Before you apply
The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) has been open since July 1, 2026. Anyone with eligible federal Direct Loans can choose it: Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, Grad PLUS, and Direct Consolidation loans that did not repay a parent PLUS loan. If you have a Direct Loan made on or after July 1, 2026, RAP and the Tiered Standard plan are your only options for all your loans.
Check two things first:
- Is RAP your best plan? For older loans you may also be able to choose IBR or the 10-year Standard plan. RAP usually has the lower payment for middle incomes and never lets the balance grow, but IBR forgives sooner and can be $0 at low incomes. The RAP vs IBR calculator shows both on your numbers.
- What will the payment be? The RAP calculator uses the same inputs your servicer will: your AGI, your filing status, the dependents on your return and, for couples who file jointly, both spouses' loan balances.
Have your latest federal tax return nearby. Your AGI is on Form 1040, line 11.
What you provide
The regulation (34 CFR 685.209(l)) asks for two things, and gives each borrower two ways to provide them:
- Your income and your number of dependents. Normally you approve the disclosure of your federal tax information when you apply, and the Department gets your AGI and dependents from the IRS. If you file jointly, your spouse approves too.
- Alternative documentation. If you haven't filed, if the IRS data can't be retrieved, or if your income has changed, you can document your current taxable income and dependents instead.
Your servicer then calculates the payment and sets the 12 months it applies to. You will get a repayment disclosure that states the payment, explains how it was calculated, sets out the plan's terms, and says how to reach your servicer if the payment doesn't reflect your current income and dependents.
After you're on RAP
- Pay on time. RAP's interest waiver and principal match apply to on-time payments. A payment counts as on time if it arrives by this month's due date and after the previous month's.
- Paying extra. Extra money normally moves your next due date forward, and months with no payment due get no waiver or match. You can ask your servicer not to advance the due date. If you let it advance, the skipped months still count toward forgiveness and PSLF.
- Recertify every year. When three payments remain in your 12-month period, the process starts again. With ongoing IRS consent this can happen without a new application, but watch your mail and account notices.
- Changes in between. A job loss, a divorce or a new child are grounds to ask for an early recalculation with new documentation. The 12-month clock restarts from the new payment.
If you are switching from another plan
- From SAVE: SAVE ended by court judgment in March 2026. Servicers began sending 90-day notices around July 1, 2026. What to do now that SAVE is ending covers the choice and what happens if you don't make one.
- From PAYE or ICR: you can switch to RAP any time. You must pick RAP, IBR or a fixed plan before July 1, 2028. If you don't, your loans move into RAP, or into IBR for loans RAP can't take.
- From IBR: you can change to RAP. Your IBR payments count toward RAP's 360 qualifying payments, but leaving IBR capitalizes any unpaid interest.
Payments you already made under IBR, PAYE, ICR or SAVE before July 1, 2028 count toward RAP's 360. Enter them in the calculator under "More details" to see your forgiveness date.
Protect yourself
Apply only on StudentAid.gov or through your loan servicer. The Department of Education does not charge to enroll you in a repayment plan. Never share your FSA ID or password with a company that offers to do it for you. This site is an independent calculator and guide: we never ask for your login, and we cannot see or change your loans.
How to apply for the Repayment Assistance Plan
- Estimate your payment first with the RAP calculator, and compare it with IBR and the standard plans if you can choose them.
- Sign in at StudentAid.gov with your own FSA ID. If you are married and file jointly, your spouse will need theirs to approve sharing their tax information.
- Start the income-driven repayment application and choose the Repayment Assistance Plan.
- Approve the IRS disclosure of your federal tax information, or upload other proof of your income and your number of dependents.
- Submit, then watch for your servicer's repayment disclosure with the new payment and the 12 months it covers.
- Keep paying on time. Each on-time payment earns RAP's interest waiver and principal match and counts toward forgiveness.
Common questions
Does it cost anything to apply for RAP?
No. The application is free at StudentAid.gov. Companies that charge to enroll you in a federal repayment plan are selling something you can do yourself; never give anyone your FSA ID.
When could borrowers start applying for RAP?
Applications opened on July 1, 2026, when the plan launched. Borrowers with older loans can apply at any time; those on PAYE or ICR must choose a plan before July 1, 2028.
What if my income has dropped since my last tax return?
You can give your servicer alternative documentation of your current income instead of the IRS data, and you can ask for a recalculation at any time after a change such as losing a job or a divorce. The new payment starts a new 12-month period.
What happens if I don't recertify?
If your servicer can't get the information it needs by the last payment of your 12-month period, your RAP payment becomes the amount you would pay on a 10-year standard plan, based on your balance when the loans entered repayment.
Do I have to wait for my servicer to process the application?
When you send alternative documentation, the regulation gives you a forbearance while your servicer recalculates. Keep an eye on your account and the notices, and keep paying whatever bill is due.