SAVE help · Last checked November 4, 2026

Moved to the Standard plan after SAVE? You can still switch.

Q: I was placed on the Standard plan after SAVE. Can I still switch?

Yes, if all your federal loans were made before July 1, 2026. You can change to any repayment plan you are eligible for at any time. Apply at StudentAid.gov/idr for IBR or the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).

Q: What happens if I miss my SAVE plan deadline?

You are placed on the Standard repayment plan, or on Tiered Standard if you have a loan made on or after July 1, 2026 that has entered repayment. Your servicer must tell you the new payment at least 21 days before the first due date.

Q: Does the Standard plan count for PSLF?

Payments on the 10-year Standard plan count, but paying it for 120 months usually leaves nothing to forgive, so PSLF borrowers generally use an income-driven plan. On a consolidation loan, Standard counts only with a 10-year term. Tiered Standard payments do not count.

Q: Can I go from RAP back to IBR?

Yes, for loans made before July 1, 2026. But months on RAP do not count toward IBR's 20- or 25-year forgiveness, so a round trip costs time.

If your SAVE deadline passed, your servicer put you on a fixed plan, often with a much higher payment. That isn't final. If all your federal loans were made before July 1, 2026, you can change to any plan you're eligible for at any time, including IBR and RAP.

What happened

A federal court in Missouri vacated the SAVE rule in March 2026.
Starting July 1, 2026, servicers began notifying SAVE borrowers in groups. Each borrower gets 90 days to pick a plan, then a final 30-day notice. Everyone is to be notified by the end of 2026.
The emails are titled "You Have 90 Days to Select a New Repayment Plan" and "Final Notice – You will be Placed into a New Repayment Plan in 30 Days." Your deadline runs from your servicer's notice.
If you didn't choose, you were placed on the Standard plan, or on Tiered Standard if you have a loan made on or after July 1, 2026 that has entered repayment.
Your servicer must tell you the new payment at least 21 days before the first due date. If you use autopay, the higher amount is withdrawn automatically.

Worked example: $60,000 AGI, single, no dependents, one $30,000 loan at 6%. Your numbers will differ.
Plan	Monthly
Standard 10-year, where many SAVE borrowers land by default	$333.06
IBR (new borrower), 10% of income over 150% of the poverty line	$300.50
RAP, 5% income bracket at this AGI	$250.00

How to switch

Compare first. Run your numbers for each plan, either with the official Repayment Calculator (formerly Loan Simulator) or with LoanPilot below.
Apply online at StudentAid.gov/idr. Applying is free. Choose your plan by name. Letting ED pull your income from the IRS speeds processing and turns on automatic yearly recertification. The form can also ask your servicer to end a forbearance early.
Or use paper. The current Income-Driven Repayment Plan Request form lists RAP and goes to your servicer.
Watch your account. Most applications are processed within a few weeks, sometimes longer. A processing forbearance can last up to 60 days, and your dashboard can take 7 to 14 days to update. Check your servicer account until the new plan and payment appear.

IBR or RAP?

RAP takes 1–10% of your AGI depending on income, divided by 12, minus $50 a month per dependent, and never less than $10. If you pay in full and on time, unpaid interest is waived and the government adds a principal match of up to $50 a month. Any balance left after 30 years is forgiven.
IBR takes 10% of income above 150% of the poverty line if you were a new borrower on or after July 1, 2014, or 15% otherwise, and never more than the 10-year Standard payment. Forgiveness comes after 20 or 25 years. IBR is only for loans made before July 1, 2026.
Both count toward PSLF. For a side-by-side of all five plans, see SAVE is ending: your five options.

What you can and can't undo: with loans made before July 1, 2026, you can move between IBR and RAP later, but months on RAP don't count toward IBR's 20- or 25-year forgiveness. The permanent step is a new federal loan or a consolidation made on or after July 1, 2026: after that, your loans can only be repaid under RAP or Tiered Standard, and only RAP payments count toward PSLF. Parent PLUS loans can never use RAP.

Pursuing PSLF? Check which payments count

Standard 10-year: counts. But if you pay it for 120 months there's usually nothing left to forgive, which is why FSA recommends an income-driven plan for PSLF.
Standard on a consolidation loan: counts only if the term is 10 years. Check the term on your notice.
Tiered Standard: payments don't count toward PSLF.
SAVE forbearance months: don't count. PSLF Buyback may cover them if you have 120 months of qualifying employment.
Switching plans doesn't erase credit you've already earned.

Interest on SAVE loans has been accruing since August 1, 2025, so a quick switch also limits how much your balance grows.

Check your own numbers in 60 seconds

LoanPilot compares RAP, IBR, Standard, and Tiered Standard side by side from your AGI, family size, and loans. The math comes from the statute and is computed on your iPhone, with no account and no data collection. The comparison is free.

Get LoanPilot for iPhone

Free plan comparison. The PSLF audit tracker is $49.99/year after a 7-day free trial, or $9.99/month.

Quick answers

I was placed on the Standard plan after SAVE. Can I still switch?

Yes, if all your loans were made before July 1, 2026. You can change to any plan you're eligible for at any time. Apply at StudentAid.gov/idr for IBR or RAP.

What happens if I miss my SAVE deadline?

You're placed on the Standard plan, or on Tiered Standard if you have a loan made on or after July 1, 2026 that has entered repayment.

Does the Standard plan count for PSLF?

The 10-year Standard plan counts, but it usually leaves nothing to forgive after 120 payments. Tiered Standard payments don't count.

Can I go from RAP back to IBR?

Yes, for loans made before July 1, 2026, but months on RAP don't count toward IBR's forgiveness clock.

Sources

FSA: SAVE plan changes (notices, defaults, PSLF, interest)
Final regulations, May 1, 2026 and 34 CFR 685.210 (changing plans)
FSA: income-driven repayment FAQs (RAP and IBR terms, processing)
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Request form
PSLF form (qualifying plans)

More guides

General information for education, not legal or financial advice. LoanPilot is an independent app, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or any loan servicer. Rules and processes change; confirm with StudentAid.gov and your servicer. LoanPilot home · Privacy · Support · Terms