PSLF Buyback is closed for RAP months: what to know

You can’t buy back a month for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) if you were on the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) or the Tiered Standard Plan during that month. StudentAid.gov now lists that as a condition of PSLF Buyback, after an update in summer 2026. Source · StudentAid.gov, PSLF Buyback

Buyback is the safety net for public workers who hit 10 years of qualifying work but are short on qualifying payments because of a deferment or forbearance. The new rule takes that net away for time spent on the two plans created in 2025. For anyone who borrows after July 1, 2026, RAP is the only plan that counts toward PSLF, so the net is effectively gone for future months.

Below: how buyback works, who loses it, which months still qualify and the consolidation trap to avoid.

Buyback turns paused months into PSLF credit

PSLF forgives the rest of your Direct Loans after 120 qualifying payments while you work full time for a qualifying employer. Months in many deferments and forbearances don’t count as payments.

Buyback lets you pay for those months. You make an extra payment at least as large as what you would have paid on an income-driven plan during those months, based on your income and family size at the time. Source · StudentAid.gov, PSLF Buyback To qualify you need all of these:

• 120 months of certified qualifying employment already, and no plans to certify more.
• Qualifying employment during the months you want to buy back.
• A Direct Loan with a balance still owed on it.

If the Department approves, you get a buyback agreement and have 90 days to pay the full amount. If the calculation comes to $0, the Department moves on to forgiveness without a payment.

The summer 2026 change: no buyback for RAP or Tiered Standard months

StudentAid.gov’s eligibility list now says you can buy back months only if “you weren’t enrolled in either the Repayment Assistance Plan or the Tiered Standard Plan during the month(s) you want to buy back.” Source · StudentAid.gov, PSLF Buyback

Forbes reported the change on September 2, 2026, noting that before the July 1 rule changes there was no repayment plan restriction on buyback. Source · Forbes, Sept. 2, 2026

The impact is uneven, because the two plans treat PSLF differently:

Tiered Standard never counted for PSLF, so little changes there. RAP does count, which is why this matters: a RAP borrower who later needs a forbearance has no way to buy those months back.

New borrowers after July 1, 2026 lose the net for future months

Any federal loan first paid out on or after July 1, 2026, including a consolidation loan, limits all your Direct Loans to RAP or Tiered Standard. Source · StudentAid.gov, OBBBA definitions Of those two, only RAP counts for PSLF.

So a teacher or nurse who takes a new loan for a master’s degree ends up on RAP for PSLF. Any forbearance from then on can’t be bought back. Months before you entered RAP, including SAVE forbearance months, should still be eligible if you meet the other rules, Forbes notes.

How to protect your PSLF count now

1. Certify all your employment

   Submit PSLF forms for every period of qualifying work through the PSLF Help Tool. Buyback needs the employment on record first.

2. Find the months that don't count

   Your StudentAid.gov account shows your qualifying payment count and the months in deferment or forbearance. Match them against your certified employment.

3. Request buyback before you consolidate or switch

   Submit a PSLF Reconsideration request and choose “PSLF Buyback.” If you plan to consolidate or take a new loan, do this first.

4. Stay off forbearance while on RAP

   On RAP, a forbearance month is a month you can’t recover through buyback. RAP is set by your income, with a floor of $10 a month. If your income fell, ask your servicer about updating it before you choose a forbearance.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a buyback cost?

At least what you would have paid on an income-driven plan during those months, based on your income and family size then. If you were on an income-driven plan right before or after, the Department uses that payment. For SAVE periods after July 1, 2024, it can’t use the SAVE formula. Source · StudentAid.gov, IDR court actions

Can I buy back months on Tiered Standard?

No. Tiered Standard payments don’t count for PSLF, and months on the plan can’t be bought back. StudentAid.gov lists the plan as available to all Direct Loan borrowers, so check before you pick it if PSLF is your goal.

Does this affect my 120 payments already made?

No. The rule only limits which unpaid months can be purchased. Qualifying payments you already made still count.

I’m on RAP and need to pause payments. What are my options?

RAP is based on your income and can be as low as $10 a month, so ask your servicer about updating your income first. A forbearance stops payments, but on RAP those months can’t be bought back for PSLF.

Your next step: pick the plan with PSLF in mind

If you still have a choice between IBR and RAP, the payment and the buyback rule both belong in the decision. The loan repayment calculator puts the plans side by side for your balance and income.