RAP calculator: RAP vs IBR vs Standard

Your servicer gave you 90 days to pick a plan. Enter five numbers and see your real monthly payment under each option — using the exact formulas in the law, not vibes.

Formulas current as of August 2026 (2026 poverty guidelines, P.L. 119-21 RAP rules). (corrected 10 Aug: principal top-up is capped at your payment)

How this calculator works

Every number comes from the statutory formulas, not estimates of estimates:

• RAP (the Repayment Assistance Plan, in effect July 1, 2026): your payment is a percentage of your total AGI — 1% if you make $10,000–$20,000, rising one point per $10,000 of income to a cap of 10% above $100,000 — divided by 12, minus $50 per dependent, with a $10 floor. Unpaid interest is waived every month, so your balance can never grow. The government also tops up your principal reduction so the balance falls by at least the lesser of your payment and $50 each month — capped at what you actually pay, so a $10 payment reduces principal by $10, not $50. Anything left after 360 payments (30 years) is forgiven. Full RAP guide →
• IBR: 10% of your discretionary income (AGI minus 150% of the poverty guideline for your family size) if you first borrowed on or after July 1, 2014 — otherwise 15%. Forgiveness after 20 or 25 years respectively. Payment is capped at the 10-year Standard amount.
• Standard: your balance amortized over 120 equal payments. No forgiveness, fastest payoff, and it's the plan you get defaulted into if you ignore the 90-day notice.