Open
Graduated 10-year
Starts low, rises every two years, paid off in ten. No PSLF credit.
See where it ranks for you, free Two minutes, your own numbers, every plan side by side.
- Payment
- Payments start near interest only and step up every two years; the last step is at most three times the first. The balance clears in 10 years.
- Who qualifies
- Loans made before July 1, 2026.
- Forgiveness
- None.
- Interest
- More interest than Standard, because early payments barely touch principal.
- PSLF
- Does not qualify.
- Taxes
- Nothing is forgiven, so nothing is taxed.
- How to apply
- Request it from your servicer with the Repayment Plan Request.
- Leaving it
- You can move to any plan you qualify for.
- Dates
- No end date.
Good for
- Income you expect to rise quickly, without wanting an income-driven plan
Watch out
- No PSLF credit
- More interest than Standard
Where Graduated lands for you depends on your numbers.
Right Repay runs every plan on your income, household, balance and loan dates, ranks them on all-in cost, and shows the math. Positions 2 onward are free; the kit to switch is $29.
Rank my plans, freeSources
- 34 CFR 685.208, repayment plans Code of Federal Regulations
- Repayment plans Federal Student Aid
- Repayment Plan Request for Standard, Graduated and Extended (PDF) Federal Student Aid
Which plan is right for you depends on your income, your balance and your loans' dates.
Rank every plan for me, freeThe other plans
- Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)New, since July 1, 2026
- Income-Based Repayment (IBR)Open, permanent for loans made before July 2026
- Standard 10-yearThe default when you choose nothing
- Extended 25-yearOpen, for more than $30,000 in Direct Loans
- Pay As You Earn (PAYE)Closing: ends by July 1, 2028
- Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)Closing: ends by July 1, 2028
- Tiered StandardNew, for loans made on or after July 1, 2026