Recertifying RAP each year, and what happens if you don't

Each year

Your RAP payment is set for 12 months, then recalculated from your latest income and dependents. If you approve disclosure of your federal tax information, the Department gets it from the IRS and recertifies you without paperwork. You can opt out of disclosure at any time and send documents instead.

Three months before the year ends

The Department starts the next calculation when you have three payments left in your 12-month period.

If it can’t get your information

Your payment becomes what you would pay on a 10-year standard plan based on your balance when the loans entered repayment, until you provide the information. For many borrowers that is far higher than their RAP payment.

If your income drops mid-year

You can ask for a recalculation at any time, with documents such as pay stubs, for example after a job loss, divorce or a new child. The 12-month period restarts from the new calculation, and you may be placed in a short forbearance while it is processed.

If AGI doesn’t reflect your income

When your AGI isn’t available or doesn’t reasonably reflect your current income, you can document income another way.

Not financial or legal advice. This page explains the published rules. It does not tell you which plan to choose. Your loan servicer and StudentAid.gov have the final word on your account.

Next guide: The student loan interest deduction for 2026, explained