How to recertify an income-driven student loan repayment plan

01

Find your date and start before the deadline.

Federal Student Aid requires you to update income and family size—or the number of dependents used for your plan—once each year, even when nothing has changed. Sign in to StudentAid.gov and look in your Dashboard’s My Loans section or open the My Loans page. It lists your plan and your account-specific IDR recertification date. Use the date shown for your account, rather than relying on a date from an old statement or a general calendar reminder.

Federal Student Aid recommends submitting about 90 days before that date because your servicer needs time to process the request. Submit before the displayed deadline, then watch for a status update. If you miss the deadline, your payment may stop being calculated from your income and family information or may increase; the exact treatment depends on your plan and circumstances. Check the current annual recertification guidance.

02

Consent may allow automatic recertification.

If you are eligible and have provided consent for the Department of Education to retrieve your federal tax information from the IRS, Federal Student Aid may automatically recertify your plan. Autorecertification begins 120 days before your recertification date. Federal Student Aid says it sends a system-generated email with the status; after processing, a PDF with the recertification information should appear on your StudentAid.gov My Activity page. If the process changes your payment, your servicer will notify you and send an updated billing statement at least 21 days before the payment due date. Read how IDR autorecertification works.

Consent does not make an outdated tax return reflect a recent change in your life. Autorecertification uses information on file with the IRS, so if your income or family circumstances have changed, use the current-information route in the next section. Also check the current form: borrowers with any remaining FFEL Program balance must skip its IRS authorization section and provide income documentation through the manual section, including borrowers who also have Direct Loans. See Sections 5A and 5B of the IDR Plan Request form.

03

Gather the details the request asks for.

Before you start, check the information in your StudentAid.gov account and make a short list. The online request will guide you through what applies to your loans and plan.

• Loan and account details: confirm each loan’s type and disbursement information, your current repayment plan, servicer, and recertification date. Eligibility can differ by loan.
• Household details: be ready to report your current family size and any dependents relevant to the plan. The form also asks about marital status, whether your last federal tax return was filed jointly, and—in some situations— spouse or spouse-loan details. Answer the questions as written; the effect of spouse income can depend on the plan and your filing circumstances.
• Tax information, when it fits: have your latest federal tax return or transcript available if the application directs you to use it and it still represents your current situation. Federal Student Aid’s FAQ says a tax return can be up to one year old when submitted; other supporting documents generally must be dated within 90 days of signing the request.
• Current income, when tax data is no longer right: if the form’s questions route you away from a tax return—for example, after a significant income decrease, a relevant marital-status change, or when you have not filed in the last two years—use the current-income documentation path. It commonly uses pay stubs or an employer letter showing gross pay. Include how often you are paid (such as twice monthly or every other week) and at least one document for each source of taxable income. Each supporting document must be no older than 90 days from the date you sign. Copies are accepted.
• FFEL balances: if any FFEL Program loan has a remaining balance, the current form says to skip the IRS retrieval section and document income in Section 5B. This manual-documentation instruction also matters if your account includes both FFEL and Direct Loans.

These details follow the current IDR Plan Request form and Federal Student Aid documentation FAQ. Read the instructions that match your answers; they distinguish jointly filed returns, changed income, and current taxable income. Do not send documents that the application does not request.

04

If something changes, you can ask for a new calculation.

You do not have to wait for the next annual date if your IDR payment no longer reflects a meaningful change in income, family size, dependents, or a marital circumstance that affects the information used for your plan. The current request form asks about marital status changes such as divorce or separation after a joint return; report a change if it makes your current application information inaccurate. Federal Student Aid says you can submit updated information and request a recalculation. The recommended online route is to sign in and choose Manage Your Plan on the IDR Plan Request page; you can also send documentation through your servicer’s website. Report your situation as of the day you submit the information. A recalculation may lower the payment, but a lower amount or approval is not guaranteed. Review the current change-reporting steps and the relevant questions in the IDR Plan Request form.

After submitting, return to StudentAid.gov’s My Activity page and open the request to review its status and any action required. Processing can take a few weeks or longer. Once the servicer processes it, read the decision and your updated statement; confirm the revised amount and the date it takes effect. If the amount or timing is unclear, ask your servicer before assuming the new calculation has been applied. Keep following the bill and instructions currently shown on your account while the request is pending. Federal Student Aid explains application statuses and follow-up.

05

Check plan eligibility as federal rules change.

Policy snapshot checked November 6, 2026: the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) is available beginning July 1, 2026. Federal Student Aid describes its monthly payment as 1%–10% of adjusted gross income (AGI), divided by 12, then reduced by $50 for each dependent claimed on the federal tax return, with a $10 monthly minimum. Its current chart lists RAP for most Direct Loans disbursed before or after July 1, 2026; parent loans and FFEL Program loans are not eligible, even if consolidated.

The same chart lists IBR for many Direct and FFEL loans disbursed before July 1, 2026, with additional qualifications. PAYE and ICR are scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. Loan type and disbursement dates matter, as do plan-specific conditions; a new loan or consolidation can affect which options remain available. Treat the chart as a starting point, not a personalized eligibility decision. Check your account and the current Federal Student Aid repayment-plan information and IDR FAQ before acting.

06

Submit, then verify the result with your servicer.

Sign in to check your current plan and recertification date, then use the free StudentAid.gov IDR Plan Request to recertify or report an earlier change. If you cannot complete it online, the current form can be submitted with any required documentation to your loan servicer. For account-specific questions—including processing, the effective date, and the amount due—contact that servicer.

Federal Student Aid’s Repayment Calculator can help compare plans and estimate payments, but its results are estimates. After an application is processed, your servicer sets and communicates the final terms, including the monthly payment. Read the calculator’s estimate caveat.