Student Loan Clear

Where you stand

Last verified Oct 17, 2026

You were on the SAVE plan

You enrolled in SAVE (also called REPAYE) and have been in the SAVE forbearance.

  1. 1 What you can pick

    • All loans paid out before July 1, 2026: RAP, IBR, Standard, Graduated or Extended, and PAYE or ICR until they close on July 1, 2028.
    • At least one loan paid out on or after July 1, 2026: RAP or Tiered Standard only.
    • Choose nothing: you are placed in Standard (or Tiered Standard if you have a newer loan in repayment).

  2. 2 What each costs

    Your payment depends on your income, household and balance. Compare the plans with your numbers

  3. 3 What to do next

    • Find your servicer notice. The 90 days run from that notice, not from an email from Federal Student Aid.
    • If the 90 days pass, a final 30-day notice follows; after that you are placed in a fixed plan.
    • Compare the plans open to you, then apply on StudentAid.gov or through your servicer. Help from your servicer is free.
    • If you are pursuing PSLF, note that SAVE forbearance months don’t count but can be bought back once you have 120 months of qualifying employment.

Read more

Not financial or legal advice. This page sums up the published rules for this situation. It can’t account for your full loan history; your servicer and StudentAid.gov have your actual record.

Official sources

  1. StudentAid.gov: SAVE Plan Borrowers – FAQs About Choosing a Different Repayment Plan (October 2026)
  2. U.S. Department of Education press release, March 27, 2026: next steps for SAVE borrowers
  3. 34 CFR 685.209, income-driven repayment plans (current eCFR, as amended May 1, 2026)
  4. StudentAid.gov: One Big Beautiful Bill Act – Important Definitions (updated Aug. 24, 2026)
  5. Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1, signed July 4, 2025), Title VIII, Secs. 81001–82004
  6. 20 U.S.C. 1098e, income-based repayment (Cornell LII copy of the U.S. Code)
  7. HHS/ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines
  8. 34 CFR 685.219, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (current eCFR)
  9. 34 CFR 685.208, fixed payment plans including Tiered Standard (current eCFR)