SAVE Plan Deadline Independent guide · Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education Español

Your exact plan for leaving SAVE, in writing

The calculator gives you the payment. The report gives you the decision: which plan to pick on your numbers, what you’ll pay in total, the traps that apply to you, and the exact steps.

By the SAVE Plan Deadline editorial team · Updated

What’s inside

First page of a real report for a fictional borrower: recommendation, three options and lifetime cost
A real report for a fictional borrower ($55,000 income, $38,000 owed).
Your recommendation, with the reason
Which plan to pick for your income, family and goals, and why, in plain words.
Your lifetime cost on every plan
Monthly payment, years, total paid and amount forgiven on RAP, IBR, Standard and Tiered Standard.
Married? File together or separately
What your payment would be if you filed separately, so you can weigh it against the tax cost.
PSLF check
Payments left, what’s forgiven tax-free, and the plans that would cost you credit.
The traps that apply to you
The 2028 IBR cutoff, the one-way RAP switch, Tiered Standard and PSLF, checked against your case.
Step-by-step on studentaid.gov
What to have ready, what to pick, and how to prove you applied in time.
Three letters, filled in
To your servicer if the plan is applied wrong or your application stalls, and a complaint to the FSA Ombudsman.
Your deadline in your calendar
A calendar file with reminders 14 days and 2 days before your date.

Why the lowest payment isn’t always the best

Sample · fictional borrower

What you’d pay in total on each plan

$55,000 income, single, $38,000 at 6.5%, no PSLF. 3% raises a year.

RAP$61,974
IBR$63,767
Standard, 10 yrs$51,778

Here RAP gives the lowest payment ($229 a month), but paying the Standard plan over 10 years ($431 a month) costs $10,196 less in total. The report explains which one fits you, and why.

What we never do

  • Ask for your FSA ID or password.
  • Apply for plans on your behalf or talk to your servicer.
  • Promise you loan forgiveness.

The FTC warns against companies that charge up front to “handle” student loans.1 This is something else: a report you read, and a switch you make yourself, free, on studentaid.gov.2

Questions about buying

Do I need to pay to switch plans?

No. Switching is free at studentaid.gov and our calculator is free. The report is for people who want the decision explained and everything in writing.

How do I get the report?

After paying you return to this site and the report is built instantly from your numbers. Print it or save it as a PDF, and reopen it from the link in your receipt.

Do you store my information?

No. The numbers you type stay in your browser. Stripe processes the payment; we only see that it was paid and the receipt email.

Is this financial advice?

No. It’s an educational estimate using the official 2026 formulas. Your servicer calculates the official payment.

What if it doesn’t help me?

Email us within 14 days of purchase and we’ll refund you, no questions asked.

Sources

  1. Student loan scammers won’t offer relief Federal Trade Commission · Official source
  2. Income-Driven Repayment Plan application Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov) · Official source