Public service
PSLF and the SAVE exit: which plans count, and which one to pick.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness needs 120 qualifying payments on a qualifying plan. Leaving SAVE, the plan you pick decides whether the next payments count and how much each one costs.
Rank every plan for me, free Ten questions, two minutes, your own numbers.
Which plans count toward PSLF
- RAP
- Qualifies. Every on-time payment counts toward the 120.
- IBR
- Qualifies.
- Standard
- Qualifies, though a 10-year plan pays the loan off in the same 120 payments, so little is left to forgive.
- Graduated
- Does not qualify.
- Extended
- Does not qualify.
- PAYE
- Qualifies.
- ICR
- Qualifies.
- Tiered Standard
- Not treated as a qualifying plan in this ranking; confirm with the PSLF Help Tool before relying on it.
Three public servants, ranked
The ranking sets aside plans that do not count toward PSLF, then picks the cheapest way to the 120th payment. Forgiveness under PSLF is tax free.
| Borrower | #1 plan | A month | Paid until forgiveness | Forgiven | Payments left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $52,000 income, $60,000 in loans, 40 payments made | Repayment Assistance Plan | $217 | $17,333 | $56,000 | 80 |
| $68,000 income, $85,000 in loans, 80 payments made | Repayment Assistance Plan | $340 | $13,600 | $83,000 | 40 |
| $95,000 income, $120,000 in loans, 110 payments made | Income-Based Repayment | $592 | $5,922 | $120,578 | 10 |
Assumes single, a family of one, first loan after July 1, 2014, a 6.5% rate, qualifying employment throughout, flat income. The months already counted come from your studentaid.gov record; the kit reads them from your loan file.
Two things to do this month
Certify your employment
The PSLF Help Tool at studentaid.gov files the certification and updates your count. Do it before you switch plans so the record is clean when the new plan starts.
Do not wait in the forbearance
Months in the SAVE forbearance since August 1, 2025 earn no PSLF credit. Every month on a qualifying plan is one of the 120; every month waiting is not.
Your count, your income, your plan.
Ten questions, or your loan file for the exact payment count. Every federal plan ranked with PSLF in the math, the plans that do not count set aside with the reason. Positions 2 onward are free; the kit is $29.
Rank my plans, freeSources
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness Federal Student Aid
- PSLF changes in 2026 Tate Law
- Top FAQs about income-driven repayment plans Federal Student Aid
- Next steps for borrowers enrolled in the SAVE Plan (press release) U.S. Department of Education
- 34 CFR 685.209, income-driven repayment plans Code of Federal Regulations