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The SAVE plan has ended: the full timeline

What happened, which dates are coming, and which one is yours.

By the SAVE Plan Deadline editorial team · Updated

Short version: a court struck down the SAVE plan on March 10, 2026. Since July 1, 2026, each borrower gets a notice with 90 days to pick another plan. The first deadlines passed on September 29, 2026, and the last ones arrive around the end of March 2027.1,2,3

The full SAVE exit timeline

  1. Courts block SAVE. Borrowers are placed in an administrative forbearance with no payments.4

  2. The new federal law (P.L. 119-21) creates RAP and sets the end of SAVE, PAYE and ICR.5

  3. Interest restarts on loans in the SAVE forbearance.6

  4. The Department of Education announces an agreement with Missouri to end SAVE.7

  5. A court strikes down the SAVE plan for good.1

  6. The Department emails more than 7 million SAVE borrowers to prepare for repayment.8,9

  7. RAP opens. Servicers start sending 90-day notices in waves. Consolidating from now on limits you to RAP and Tiered Standard.5,2,10

  8. First deadlines pass. The autopay discount sign-up is extended to December 31, 2026.11,12

  9. Next

    Last notices expected. Last day to sign up for the 1% autopay discount.3,12

  10. Around this date: the last 90-day deadlines.3

  11. The reduced autopay interest rate ends.12

  12. IBR closes to new borrowers. PAYE and ICR end.13

What changed in September 2026

  • The first deadlines passed. Borrowers notified on July 1 had until September 29. Those who didn’t pick a plan move to the Standard or Tiered Standard plan and start getting bills.11,2
  • The autopay discount was extended. The Department of Education gave borrowers until December 31, 2026 to sign up for the temporary 1% interest discount.12
  • Notices keep going out in waves, expected to finish by the end of 2026.3

We update this section as news breaks. Was the deadline extended?

Your transition deadline

There’s no single date for everyone: your deadline is 90 days from the date on your notice.14

EXIT 90

SAVE ends

90 days after your notice

Enter the date on your notice

What the end of SAVE means for you

  • Plans you can pick: RAP, IBR, 10-year Standard or Tiered Standard. PAYE and ICR stay open only until July 1, 2028.13,15
  • Your payment almost always goes up. SAVE was the cheapest income-driven plan; RAP and IBR usually cost more, and Standard much more.16 Calculate your new payment.
  • Payments you made on SAVE still count toward forgiveness; forbearance months generally don’t.1 More on the forbearance.
  • Forgiveness at the end of RAP or IBR is taxable from 2026; PSLF forgiveness isn’t.17

Frequently asked questions

When did the SAVE plan end?

A court struck it down on March 10, 2026. Since July 1, 2026, servicers have been sending notices with 90 days to switch plans.

What is the SAVE transition deadline?

90 days from the date on your notice. The first deadlines passed on September 29, 2026, and the last ones arrive around the end of March 2027.

What happens if I don’t switch?

When your deadline passes you’re moved to the Standard or Tiered Standard plan, which ignore your income. You can apply for RAP or IBR later.
NEXT EXIT

Your exact plan, in writing

$29 one time

Which plan to pick and why, what you’ll pay in total, whether filing separately saves you money, PSLF, the steps on studentaid.gov, and ready letters if your servicer gets it wrong.

See the report

14-day money-back guarantee. Switching is free at studentaid.gov: we sell clarity, never the paperwork.

Sources

  1. Will my SAVE months still count toward forgiveness? Tate Law
  2. Attorney General James urges student loan borrowers on SAVE to choose new repayment options (July 6, 2026) New York State Attorney General · Official source
  3. SAVE plan exit notices likely arriving by end of 2026, Nelnet FAQ signals The College Investor
  4. What's going on with your student loan repayment? Student Loan Planner
  5. The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) in P.L. 119-21 (IF13075) Congressional Research Service · Official source
  6. Interest restarts for borrowers in the SAVE Plan on August 1, 2025 (July 9, 2025) U.S. Department of Education · Official source
  7. Department announces agreement with Missouri to end the SAVE Plan (Dec 9, 2025) U.S. Department of Education · Official source
  8. Next steps for borrowers enrolled in the SAVE Plan U.S. Department of Education · Official source
  9. Education Department tells 7.5 million borrowers in SAVE plan to prepare for repayment (Mar 27, 2026) CBS News
  10. Your SAVE repayment plan is ending: what happens next? (Aug 24, 2026) City of Philadelphia, Mayor's Office of Education · Official source
  11. These student loan borrowers must switch repayment plans by next week (Sept 22, 2026) Forbes
  12. Department extends enrollment period for student loan interest rate reduction (Sept 29, 2026) U.S. Department of Education · Official source
  13. Student loan changes under the new law NerdWallet
  14. SAVE Plan FAQ MOHELA (Federal Student Aid servicer) · Official source
  15. Federal student loan repayment plans in 2026 Tate Law
  16. Student loan borrowers exiting SAVE may face sharply higher payments if they don't take action soon (Sept 19, 2026) CNBC
  17. Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) explained Student Loan Planner