Parent PLUS and RAP
The Repayment Assistance Plan is for a borrower's own student loans. Under 34 CFR 685.209, RAP can repay Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, Direct PLUS loans made to graduate or professional students, and Direct Consolidation loans that are not "excepted".
Excepted loans are, in short:
- Direct PLUS loans made to a parent for a dependent student; and
- consolidation loans that repaid a parent PLUS loan.
Those can't use RAP. A parent who also has loans from their own education can put those on RAP. The parent PLUS loans need a different plan.
What parents can use
Fixed plans. Parent PLUS loans can be repaid on the fixed plans: the 10-year Standard plan for loans made before July 1, 2026, graduated and extended plans for older loans, and the Tiered Standard plan for borrowers with any Direct Loan made on or after July 1, 2026. Payments are set by the balance, not income.
ICR through a consolidation, until June 30, 2028. A Direct Consolidation loan that repaid a parent PLUS loan can use the income-contingent repayment (ICR) plan through June 30, 2028. It does not apply if the borrower received a Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2026. ICR's payment is the lesser of 20% of discretionary income and a 12-year fixed payment adjusted by income. It is an income-driven option, but a more expensive one than RAP or IBR.
The IBR route for consolidations that were already being repaid. The regulation carves an exception out of the "excepted" category. A consolidation that repaid a parent PLUS loan is not excepted if it was being repaid under ICR, PAYE or IBR on any date from July 4, 2025 through June 30, 2028. "Being repaid" means at least one payment was made under one of those plans. Such loans keep more options, including IBR. Whether your consolidation qualifies depends on its exact history, so confirm with your servicer before relying on it.
The July 1, 2028 deadline
ICR and PAYE close on July 1, 2028. Anyone repaying under them must choose RAP, IBR or a fixed plan before then. Borrowers who don't choose are placed in RAP for loans RAP can take, and in IBR for loans it can't. If you have a parent PLUS consolidation on ICR, write this date down and check your options well before it.
New limits on parent borrowing
For periods of enrollment starting on or after July 1, 2026, the law caps parent PLUS borrowing at $20,000 a year and $65,000 in total per dependent student, however much is later repaid or forgiven. Before, parents could borrow up to the cost of attendance minus other aid, with no total cap.
Parents already borrowing keep the old rules for a while. If the student was enrolled in a program on June 30, 2026 and a Direct Loan was made for that program, the old limits continue for the student's expected time to credential, up to three academic years. See the 2026 loan limits for every new cap and a gap calculator.
Your own loans versus your child's
When a parent has both their own federal student loans and parent PLUS loans, the two sets follow different rules. The parent's own loans can go on RAP; use the RAP calculator with only those balances. The parent PLUS loans stay on one of the plans above. If you are consolidating anything, don't mix the two sets into one consolidation: a consolidation that includes a parent PLUS loan becomes an excepted loan and can't use RAP.
This guide describes the rules; it can't see your loan history. Your loan details and plan options are on StudentAid.gov and with your servicer.
Common questions
Can Parent PLUS loans use the Repayment Assistance Plan?
No. The regulation makes parent PLUS loans, and Direct Consolidation loans that repaid them, ineligible for RAP. A parent's own loans from their own schooling can still use RAP.
Can a parent still get an income-driven plan?
Through June 30, 2028, a Direct Consolidation loan that repaid a parent PLUS loan can use ICR. A parent PLUS consolidation being repaid under ICR, PAYE or IBR at any point from July 4, 2025 through June 30, 2028 is not treated as an excepted loan. Your servicer can confirm what your loans qualify for.
What happens to parent PLUS consolidation loans on ICR in 2028?
ICR closes on July 1, 2028. Borrowers on it must pick another plan before then. Anyone who doesn't is placed in RAP for loans RAP can take, or in IBR for loans it can't.
How much can parents borrow now?
For periods of enrollment starting on or after July 1, 2026, parents can borrow up to $20,000 a year and $65,000 in total per dependent student in PLUS loans. Parents already borrowing for a student enrolled on June 30, 2026 keep the old limits for the student's expected time to credential, up to three years.