U.S. federal student loans

Estimate a RAP payment before you choose a plan

Plain-language notes on the Repayment Assistance Plan, the end of SAVE, and the loan limits that started July 1, 2026. The estimate runs in your browser. Nothing is saved.

Estimate a paymentBrowse the guides

Figures are estimates. Your servicer's bill controls the amount due.

What you can rely on here

  • RAP percentages, the $50 dependent reduction, the $10 minimum, and the principal-match rule follow 34 CFR 685.209 as read on October 17, 2026.
  • The comparator does not create an account, set a cookie, or save what you type.
  • This site is not Federal Student Aid and cannot see your loans.
  • Applying for an income-driven plan is free at StudentAid.gov/idr.

Three numbers the comparator estimates

IBR and PAYE are described in the guides and left to the official Loan Simulator. This site calculates the three rows below.

RAP

Payment
1–10% of AGI, divided by 12, minus $50 per dependent, at least $10
Length
30 years
Extra rule
Unpaid interest waived, and a principal match up to $50, when the payment is full and on time
Read the formula

Tiered Standard

Payment
Fixed amortization, at least $50 a month
Length
10, 15, 20, or 25 years by balance
PSLF
Federal Student Aid says these payments do not count
Compare the plans

10-year Standard

Payment
Fixed amortization over 120 months
When it is the fixed plan
Loans with no disbursement on or after July 1, 2026
Not for new loans
On or after that date, Tiered Standard is the fixed plan
Run an estimate

Guides, in reading order

Start with the SAVE deadline if a servicer notice is sitting in your inbox. The refinance page is last, and it does not publish lender links.

SAVE Plan Ended: What to Do Now and Your 90-Day Deadline

What the 90-day servicer notice, the 30-day final notice, and automatic placement mean if you were on SAVE.

4 min read

Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP): How the Payment Works

The AGI table, the $50 reduction for each dependent, and the $10 monthly minimum, with made-up examples.

4 min read

RAP vs IBR vs Tiered Standard: Compare the Plans

Eligibility, how the payment is set, the length, and whether the payment counts for PSLF. Not a ranking.

3 min read

RAP $50 Principal Match and Interest Waiver Explained

Three made-up examples of the interest waiver and the matching principal rule, including the on-time definition.

3 min read

Grad PLUS Eliminated: New Loan Limits and Options

Annual and aggregate caps for loans made on or after July 1, 2026, and who can still use the interim exception.

3 min read

Parent PLUS Loan Limits and Consolidation Rules

The $20,000 annual and $65,000 per-student caps, and which income-driven plans a Parent PLUS consolidation can use.

3 min read

Auto Pay 1% Interest Discount: Enroll by Dec. 31, 2026

The 1% interest-rate reduction for borrowers enrolled in auto pay by December 31, 2026, and what it does not change.

3 min read

Refinance Federal Student Loans or Stay Federal?

What a private refinance gives up, what it might change, and why this page does not publish lender links or rates.

4 min read

Dates that are still in front of borrowers

Dates taken from Federal Student Aid and the Education Department fact sheet, as read on October 17, 2026. Later court orders are not reflected.
DateWhat the sources describe
December 31, 2026Enroll in auto pay by this date for the 1% interest reduction. Federal Student Aid describes the reduction through June 30, 2028.
End of 2026Every SAVE borrower is expected to have received a servicer notice. Deadlines differ by notice date.
January–April 2027Tax season. RAP uses adjusted gross income, and income-driven plans require annual recertification.
July 1, 2027A year after RAP opened to new borrowing under the July 1, 2026 rules.
July 1, 2028PAYE and ICR end no later than this date. We did not find a sunset date for IBR.
Fall 2027FAFSA timing matters for the graduate and professional limits. Confirm the application opening on StudentAid.gov.

Never pay for a federal repayment application. Your servicer and StudentAid.gov help for free. A company that asks for a fee to enroll you in RAP, IBR, or another federal plan is not this site and is not the Department of Education.

Primary sources