Your own servicer notice controls your transition deadline. This guide does not replace the notice or a personalized review.
Federal Student Aid states that a court order ended the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan in March 2026. Servicers started sending impacted borrowers notices on July 1, 2026, and notices are being issued in groups. The deadline is based on the date in the notice from your servicer—not simply the date of an unrelated email from Federal Student Aid.
Your 90-day notice and the final 30 days
After receiving a servicer notice, borrowers have 90 days to choose another eligible repayment plan. If a borrower does not act during that period, the servicer sends a final 30-day notice. If no eligible plan is selected by the final deadline, Federal Student Aid says the borrower will be enrolled into a fixed repayment plan based on loan history. Read your own notice because deadlines may differ even for people with the same servicer.
What can happen if you miss the deadline
The automatic plan may be the Standard Repayment Plan or Tiered Standard Plan, depending on whether the borrower received a loan on or after July 1, 2026. Payments may be higher than under an income-driven plan. If you rely on PSLF, Federal Student Aid specifically warns that Tiered Standard payments do not count toward PSLF; compare options before the final deadline.
What about past qualifying payments?
Federal Student Aid says changing plans does not erase qualifying PSLF or IDR payments made before entering SAVE forbearance. Time in SAVE forbearance is not eligible for PSLF or IDR-discharge credit under the agency’s current guidance, though some borrowers may qualify for a buyback of certain months under specific rules. Review your payment history and the official buyback eligibility before counting months.
How to check your notice
Open your loan servicer’s official account and search for a message such as “You Have 90 Days to Select a New Repayment Plan” or “Final Notice – You will be Placed into a New Repayment Plan in 30 Days.” Confirm the sent date and deadline from that communication. Keep the notice and any submission confirmation.
What the lawsuit means now
A court-approved settlement led to the termination of SAVE in March 2026. For current action, rely on the Department of Education’s current court-actions page and the SAVE-transition FAQ. Do not assume a new lawsuit or news headline has restored SAVE unless Federal Student Aid publishes a clear official update.
Step-by-step: what to do next
- Log in to your official servicer account and StudentAid.gov.
- Find the notice sent by the servicer; write down the send date, 90-day deadline, and any later 30-day deadline.
- Use the official Repayment Calculator to compare every plan you are eligible for—especially IBR and RAP if available.
- Submit a different plan application through StudentAid.gov before the final deadline.
- Save the notice, application receipt, and updated payment schedule; then confirm the plan with your servicer.
Important cautions
- Do not calculate your deadline from this article; use the specific notice from your servicer.
- The 90-day period starts from the servicer notice date.
- Do not assume forbearance months count toward PSLF or IDR discharge.
- Never share your StudentAid.gov password with a third-party help service.
Official source and next action
Use the official repayment-plan guidance before acting. Your servicer determines the payment due after processing and can confirm your account-specific status.
Open official Federal Student Aid guidance ↗
This page is educational material, not a determination of your eligibility or payment amount. Official source pages can change; revisit the linked source before relying on a deadline.