Are SAVE and REPAYE the same thing?

SAVE replaced REPAYE. Both are now closed.

Which plan will I be placed on if I don't choose?

The Standard Plan or the Tiered Standard Plan. It depends on when your loans were paid out.

REPAYE plan: what happened and where you go now

Q: Does the REPAYE plan still exist?

No. It became SAVE, and the court order bars the REPAYE formula too.

The REPAYE plan became SAVE, which ended on March 10, 2026. That same court order blocks the REPAYE formula, so you can't return to it.

March 10, 2026. A court order shut SAVE down
0Plans that still use the REPAYE formula
July 1, 2026RAP is now open

What the REPAYE plan was

REPAYE meant Revised Pay As You Earn. Your income set the bill for a REPAYE student loan. It's closed now, just like SAVE.

How REPAYE changed to SAVE

The Department of Education swapped REPAYE for SAVE. You were moved into SAVE if you had been on REPAYE.

The reasons the REPAYE formula is blocked

A court ended SAVE on March 10, 2026. Payments based on either the SAVE or REPAYE formulas are also barred by the order. That means REPAYE program student loans can't return to it.

Your choices now

Among the plans still open, you choose one if you're a former REPAYE borrower. That means RAP or IBR for most people. You'll be assigned either Standard or Tiered Standard Plan when you make no selection.

Plan	Payment	Forgiveness
RAP	1% to 10% of AGI	30 years
IBR (2014 or later)	10% of discretionary income	20 years
IBR (before 2014)	15% of discretionary income	25 years

Use your FSA ID to log in at studentaid.gov.
Open the application for income-driven repayment, then pick RAP or IBR.
Give the Department of Education permission to pull your tax data. Your income gets filled in for you.
Enter your family size and your tax filing status.
Submit the application. A letter from Your servicer lists your new payment.

Guides on related topics

Common questions

Does the REPAYE plan still exist?

No. It became SAVE, and that court order also bars the REPAYE formula.

Is SAVE the same plan as REPAYE?

SAVE took the place of REPAYE. Neither plan is open now.

Which plan do I get if I don't make a choice?

You'll get the Standard Plan or the Tiered Standard Plan. The date your loans were paid out determines which one.

Sources: Federal Student Aid, IDR court actions and Nelnet, end of the SAVE plan.