How to Apply for RAP: Enrolling in the Repayment Assistance Plan (2026)
You apply for RAP, the Repayment Assistance Plan, through the federal Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) application at studentaid.gov, where you select RAP as your plan. You can also start the request through your loan servicer. Applying is free, it is done online, and you do not need to wait for a notice, a letter, or any notification to do it. This guide walks through the whole process, what you need, and the mistakes to avoid. RAP became available on July 1, 2026; for the full background, start with our guide to the July 1 student-loan changes.
The short version
- Estimate your RAP payment and compare it to your other plan options first.
- Log in at studentaid.gov with your FSA ID.
- Open the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) application and select the Repayment Assistance Plan.
- Provide your income (you can usually authorize an IRS transfer) and your family size.
- Submit, keep a copy, and keep paying your current plan until your servicer confirms the change.
Who can apply for RAP
RAP is a federal income-driven repayment plan for federal Direct Loans. You can apply whether you are entering repayment for the first time or moving from another plan such as SAVE, PAYE, IBR, or ICR.
- Direct Loan borrowers: apply directly through the IDR application. No consolidation needed.
- Older FFEL program loans: these generally need to be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan before they can access income-driven plans, including RAP. Consolidation has trade-offs, so check the consequences before you file.
- Parent PLUS borrowers: RAP is not available for Parent PLUS loans. A consolidation loan that repaid a Parent PLUS loan can access ICR only, not RAP. See the Parent PLUS cliff for what changed and what your options are.
What you need before you apply
- Your FSA ID (your studentaid.gov login).
- Your adjusted gross income, and your spouse’s if you file taxes jointly. Filing jointly combines both incomes; filing separately uses only yours.
- Your number of dependents. RAP subtracts $50 per month for each dependent you can claim.
- Your loan details: which loans you have, balances, and your current plan. You can see all of this after logging in at studentaid.gov.
- Income documentation, or simpler, authorization for the IRS to transfer your tax information directly inside the application.
Not sure what your payment would be? RAP charges a tiered 1% to 10% of your full AGI, minus $50 per dependent, with a $10 monthly minimum. Our RAP payment calculator shows the math on your own numbers before you commit to anything.
How to apply for RAP, step by step
Step 1: Check that RAP is your best plan before you apply
Applying is the easy part. The expensive mistake is enrolling in the wrong plan. Compare RAP against your current plan and anything else you qualify for on your real income, family size, balance, and forgiveness goal. For many borrowers the closest call is RAP vs IBR, and the lowest monthly payment is not always the lowest lifetime cost.
Step 2: Log in at studentaid.gov
Use your FSA ID. If you have never created one, do that first; it verifies your identity for all federal student-aid actions. While you are logged in, review your loan list and your current plan so there are no surprises.
Step 3: Open the Income-Driven Repayment application and select RAP
The IDR application is the official enrollment route for every federal income-driven plan, including RAP. You select the Repayment Assistance Plan as your choice. The exact wording and screens on studentaid.gov change over time, so follow the prompts on the live application rather than a memorized sequence. If you prefer, you can also start an income-driven repayment request through your loan servicer.
Step 4: Provide your income and family size
The application asks for your income information and family size. The fastest path is authorizing the IRS data transfer so your tax information flows in directly. Otherwise you can provide documentation. Report your dependents accurately: each one reduces your RAP payment by $50 per month.
Step 5: Review, submit, and keep a copy
Check everything, submit, and save a copy of your confirmation. Your loan servicer processes the request, not studentaid.gov itself, so the confirmation of your new plan and payment amount will come from your servicer.
Step 6: Keep paying your current amount until the switch is confirmed
Do not stop paying while the application processes. Keep paying on your current schedule until your servicer confirms RAP and your new monthly payment. If you do not hear back within a reasonable window, follow up with your servicer.
On SAVE? You do not need to wait for a notification
SAVE has been struck down, and SAVE borrowers receive a transition notice with a 90-day window to choose a new plan. But you do not have to wait for that notice to act. You can apply for RAP, or any qualifying plan, right now, and choosing proactively is safer than letting a default plan be chosen for you at the end of the window. If you are deciding between your options, start with RAP vs SAVE vs PAYE vs IBR.
After you apply: recertify every year
RAP is income-driven, so you recertify your income and family size once a year. Your servicer tells you the date; put it on your calendar. Missing recertification can raise your payment. If your income or family size changes, your payment changes at recertification too.
Prefer to watch? The 60-second version
Common questions about applying for RAP
Does applying for RAP cost anything?
No. Applying is free through studentaid.gov or your servicer. Never pay a third-party company to enroll you in a federal repayment plan.
Do I need to wait for a notice before applying?
No. Enrollment is open through the standard IDR application. SAVE borrowers get a transition notice and a 90-day window, but you can apply before your notice arrives.
Can Parent PLUS borrowers apply for RAP?
No. RAP is not available for Parent PLUS loans, and a consolidation loan that repaid a Parent PLUS loan can access ICR only. Parent PLUS families should read the Parent PLUS cliff before making any move.
Does RAP count for PSLF?
Yes. RAP is a qualifying repayment plan for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and PSLF stays on its 10-year clock with tax-free forgiveness. The details are in RAP and PSLF.
Is RAP automatic, or do I have to apply?
Do not count on automatic enrollment working in your favor. If you are on SAVE and do nothing, a plan can be chosen for you at the end of your transition window, and it may not be the plan you would pick. Applying yourself keeps the choice in your hands.
Apply once, and apply to the right plan
The application takes an evening. Living with the wrong plan takes years. A student-loan advisor using Finology Software compares RAP against every plan you qualify for on verified math, shows your real payment, payoff date, total cost, and any forgiveness tax, and confirms whether consolidation is part of your path, before you file anything.
Want your numbers checked before you apply? Get matched with a student-loan advisor who runs your numbers on verified math, or start a free trial.
July 1 student-loan changes: the full series
- July 1 student-loan changes, explained simply (start here)
- What RAP means for your student loans
- RAP vs SAVE vs PAYE vs IBR: which plan now?
- Is my income-driven repayment plan going away?
- Signs you are on the wrong repayment plan after July 1
- How to switch to RAP, step by step
- RAP and PSLF: what forgiveness-seekers need to know
- RAP payment calculator: what you will actually pay
Related reading: the July 1 RAP changes
Run a real repayment plan for any borrower in minutes
Every number sourced, every path compared. Model RAP, the new Standard, IBR, PAYE, ICR and PSLF side by side.
