Am I eligible for RAP student loans? Start with your loan type.

RAP eligibility checklist

Check these facts before treating an estimate or a plan name as an eligibility decision.

• Confirm the loan is a Direct Loan. RAP’s eligible-loan list includes Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, graduate or professional Direct PLUS Loans, and Direct Consolidation Loans that are not excepted consolidations.
• Identify who borrowed each PLUS loan. A graduate/professional student PLUS loan is different from a Parent PLUS loan. Parent PLUS is excluded.
• Trace every consolidation. Record its disbursement date and which loans it repaid. A consolidation that repaid Parent PLUS is generally excluded; a narrow exception depends on qualifying prior-plan repayment history.
• Do not assume a loan-date cutoff for RAP. The current RAP eligibility rule does not limit enrollment to loans made before or after July 1, 2026. This date does change eligibility for some other repayment plans.
• Check default status without stopping at that label. The RAP eligible-loan provision includes defaulted loans, but the underlying loan type and exclusions still matter. Ask the official servicer or default-resolution contact how to proceed.
• Separate eligibility facts from payment inputs. AGI, tax filing status, and qualifying dependents affect the RAP payment calculation; income by itself does not make an otherwise ineligible loan eligible.

Which federal loan histories may qualify?

This table summarizes the current federal rule. A servicer must review the actual loan record, including any consolidation chain.

“May qualify” is not a personalized determination. Different loans in one borrower’s account can have different histories, and a consolidation can change which rules apply.

Does income or family size determine RAP eligibility?

The current regulation does not set a maximum AGI or minimum income as a condition for enrolling in RAP when the borrower has eligible loans. Income is used to calculate the payment, not to turn an ineligible loan into an eligible one.

RAP uses adjusted gross income and subtracts $50 per qualifying dependent claimed on the borrower’s federal tax return, subject to the plan’s $10 minimum (except a final payment). For a married borrower who filed jointly, spouse income generally enters the calculation, subject to regulatory exceptions. RAP’s claimed-dependent measure is not the same as IBR’s family-size measure.

To model a possible payment, use the free RAP calculator. It is an estimate—not an eligibility result, official bill, or servicer quote.

How RAP eligibility differs from IBR

RAP and IBR have different eligibility rules. Under the current regulation, RAP covers specified eligible Direct Loans, including eligible loans first made after July 1, 2026. Only Direct Loans made before July 1, 2026 may be repaid under IBR. A borrower with 60 or more qualifying REPAYE repayments on or after July 1, 2024 may not newly enroll in IBR. Loan-level eligibility, borrower history, and Parent PLUS consolidation exceptions need individual review.

IBR’s borrower category affects its payment formula and forgiveness timeline. RAP instead uses its AGI-band formula and qualifying tax-return dependents. For a broader comparison of payments, forgiveness, and PSLF, see RAP vs. IBR.

Examples: who may or may not qualify?

These examples show the eligibility screen only. They are not personal determinations or payment estimates.

• Existing borrower with eligible Direct Loans

  A borrower with eligible Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans may choose RAP even if those loans were made before July 1, 2026. The borrower’s account and any other eligibility details still need verification.

• Newer Direct Loan borrower

  A Direct Loan made on or after July 1, 2026 is not disqualified from RAP solely by its date. Confirm the Direct Loan type and check each other loan separately.

• Parent PLUS borrower

  A Parent PLUS loan is excluded. If it was consolidated, do not assume either automatic eligibility or permanent exclusion: a narrow exception turns on whether the consolidation loan was actually repaid under a specified plan during the regulatory window.

• FFEL-only or private-loan borrower

  An FFEL or private loan alone is not on RAP’s eligible Direct Loan list. A Direct Consolidation Loan may be a separate eligible loan, unless an exclusion—such as Parent PLUS history—applies.

Information needed for a reliable eligibility check

• Federal Student Aid loan list showing loan program, loan type, borrower, and current status.
• Loan and first-disbursement dates, especially any Direct Loan made on or after July 1, 2026.
• Every consolidation’s date and the specific loans it repaid, including any Parent PLUS loan or earlier consolidation.
• For a Parent PLUS consolidation, evidence of whether it was being repaid under ICR, PAYE, or IBR on a date from July 4, 2025 through June 30, 2028.
• For an IBR comparison, whether the borrower made 60 or more qualifying REPAYE repayments on or after July 1, 2024, and the federal history used to determine the IBR borrower category.
• For payment modeling—not the basic RAP loan-type screen—AGI, tax filing status, and qualifying dependents claimed on the federal return.

Do not infer eligibility from income alone, the date of a single loan, or an account summary that omits consolidation history.

RAP implementation and transition dates

• July 1, 2026: RAP became available under the current federal rules. Existing borrowers with eligible Direct Loans may choose it; the date is not a RAP-only loan origination cutoff.
• July 1, 2026: the regulation limits IBR, PAYE, and ICR repayment to eligible Direct Loans made before this date. For borrowers with loans from different dates, confirm each loan’s treatment with the servicer.
• Before July 1, 2028: borrowers repaying Direct Loans under PAYE or ICR (and certain associated administrative forbearances) must elect an eligible repayment plan under the current transition rule. A specific Parent PLUS consolidation exception also uses a prior-plan record within the July 4, 2025–June 30, 2028 window.

Rules and implementation guidance can change. The current regulation and your account notice control; verify the options available to you before acting.