December 31, 2026
Auto pay sign-up closes
1 point off through June 30, 2028
Student Loans About a minute No email required Federal rules, read Oct. 10
Student loan deadlines in 2026: what to do and by when
SAVE is over, the auto pay rate cut closes Dec. 31 and defaulted loans have new ways out. Get the free federal step that fits your loans, with its date.
Student Loan Deadline Check · federal loans, fall 2026
What do you need to do about your student loans, and by when?
SAVE has ended, the auto pay rate cut closes at the end of the year, and defaulted loans have new ways out. Answer a few questions and get the free federal step that fits you, with its date.
- Dec 31auto pay sign-up for 1 point off
- 90 daysto pick a plan after a SAVE notice
- 9payments to rehabilitate a defaulted loan
About a minute · No name, email or phone · Federal rules, every one sourced
Student Loan Deadline CheckQuestion 1
Where do your federal student loans stand right now?
Why we ask: Each situation has its own free federal step and its own deadline.
Review the methodology behind this result
Results are shown before email capture or partner handoff. The estimate uses source-backed rules and public data so you can evaluate the result before taking the next step.
Three federal student loan deadlines land in the next few months, and each one applies to different borrowers. The check above asks where your loans stand and gives you the one free step that fits, with its date.
90 days
To pick a plan after a SAVE notice
Then a final 30-day notice
9 payments
Rehabilitate a defaulted loan
Within 10 months
Which deadline is yours
| If your loans are | Your step | By |
|---|---|---|
| On SAVE, or in SAVE forbearance | Choose a new repayment plan | 90 days from your servicer's notice |
| Repaying, not on auto pay | Sign up for auto pay with your servicer | 11:59 p.m. Eastern, December 31, 2026 |
| In default | Rehabilitate or consolidate | Before collections restart |
If your loans are On SAVE, or in SAVE forbearance
Your step Choose a new repayment plan
By 90 days from your servicer's notice
If your loans are Repaying, not on auto pay
Your step Sign up for auto pay with your servicer
By 11:59 p.m. Eastern, December 31, 2026
If your loans are In default
Your step Rehabilitate or consolidate
By Before collections restart
SAVE borrowers. Servicers started sending 90-day notices on July 1, 2026, in groups, and every SAVE borrower gets one by the end of 2026. If you don’t choose, you get a final 30-day notice, then the Standard Plan or the Tiered Standard Plan, which are fixed payments. Source · StudentAid.gov, SAVE FAQ
Auto pay. Borrowers on auto pay by December 31, 2026 get 1 point off the interest rate through June 30, 2028 on Direct Loans first paid out on or after July 1, 2012. FFEL, Perkins and HEAL loans don’t qualify, and a defaulted loan has to be back in good standing first. Source · Department of Education, Sept. 29, 2026
Default. StudentAid.gov says wage garnishment and Treasury offset are paused, and no restart date has been published. The new Defaulted Loans Support Center, opened September 30, 2026, takes rehabilitation and consolidation applications online. Source · StudentAid.gov, Collections on Defaulted Loans
Rehabilitation or consolidation
| Rehabilitation | Consolidation | |
|---|---|---|
| What it takes | 9 on-time payments within 10 months | 3 payments first, or an income-driven plan |
| Lowest payment | As low as $5, set from income | Set by the plan you choose |
| Default on your credit history | Removed | Stays |
| Repayment plans after | The plans you had | RAP or Tiered Standard for all your Direct Loans |
What it takes
Rehabilitation 9 on-time payments within 10 months
Consolidation 3 payments first, or an income-driven plan
Lowest payment
Rehabilitation As low as $5, set from income
Consolidation Set by the plan you choose
Default on your credit history
Rehabilitation Removed
Consolidation Stays
Repayment plans after
Rehabilitation The plans you had
Consolidation RAP or Tiered Standard for all your Direct Loans
Six on-time payments you make yourself also restore your eligibility for federal student aid while the loan is still in default, once. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 1, Ch. 3 Our guide for borrowers in default and going back to school walks through both routes.
Compare your monthly payment on each plan open to you
From your income, family size and balance. No login.
Compare my plansSources & Methodology
- StudentAid.gov, SAVE Plan Borrowers: FAQs About Choosing a Different Repayment Plan
- U.S. Department of Education, Next Steps for Borrowers Enrolled in the SAVE Plan (March 27, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Education, auto pay interest rate reduction extended (Sept. 29, 2026)
- StudentAid.gov, Getting Out of Default
- StudentAid.gov, Collections on Defaulted Loans
- StudentAid.gov, Defaulted Loans Support Center
- FSA Handbook 2026-27, Volume 1, Chapter 3: NSLDS Financial Aid History