Should You Refinance Federal Student Loans? For Most Borrowers, No
Refinance ads lead with the rate. The lenders’ own disclosures say what it costs: every federal benefit. For most borrowers with federal loans, refinancing them is a mistake.
Student Loan Recertification in January 2027: Which Tax Return Counts
Your payment for the next twelve months is set from the most recent tax return on file when your recertification runs. In January that can be 2025 or 2026. Here is how the order decides the number, what RAP does differently, and what a missed date costs.
The First SAVE Deadlines Passed September 29. Yours May Still Be Open
Miss your 90-day window and you are placed on the Standard plan automatically. For a typical borrower that is $512 a month instead of $250. The surprising part: over the life of the loan, the plan you get by default can cost less. What you lose is the choice.
Does RAP Qualify for PSLF?
Does RAP count for PSLF? Here is how the new Repayment Assistance Plan works with Public Service Loan Forgiveness after July 1, 2026.
RAP vs PAYE vs IBR: Which Plan Costs Less in 2026
Comparing RAP vs SAVE, PAYE, and IBR after July 1, 2026? Here is how the income-driven plans differ and how to pick the right one.
PSLF Buyback Does Not Cover RAP Months. Here Is What Your Client Loses.
PSLF buyback cannot recover deferment or forbearance months spent on the Repayment Assistance Plan. The regulation excludes RAP from both the automatic credit path and the paid one.
Do Student Loans Affect Buying a House? How Lenders Count Your Payment in 2026
Yes, but through your debt-to-income ratio, not your balance. See exactly which student loan payment FHA and Fannie Mae count in 2026, with a parity-verified payment table.
Does Changing Jobs Reset PSLF Progress?
No. PSLF payments need not be consecutive, so time at a nonqualifying employer does not erase the count. What actually costs borrowers forgiveness is timing the final form and the plan they drift into.
What Happens If You Don’t Recertify Your Student Loan Income?
Miss your IDR recertification and your payment stops being income-based: it jumps to the 10-year Standard amount. Verified RAP vs Standard numbers and how to fix it fast.
Can’t Afford Your Student Loan Payment? Your 2026 Options
Missed a payment or about to? Switching repayment plans usually beats pausing. Here is what deferment, forbearance and income-driven plans actually cost you in 2026, with verified numbers.