How to Enroll in the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)

RAP launches July 1, 2026. It is not available yet — enrollment has not opened. RAP was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025.

• New borrowers after July 1, 2026, will have RAP as their only income-driven repaymentIncome-Driven Repayment (IDR)A category of federal student loan repayment plans that calculate monthly payments based on income and family size rather than loan balance. Any remaining balance can be forgiven after 20–25 years of qualifying payments. (IDR) option
• Existing borrower s can switch to RAP voluntarily once it launches, or stay on their current plan until July 1, 2028
• Parent PLUS borrowers are not eligible for RAP — even after consolidation
• The enrollment process will follow the standard IDR application through studentaid.gov or your servicer

When Will RAP Be Available?

RAP becomes available to borrowers on July 1, 2026. That date is set by statute — the OBBBA wrote it directly into the Higher Education Act.

The Department published a proposed rule on January 30, 2026, to implement RAP and the other OBBBA repayment changes. The RISE negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on the regulations in November 2025, and the public comment period closed on March 2, 2026. A final rule is expected before July 1, 2026.

Until the final rule is published, some details remain open — including how married borrowers filing jointly calculate payments and how loan transitions between plans work. The core structure of RAP (income brackets, interest waiver, principal match, 30-year forgiveness) is statutory and will not change through rulemaking.

Who Is Eligible for RAP?

Eligibility depends on when your loans were first disbursed and what type of loan you have.

New borrowers (loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026)

RAP and the new Tiered Standard Repayment PlanStandard Repayment PlanThe default federal repayment plan, which spreads loan payments evenly over 10 years — or up to 30 years for consolidation loans. It usually results in the lowest total interest paid among federal plans. are your only two options. If you do not select a plan, you defaultDefaultThe status of a federal student loan after the borrower has failed to make required payments for 270 days. Default can trigger collection actions such as wage garnishment, tax refund offset, and damage to credit reports. to the Tiered Standard plan.

Existing borrowers (loans disbursed before July 1, 2026)

You can switch to RAP voluntarily starting July 1, 2026. You can also stay on your current plan — Income-Based RepaymentIncome-Based Repayment (IBR)A federal income-driven repayment plan that caps monthly payments at 10% or 15% of discretionary income, depending on when the loans were taken out. Remaining debt is forgiven after 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments. (IBR), the standard plan, graduated, or extended — until July 1, 2028. After that date, if you have not chosen a plan, you are auto-enrolled in RAP or IBR. Qualifying payments from IBR, PAYEPay As You Earn (PAYE)A federal income-driven repayment plan that caps monthly payments at 10% of discretionary income and forgives remaining debt after 20 years. It is only available to borrowers who took out their first federal loans on or after October 1, 2007., ICR, or SAVESAVE Plan (SAVE)The Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, a federal income-driven repayment plan introduced in 2023 to replace REPAYE. Its implementation has been subject to ongoing litigation, and enrolled borrowers have faced court-ordered forbearance periods. carry forward toward RAP’s 360-payment forgiveness requirement — you do not start over.

If you have existing loans and take out a new federal loan on or after July 1, 2026, RAP becomes the only IDR plan available for your entire portfolio — including the older loans. That new loan pulls everything under RAP’s rules.

Related: IBR vs RAP: Which Plan Is Better for You?

Who is NOT eligible

• Parent PLUS borrowers. Parent PLUS loans are not eligible for RAP, even after consolidation into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Parent PLUS loans taken out after July 1, 2026, are limited to the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan. Current Parent PLUS borrowers who want to access income-driven repayment must consolidate by June 30, 2026, to qualify for ICRIncome-Contingent Repayment (ICR)The oldest federal income-driven repayment plan, with payments generally set at 20% of discretionary income or a fixed 12-year amount, whichever is lower. It is the only IDR plan available to Parent PLUS borrowers after consolidation. or IBR.
• FFEL-only borrowers who have not consolidated. Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) borrowers must consolidate into a Direct LoanDirect LoanA federal student loan made directly by the U.S. Department of Education under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Most federal student loans issued since 2010 are Direct Loans. to access RAP.

Related: Parent PLUS Loan Consolidation: What It Does and What Changed

How RAP Payments Work

RAP calculates your monthly payment as a percentage of your total adjusted gross incomeAdjusted Gross Income (AGI)A borrower's total taxable income minus specific deductions, as reported on a federal tax return. Federal income-driven repayment payments are generally calculated using AGI. (AGI), using tiered income brackets:

• AGI at or below $10,000: $10/month (the mandatory minimum)
• $10,001–$20,000: 1% of AGI
• $20,001–$30,000: 2% of AGI
• The percentage increases by 1% for each additional $10,000 of income
• Over $100,000: 10% of AGI

RAP deducts $50 per month for each dependent you claim on your tax return. Your payment cannot drop below $10 regardless of deductions.

RAP waives unpaid interest each month, contributes up to $50 toward your principal, and offers forgiveness after 30 years (360 qualifying payments) — or 10 years under Public Service Loan ForgivenessPublic Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)A federal program that forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments made while working full-time for a government or qualifying nonprofit employer. (PSLF).

Related:

• Marriage Penalty in the Repayment Assistance Plan, Explained
• RAP Loan Forgiveness: How It Works

What to Do Before RAP Launches

These steps reduce risk during the transition.

Download your payment history. Log into studentaid.gov and save a record of your qualifying paymentQualifying PaymentA monthly loan payment that counts toward federal forgiveness programs like PSLF or IDR forgiveness. Whether a payment qualifies depends on the loan type, the repayment plan, and the borrower's employment at the time of payment. counts, loan details, and servicer information. Having documentation protects you if the counts change during the transition.

Check your current repayment plan. Know which plan you are on and where you stand on forgiveness. If you are on IBR and close to the 20- or 25-year forgiveness mark, switching to RAP extends your timeline to 30 years.

Recertify your income if it is due. A missed income recertification can move you to the Standard Repayment Plan, which increases your payment and does not count toward IDR forgivenessIDR ForgivenessThe forgiveness of any remaining federal student loan balance after a borrower has completed 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments under an income-driven repayment plan, depending on the specific plan.. Keep your recertification current.

If you are on SAVE. The OBBBA eliminates the SAVE plan. The court injunction that blocked SAVE was lifted on February 27, 2026, when Missouri v. Trump was dismissed. Borrowers enrolled in SAVE remain in administrative forbearance. That forbearance time does not count toward forgiveness. When the Department of Education issues transition guidance, SAVE borrowers will move to RAP or IBR.

If you are considering switching from IBR to RAP. Wait until RAP is available, then compare real numbers through your servicer. Making the decision before July 1, 2026, provides no benefit. The OBBBA does not guarantee the ability to switch back to IBR once you enroll in RAP, and RAP’s 30-year forgiveness clock may extend a timeline that was shorter under IBR.

Related: What Happens to IBR and SAVE Borrowers When RAP Starts

How to Enroll in RAP Once It Is Available

The Department of Education has not published the final enrollment process. Based on the January 30, 2026, proposed rule and existing IDR application procedures, enrollment will work like this:

1. Apply through studentaid.gov or your loan servicerLoan ServicerThe company that manages a borrower's federal student loan account, processes payments, and handles applications for repayment plans, deferment, forbearance, and forgiveness on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education.. The IDR application — currently used for IBR, PAYE, and ICR — will be updated to include RAP as a plan option.
2. Provide income documentation. You will need to submit your most recent federal tax return or authorize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to pull your AGI. Alternative income documentation may be available if your current income is significantly different from your last tax return.
3. Recertify annually. RAP requires annual income recertification. If you miss the recertification deadline, your payment reverts to the amount due under the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan until you recertify.

Processing times may be longer in the first months after launch. Applying early — as soon as your servicer accepts RAP applications — reduces the risk of a backlog pushing you past a payment due date.

New borrowers entering repayment after July 1, 2026, will choose between RAP and the Tiered Standard plan at the end of their grace period.