify which loans and plans are affected, then compare the eligible choices using both payment and total-cost estimates. If you are in a plan scheduled to end, follow your specific notice and apply for an option available to you; rely on the servicer’s processed terms for your final payment and repayment schedule.
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