Leaving SAVE with MOHELA
Your SAVE notice from MOHELA: what to do in your 90 days.
MOHELA sends the notice and, later, the first bill under your new plan. The plan itself you choose at studentaid.gov or with MOHELA. Here is the order, the numbers and the phone number.
Rank every plan for me, free Ten questions, two minutes, your own numbers.
MOHELA at a glance
- Log in
- mohela.com
- Phone
- 888-866-4352
- What MOHELA does
- Sends the SAVE notice, processes a Standard, Graduated or Extended request, sets up auto pay, and sends the first statement under the new plan at least 21 days before it is due.
- What studentaid.gov does
- Takes the IDR Plan Request for RAP, IBR, PAYE and ICR, with the IRS data share. The servicer receives it from there.
- Auto pay
- Enroll on the servicer's site by September 30, 2026 for the 1 point interest rate reduction through June 30, 2028. It can be set up while an application is processing; nothing is drafted until a payment is due.
What happens, in order
- The notice arrives from MOHELA, by email or by mail, in waves from July 1, 2026 into 2027. The date on it starts your 90 days.
- Rank your plans with your income, household, balance and loan dates. Two minutes here, free, before you touch the application.
- Apply. Income-driven plans at studentaid.gov (the IDR Plan Request, consent to the IRS data share). Standard, Graduated or Extended directly with MOHELA.
- Processing runs two to six weeks. MOHELA may place you in a processing forbearance, never more than 60 days. Keep the confirmation number.
- If you do nothing by day 90, MOHELA places you on the Standard plan, or Tiered Standard for loans made on or after July 1, 2026.
Nobody needs to call you
The switch is free
Changing plans costs nothing at studentaid.gov or with MOHELA. Anyone who charges a fee to "process" your SAVE exit, asks for your FSA ID password, or promises forgiveness for a payment is not MOHELA and not the Department.
Check the sender
Real notices come from MOHELA's own domain or by mail with your account number. When in doubt, log in at mohela.com yourself instead of following a link, and use the number above, 888-866-4352.
What the default costs
The same engine that ranks your plans, run for four borrowers. Standard is what MOHELA assigns by default; the #1 plan is what the ranking picks on all-in cost.
| Borrower | Standard a month | Standard all in | #1 plan | #1 a month | #1 all in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38,000 income, $27,000 in loans | $307 | $36,790 | Income-Based Repayment | $117 | $35,596 | $1,194 less |
| $46,000 income, $58,000 in loans | $659 | $79,029 | Income-Based Repayment | $184 | $63,762 | $15,267 less |
| $55,000 income, $48,000 in loans | $545 | $65,404 | Standard 10-year | $545 | $65,404 | Standard is #1 |
| $85,000 income, $95,000 in loans | $1,079 | $129,445 | Standard 10-year | $1,079 | $129,445 | Standard is #1 |
Assumes single, a family of one, first loan after July 1, 2014, a 6.5% rate, no public service, flat income, and a 22% tax on any taxable forgiveness. Your own numbers change the order.
Know your #1 plan before you call MOHELA.
Ten questions, every federal plan ranked with your own numbers, the math shown. Positions 2 onward are free; the kit to switch, with the guide, the form, a message for your servicer and the dates, is $29.
Rank my plans, freeSources
- Auto pay interest rate reduction MOHELA
- Next steps for borrowers enrolled in the SAVE Plan (press release) U.S. Department of Education
- Top FAQs about income-driven repayment plans Federal Student Aid
- The IDR Plan Request application Federal Student Aid
- 1 percent auto pay interest rate reduction (press release) U.S. Department of Education