Methodology & data sources
RepayPlan explains the 2026 US federal student loan repayment rules and provides free estimators. This page documents every source, the snapshot date, and the exact formulas behind each calculator. Transparency is the core of our E-E-A-T.
General information, not financial or legal advice. Federal student loan rules are changing in 2025-2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act - figures here are estimates from public sources and the final program rules are still being implemented. Always verify with your loan servicer and studentaid.gov. See our disclaimer.
Data sources
| Source | What we use it for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act updates | Plan rules, statuses and deadlines | U.S. Government work (public domain) |
| U.S. Department of Education — Fact Sheet: Simplifying Student Loan Repayment | RAP / new Standard plan rules | U.S. Government work (public domain) |
| Federal Student Aid — Interest Rates for New Direct Loans (2025-26) | 2025-26 Direct Loan interest rates | U.S. Government work (public domain) |
| HHS / ASPE — 2025 Poverty Guidelines | IBR discretionary-income line | U.S. Government work (public domain) |
| Public Law 119-21 — One Big Beautiful Bill Act (enacted July 4, 2025) | OBBBA dates and statutory changes | U.S. Government work (public domain) |
Snapshot as of June 2026. All sources are US-government public-domain works.
How the calculators work
RAP payment estimator
Reproduces the published Repayment Assistance Plan schedule: if AGI is $10,000 or less, a flat $10/month; otherwise the bracket percentage (1% to 10%) of AGI divided by 12, minus $50/month per dependent child, floored at $10/month. We show every step. We do not model the interest waiver or principal match in the payment figure (those affect the balance, not the monthly payment).
IBR payment estimator
Discretionary income = AGI minus 150% of the 2025 HHS poverty guideline for your family size and region; payment = 10% (new IBR) or 15% (old IBR) of that, divided by 12. We do not apply the 10-year Standard cap in this standalone tool because it needs a balance; the comparison calculator does apply the cap.
Comparison & payoff calculators
Fixed-plan payments use standard amortization: monthly = balance x i / (1 - (1+i)^-n), where i is the monthly rate and n the number of months. The comparison tool applies the 10-year Standard cap to the IBR figure. The payoff tool reports total paid and total interest, plus the forgiveness milestones.
Assumptions & limitations
- The 2025-2026 rules are still being implemented; final RAP regulations may change details. We date everything "as of June 2026" and flag uncertain items "verify at studentaid.gov".
- RAP uses total AGI; we assume the AGI you enter is the figure your servicer would use. Married/joint filing treatment may differ.
- Poverty guidelines: we use the 2025 table. Servicers apply the guideline in effect at application/recertification, which may differ.
- Calculators run entirely in your browser; we store none of your inputs.
- Where a figure cannot be confirmed precisely (e.g. the future treatment of SAVE forbearance months), we describe it qualitatively rather than inventing a number.
Corrections
Spotted an error or a rule change? Tell us and we will update the snapshot and its date. See also our disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-22