How to Apply for an Income-Driven Repayment Plan

For those struggling with high monthly payments in relation to their income, enrolling in an IDR plan could help alleviate the pressure that student loan debt can put on a budget. Let’s take a closer look at different plans within the IDR program, how monthly payment amounts are calculated within different plans, and how you can apply.

What is Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)?

IDR provides federal borrowers with options other than forbearance when they have trouble making their student loan payments through the government’s traditional repayment plans such as the Standard Repayment Plan, Gradudated Repayment Plan, or Extended Repayment Plan.

Under an IDR plan, monthly payments are typically lower than the payments a borrower would make in the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan. IDR also provides a path to eventual forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of repayment, depending on which plan you’re enrolled in, your loan type(s) of loans you have, and the amount of debt you have.

Each plan uses a different formula to set up repayment structures based on a borrower’s adjusted gross income and family size. Borrowers typically qualify for more than one type of IDR plan. For more details on each IDR plan and help understanding which one might be right for your financial situation, reach out to one of our student loan experts or visit our other student loan forgiveness resources:

IDR loan type eligibility

IDR Loan Type Eligibility

IDR Plan	Eligible Loans
ICR	Direct Subsidized Loans Direct Unsubsidized Loans Direct PLUS Loans made to students Direct Consolidation Loans (including Direct Consolidation Loans made after July 1, 2006 that repaid PLUS loans made to parents)
IBR	Direct Subsidized Loans Direct Unsubsidized Loans Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans Direct or FFEL PLUS Loans made to students Direct or FFEL Consolidation Loans that do not include PLUS loans made to parents
PAYE	Direct Subsidized Loans Direct Unsubsidized Loans Direct PLUS Loans made to students Direct Consolidation Loans that do not include PLUS loans (Direct or FFEL) made to parents

Income-Driven Repayment plan eligibility requirements

To understand if you’re eligible for IDR, you will first need to understand what type(s) of federal student loans you have and what your household income is. Review the different types of plans to better understand your eligibility for each type.

If you have parent PLUS loans, you must consolidate them to become eligible for IDR. If you’re unsure or have questions, you could schedule a free call with a student loan specialist for guidance. Learn more about qualifying for student loan forgiveness through IDR here.

Also note that borrowers pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF),¹ are typically enrolled in an IDR plan. PSLF is a US government program available exclusively to federal borrowers employed at qualifying nonprofits and government organizations.

Income-Driven Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Through PSLF, Federal Direct Loans are forgiven after ten years of payments under a qualifying repayment plan. To be eligible for PSLF, you must:

be employed by a qualifying nonprofit OR a US government organization at any level (federal, state, local, or tribal) – including US military service.
work full-time for that agency or organization
have Federal Direct Loans (or consolidate other federal student loans into a Direct Loan)
be enrolled in a qualifying repayment plan
make 120 qualifying payments

While IDR is available to federal borrowers in both the private and public sector, PSLF is exclusively available to a subset of federal borrowers working in government or at qualifying nonprofits. Learn more about the program at studentaid.gov or see our PSLF resources:

How is my payment calculated for an Income-Driven Repayment plan?

Generally, your monthly payment amount under an IDR plan is a percentage of your discretionary income, and the percentage varies by plan. The chart below breaks down how payment amounts are determined under each plan.

IDR Comparison Chart

Applications for IDR plans and loan consolidation are available on http://studentaid.gov. You can also submit a PDF application to your loan servicer by uploading it to your servicer’s website or mailing it to them. Expect a delay in processing times.
Plan	Monthly Payments	Repayment Period	Status
Income-Based Repayment (IBR)	10-15% of your discretionary income (and your spouse’s if filing jointly) Never more than federal 10-year Standard Repayment Plan amount	20-25 years, depending on when you become a new borrower	Accepting new enrollments.
Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)	The lesser of the following: 20% of your discretionary income or What you would pay on a repayment plan with a fixed payment over the course of 12 years, adjusted according to your income	25 years	Accepting new enrollments.
Pay as You Earn (PAYE)	10% of your discretionary income (and your spouse’s if filing jointly) Never more than federal 10-year Standard Repayment Plan amount	20 years	Accepting new enrollments.

Note that other factors beyond loan type could affect your eligibility and whether a certain plan is the right choice for you. Be sure you read the fine print of each plan.

How to apply for Income-Driven Repayment

Once you understand your IDR plan options, you can apply through the Student Aid website by following these steps:

Gather documents.

Keep your FSA ID, financial information, personal ID, and your spouse’s information (if applicable) on hand.

Use your FSA username and password to sign in on https://studentaid.gov/.

Complete application questions.

Answer questions about employment, family size, marital status, and income. The application must be completed in a single session.

Get enrollment confirmation.

IDR application processing typically takes less than two weeks, but it could be longer.

Recertify each year.

You will need to recertify employment and family size annually, or you can enroll in automatic recertification by allowing access to your tax records.

You can use the estimator tool within your IDR application to compare payments under different plans or to have your loan servicer pick the right one for you. For more details on applying for IDR, visit our other student loan forgiveness resources:

How to maintain your Income-Driven Repayment plan

Once you’ve completed the IDR application process and received confirmation of enrollment, you’ll need to recertify your income each year to remain on the plan and not have a lapse. Your annual recertification will likely fall 12 months after you initially entered your IDR plan, and your student loan servicer should notify you when your time to recertify is coming up. Learn more about annual recertification at https://studentaid.gov/idr/.

Get started: Apply for Income-Driven Repayment

While federal borrowers from a wide range of educational backgrounds and career fields find they qualify for more than one IDR plan, determining which one is right for you requires research, reading the fine print, and staying current on the latest student loan policy developments.

Our dedicated team of student loan specialists stays up-to-date with all repayment and forgiveness programs and can offer guidance and expertise through your IDR application process. For more IDR information, schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation. Our specialized team can help guide you to the right IDR plan based on your unique financial situation, taking income level, marital filing status, children, possible career trajectory, tax implications, and your financial goals into account.

Was this helpful?