Official account of Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Dept. of Education. We provide grants, loans, & work-study funds for college or career school.
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ALT Could the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) Be Right for You? The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) is a new repayment plan available to most federal student loan borrowers with Direct Loans. RAP is an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan that bases your monthly payments on your income and number of dependents.
ALT Borrower 1 who has a Direct Subsidized Loan (disbursed after July 1, 2026), a loan balance of $25,000, an annual income of $40,000, an interest rate of 6.52%, and 0 dependents. Their payment on the Tiered Standard Plan is $218, and their payment on RAP is $100.
ALT Borrower 2 who has a Direct PLUS Loan for graduate or professional students (disbursed after July 1, 2026), a loan balance of $65,000, an annual income of $50,000, an interest rate of 9.07%, and 2 dependents. Their payment on the Tiered Standard Plan is $558, and their payment on RAP is $67.
ALT Borrower 3 who has a Direct Subsidized Loan (disbursed after July 1, 2026), a loan balance of $40,000, an annual income of $90,000, an interest rate of 6.52%, and 1 dependents. Their payment on the Tiered Standard Plan is $349, and their payment on RAP is $550.
ALT Breaking Common FAFSA Myths: Parents Edition
ALT Myth: The FAFSA form takes forever! Fact: It takes most parents less than 8 minutes to complete their section of the FAFSA form.
ALT Myth: If I fill out the FAFSA form, I will be responsible for paying for my child's college. Fact: Adding your information to your child's FAFSA form doesn't make you responsible for paying for their education. It only enables Federal Student Aid to estimate your child's eligibility for aid.
ALT Myth: I make too much money for my child to qualify. Fact: Many families are surprised to qualify for grants, work-study, scholarships, or federal student loans. Your child also won't qualify for student aid from states or many schools if you don't submit a FAFSA form.
ALT High School Juniors and Seniors College Prep Checklist Research schools (including admission requirements, application process, and deadlines); compare schools to narrow down your list; apply for a lot of scholarships; submit your FAFSA form as soon as it’s available; decide if you want to apply for early action, early decision, or regular decision; and ask teachers and counselors for letters of recommendation.
ALT Comparison chart detailing features of Standard Repayment Plan and Tiered Standard Plan for federal student loans, including Loan Eligibility, Borrower Eligibility, Monthly Payment Amount, Repayment Period, and Repayment Period Tiers. For full details, select the link.
ALT Here are the primary ways a borrower can enroll in the Tiered Standard Plan: Automatic Enrollment for New Loans: If you take out a federal student loan on or after July 1, 2026, you will be automatically placed on the Tiered Standard Plan when you enter repayment if you don’t choose a different plan. Consolidating Existing Loans: If you only have loans that were disbursed before July 1, 2026, you can become eligible for the Tiered Standard Plan by consolidating them into a new Direct Consolidation Loan. Borrowers who have loans from before July 1, 2026, and who do not take out new loans or consolidate their existing ones after this date will not be able to get on the Tiered Standard Plan. They will remain on their current repayment plan or choose from the legacy plans available to them, such as the Standard, Graduated, and Extended Repayment Plans.
ALT Compare Repayment Plans With Our Repayment Calculator
ALT Federal Pell Grants for Eligible Workforce Programs
ALT Previously, Federal Pell Grants were awarded only to undergraduate students with financial need. Now, students enrolled in certain high-quality, short-term educational programs that prepare them for high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand jobs may be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. Log in to StudentAid.gov with your username and password, then navigate to "My Grants" to view your Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used.
ALT Eligible workforce training programs might be as short as eight weeks.