Income-driven repayment (IDR) plans allow you to adjust your payments based on factors such as your income, family size and the poverty level in your area.

Under the federal student loan program, there are several possible options for repaying your student loan(s) based on your income and when your loans were disbursed.

IDR Plans (Loans Disbursed Before July 1, 2026)

• Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment Plan: for Direct Loan borrowers
• Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan: for FFEL and Direct Loan borrowers
• Income-Sensitive Repayment (ISR) Plan: for FFEL borrowers
• Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan: for Direct Loan borrowers

IDR Plans (Loans Disbursed On or After July 1, 2026)

• Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP): For Direct Loan borrowers

All other IDR plans listed above are not available for new loans.

Contact your loan servicer(s) to determine which repayment options are available to you. If you need assistance, call us and ECMC Solutions loan support will help you get started.

The PAYE plan helps federal student loan borrowers manage their payments based on income and family size. It’s available for Direct Loans, excluding parent PLUS loans and loans in default.

Eligibility
To qualify initially, you must demonstrate partial financial hardship. This means your loan payments would be more than 15% of the portion of your adjusted gross income (AGI) that exceeds 150% of the federal poverty line, based on your family size.

Note: PAYE is not available for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.

Monthly Payments

• Payments are capped at 10% of your discretionary income.
• Your income and family size are reviewed annually, and payments may go up or down.
• You must reapply each year to remain in the plan.

Loan Forgiveness

• Any remaining loan balance is forgiven after 20 years of qualifying payments.
• If you work in public service, forgiveness may occur after 10 years through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

PAYE Repayment Calculator
Follow the link below to the U.S. Department of Education's PAYE repayment calculator to see if you are eligible and estimate initial payments.

Pay As You Earn repayment calculator

The IBR plan helps federal student loan borrowers manage payments based on income and family size. It’s a good option if you have FFELP loans or don’t qualify for PAYE.

Eligibility
To qualify initially, you must demonstrate partial financial hardship. This means your loan payments would be more than 15% of the portion of your adjusted gross income (AGI) that exceeds 150% of the federal poverty line, based on your family size.

Note: IBR is not available for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.

Monthly Payments

• Payments are capped at 15% of your discretionary income.
• Your income and family size are reviewed annually, and payments may go up or down.
• You must reapply each year to remain in the plan.

Loan Forgiveness

• Any remaining loan balance is forgiven after 25 years of qualifying payments.
• If you work in public service, forgiveness may occur after 10 years through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

IBR Calculator
Follow the link below to the U.S. Department of Education's IBR calculator to see if you are eligible and estimate initial payments.

Income-Based Repayment calculator

The ISR plan helps FFELP loan borrowers temporarily lower their monthly payments. It’s a good option if you expect your income to decrease and need short-term relief.

Eligibility

• You must have a loan under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP).
• Your loan servicer determines your monthly payment based on your gross income.
• You must reapply each year to remain in the plan.

Note: ISR is not available for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.

Monthly Payments

• Payments are adjusted annually based on your reported earnings.
• This plan is best if you only need lower payments for a short period.
• If you expect to need reduced payments for more than a year, consider a different repayment plan.

Loan Forgiveness

• ISR does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
• There is no long-term forgiveness under ISR.

   

The ICR plan helps Direct Loan borrowers manage payments based on income, family size, and total loan amount. It’s a good option if you want to lower your payments and don’t qualify for other income-driven plans.

Eligibility

• You must have a loan under the Direct Loan Program.
• Monthly payments are calculated based on your income, family size, and total amount borrowed.
• You must reapply each year to remain in the plan.

Note: ICR is not available for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.

Monthly Payments

• Payments are recalculated annually based on updated income and family size.
• Payment amounts may go up or down depending on your financial situation.

Loan Forgiveness

• Any remaining loan balance is forgiven after 25 years of qualifying payments.

ICR qualifies for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which may forgive your balance after 10 years of qualifying public service payments.

The RAP plan helps Direct Loan borrowers manage payments based on income and family size. It’s a good option if you want flexible payments and need support during lower-income periods.

Eligibility

• You must have a loan under the Direct Loan Program.
• Monthly payments are calculated based on your adjusted gross income (AGI) and number of dependents.
• You must reapply each year to remain in the plan.

Monthly Payments

• Payments range from 1–10% of AGI, with a $10 minimum.
• Borrowers receive a $50 reduction in their base monthly payment for each dependent.
• If a borrower’s payment reduces the principal by less than $50, the U.S. Department of Education may contribute toward the principal.

Loan Forgiveness

• Any remaining loan balance is forgiven after 30 years of qualifying payments.

RAP qualifies for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which may forgive your balance after 10 years of qualifying public service payments.