What changed / Calendar
Official dates and sources checked Oct 25, 2026
Federal student loan calendar: the next 12 months
Next up: Dec. 2, 2026, CRI and Nelnet payment address change; By Dec. 31, 2026, last SAVE notices; Dec. 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET, auto pay rate-cut deadline. Each date below says whether it is set or expected, where it comes from, and which page we update the day it is published.
| When | What | Source | When it’s out, see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 5, 2026 Passed | Published: for tax year 2027 the student loan interest deduction (up to $2,500) phases out between $90,000 and $105,000 of MAGI ($180,000–$210,000 joint). The return you file in early 2027 still uses the 2026 range. IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-35 §4.31, released with IR-2026-133 on Nov. 5, 2026 (checked Nov. 13, 2026). | irs.gov | Interest deduction calculator |
| Nov. 12, 2026 Passed | Aidvantage: mailed payments go to U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 4163, Binghamton, NY 13902. Aidvantage site notice (checked Nov. 10, 2026): the date “has been updated from November 4, 2026”. | aidvantage.studentaid.gov | Loan servicers |
| Dec. 2, 2026 Date set | CRI and Nelnet change the mailing address for payments sent by mail. Each servicer’s contact page (checked Nov. 10, 2026; the date was Nov. 4 when we checked on Oct. 18). | nelnet.studentaid.gov | Loan servicers |
| By Dec. 31, 2026 Date set | Servicers finish sending every SAVE borrower a notice to pick a new plan (90 days, then a final 30-day notice). StudentAid.gov SAVE FAQ (October 2026): “Before the end of 2026, servicers will notify every SAVE borrower.” | studentaid.gov | SAVE ended: your deadline |
| Dec. 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET Date set | Last moment to enroll in auto pay for a 1-point interest rate cut on eligible Direct Loans through June 30, 2028. Department of Education press release, Sept. 29, 2026. | ed.gov | Auto pay rate cut |
| Mid-January 2027 Expected | 2027 HHS poverty guidelines. They change the IBR payment (and the RAP calculator’s IBR column) for anyone recertifying after they take effect. The 2026 guidelines were published in the Federal Register on Jan. 15, 2026. | federalregister.gov | Data report (new edition) and RAP calculator |
| Spring 2027 Expected | On IBR and PAYE, the interest subsidy starts to require on-time, full payments. StudentAid.gov, OBBBA definitions page (updated Aug. 24, 2026): “Starting in spring 2027”. No exact date given. | studentaid.gov | RAP vs IBR |
| Mid-May 2027 Expected | 2027–28 federal student loan interest rates are fixed: the high yield at the last 10-year Treasury note auction before June 1, plus 2.05 (undergraduate), 3.60 (graduate) or 4.60 (PLUS) points, up to the caps. Formula in 20 U.S.C. 1087e(b)(8). The 2026–27 rates came from the May 12, 2026 auction; Treasury lists auction dates on TreasuryDirect. | treasurydirect.gov | Interest rates |
| June 2027 Expected | Income percentage factors for ICR for July 2027 to June 2028, used in the parent PLUS calculator. The 2026 factors were published in the Federal Register on June 9, 2026. | federalregister.gov | Parent PLUS calculator |
| July 1, 2027 Date set | 2027–28 rates apply to new loans. New loans lose the unemployment and economic hardship deferments. A defaulted loan can be rehabilitated twice instead of once. Rates: 20 U.S.C. 1087e(b)(8). Deferments: StudentAid.gov OBBBA definitions page. Rehabilitation: Public Law 119-21, Sec. 82003. | govinfo.gov | Interest rates and getting out of default |
| September 2027 Expected | The Department’s annual Federal Register notice of 2027–28 Direct Loan interest rates (the official confirmation of the May figures). The 2026–27 notice was published on Sept. 10, 2026. | federalregister.gov | Interest rates |
| Late Sept.–Oct. 1, 2027 Expected | The 2028–29 FAFSA opens. The 2027–28 FAFSA opened Sept. 23, 2026 (Department of Education press release). | ed.gov | This month’s page |
| Oct. 1, 2027 Date set | The current loan fees (1.057% Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized, 4.228% PLUS) end for loans first paid out on or after this date; the new fees are not yet published. StudentAid.gov fee table: “On or after 10/1/20 and before 10/1/27”. | studentaid.gov | Interest rates |
| Late Oct.–Nov. 2027 Expected | IRS publishes the 2028 inflation adjustments, including the income range where the student loan interest deduction phases out for tax year 2028. The 2027 figures came in Rev. Proc. 2026-35, released Nov. 5, 2026; the 2026 figures in October 2025. | irs.gov | Interest deduction calculator |
Date set: fixed in law, regulation or an official announcement. Expected: no official date yet; estimated from when the same release came out last time, as the note under each item says. We don’t guess dates the Department hasn’t given.
Announced, but no date yet
- Restart of wage garnishment and Treasury offset on defaulted loans (paused since Jan. 16, 2026). studentaid.gov · Garnishment calculator
- How StudentAid.gov will display income-driven payment counters after the 2026 court actions. studentaid.gov · When counts don’t match
- Separation of Joint Consolidation Loans. studentaid.gov · Consolidation
Dates that are yours alone
Some deadlines come from your own account, not a calendar. Your servicer’s letters and your StudentAid.gov account have them.
- Income recertification for RAP and IBR: once a year on your own date. Automatic recertification starts 120 days before it; StudentAid.gov suggests a manual one 90 days early. studentaid.gov
- Your SAVE notice deadline: 90 days from your servicer’s notice, then a final 30-day notice. studentaid.gov
- PSLF reconsideration: within 90 days of the letter with your qualifying payment count. studentaid.gov
Further out
- By July 1, 2028: PAYE and ICR close; borrowers still on them who haven’t chosen another plan are moved. studentaid.gov
- June 30, 2028: The 1-point auto pay rate cut ends for borrowers who enrolled by Dec. 31, 2026. ed.gov
This month in detail: federal student loans in November 2026. Every past change: What changed. Not financial or legal advice.