If you were on SAVE, a message saying you must choose another student loan repayment plan can feel like starting again. Begin with the current notice in your loan servicer account. Your deadline, loan types and borrowing dates determine the next step.
SAVE is no longer available. Federal Student Aid's current FAQ confirms that a federal court order ended it and directs borrowers to their servicer's notice for the deadline to choose a different plan. Do not use another borrower's date from a forum as your deadline.
What is the new Repayment Assistance Plan?
The Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP, is an income-driven repayment option available from July 1, 2026. The Department of Education's repayment fact sheet also describes the Tiered Standard plan, which uses fixed payments over a term linked to loan balance. These are different ways of repaying: an income-driven payment and a fixed-term payment should not be compared by name alone.
For eligible loans, RAP includes protections against unpaid interest increasing the balance and a principal-payment benefit in certain circumstances. Ask for the payment estimate and conditions applicable to your account rather than assuming every borrower will receive the same benefit.
Can I still choose IBR instead of RAP?
It depends. Federal Student Aid distinguishes loans disbursed before July 1, 2026, loans disbursed on or after that date, and mixed loan histories. If all your loans were disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, RAP is the only income-driven plan available. Older eligible loans may have more options, including Income-Based Repayment (IBR). Mixed histories need a loan-by-loan check.
Download your account's loan details. Record each loan's type, disbursement date, current balance and repayment plan. Include consolidation dates. This is more useful than telling a servicer only that you borrowed “years ago.”
Parent PLUS loans need particular care
Parent PLUS loans are excluded from RAP, as are consolidation loans that paid off Parent PLUS loans, including the double-consolidation situation described in the FSA FAQ. The current Parent PLUS guidance says taking out or consolidating a Parent PLUS loan after July 1, 2026 restricts repayment to Tiered Standard and removes access to income-driven plans and PSLF.
Consolidation is a consequential decision. Before applying, ask for written confirmation of what you would gain and lose for those specific loans. A general claim that “consolidation opens income-driven repayment” can be dangerously incomplete in 2026.
Compare the whole repayment outcome
Option | What to compare |
|---|---|
RAP | Income-driven payment; eligibility depends on loan type and borrowing history. Parent PLUS-related loans are excluded. |
IBR | May remain available for eligible older loans. Ask whether your specific loans qualify. |
Tiered Standard | Fixed payments over a balance-linked term. Compare total repayment as well as the monthly bill. |
Use the official Repayment Calculator, signing in so it can use your loan information. Compare the estimated payment, total repayment, repayment term and any discharge assumptions. If you are pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, use the calculator's PSLF option and separately verify your qualifying-payment record.
Calculator figures are estimates. The servicer sets the final terms after processing the application. Save your comparison and application receipt, then check the resulting payment and plan on the account. If the two differ, a dated record makes the question easier to explain.
Is the deadline 2027 or 2028?
Several dates are circulating because different provisions have different start dates. The final-rule announcement distinguishes major repayment changes in July 2026, rehabilitation/deferment/forbearance provisions in July 2027, and retirement of certain plans in July 2028. PAYE and ICR end no later than July 1, 2028. That does not give a SAVE borrower permission to ignore an earlier individual notice.
A useful message to your servicer
“Please confirm my current plan, the deadline to choose another plan, the plans each of my loans is eligible for, and the estimated monthly payment. Please explain how a new consolidation would affect eligibility and any PSLF or income-driven repayment progress.”
Caira can help organize the loan list and correspondence and draft a clearer follow-up. For an application or deadline, use StudentAid.gov and your official servicer directly.
Related reading
Official sources checked October 7, 2026. Check current servicer notices because transition deadlines can change.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal, financial, tax or medical advice.
