Repayment plans / RAP payment by income
Rules verified Oct 17, 2026 · 2026 poverty guidelines, 48 states
RAP payment on $45,000 income: single parent with one child
RAP: $100.00 a month in year one. IBR: $104.50 (10% version).
How the numbers come out
- $45,000 falls in RAP's 4% band, so the yearly base payment is 4% of the whole amount: $1,800.00 a year, or $150.00 a month.
- Subtracting $50 for the one dependent brings RAP to $100.00 a month.
- IBR counts only income above $32,460 (150% of the 2026 poverty line for 2 people): 10% of the rest is $104.50 a month, or $156.75 at the 15% rate for borrowers who owed a federal loan on July 1, 2014. IBR can't go above the 10-year standard payment.
- In year one, RAP's payment is $4.50 a month lower than IBR's (10% version).
- The next RAP step is at $50,000: one dollar above it, this household's RAP payment rises from $116.67 to $158.34 a month.
- With $80,000, IBR leaves about $146,322 to be forgiven after 20 years under these assumptions; forgiveness outside PSLF may be taxed.
By loan balance
Loans at 6.52%, income rising 3% a year, every payment on time. "Standard" is the 10-year plan for loans from before July 1, 2026; Tiered Standard applies if any loan was paid out on or after that date (IBR is then not available).
| Balance | RAP | IBR (10%) | Standard (10-yr) | Tiered Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $100.00/mo $29,826 total, paid off in 14 yr | $104.50/mo $37,998 total, $1,992 forgiven after 20 yr | $227.30/mo $27,276 total | $227.30/mo $27,276 total over 10 yr |
| $40,000 | $100.00/mo $69,761 total, paid off in 23 yr | $104.50/mo $37,998 total, $54,162 forgiven after 20 yr | $454.60/mo $54,552 total | $348.88/mo $62,799 total over 15 yr |
| $80,000 | $100.00/mo $133,776 total, $26,238 forgiven after 30 yr | $104.50/mo $37,998 total, $146,322 forgiven after 20 yr | $909.20/mo $109,104 total | $597.40/mo $143,376 total over 20 yr |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Not financial or legal advice. These are estimates from the published formulas for this household (single parent with one child) with $45,000 of adjusted gross income. They assume all loans are unsubsidized Direct Loans just entering repayment and no tax on forgiveness. Methodology.
Same household, other incomes
$25,000 · $35,000 · $45,000 · $55,000 · $65,000 · $75,000 · $90,000 · $110,000 · $130,000 · $160,000