Compare Your IDR Repayment Plans.
Four plans. One clear comparison.
Four IDR plans. Different formulas. Different tradeoffs. Your monthly payment can vary by hundreds of dollars depending on which plan you choose and how you file your taxes.
Use the calculator below to compare New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP side by side, then keep scrolling to understand which plan fits your situation.
Most people leave knowing exactly what to do next.
Last Updated: June 2, 2026
IDR Student Loan Calculator
Enter your information below. Keep scrolling to understand what the numbers mean and which plan fits your situation.
Compare Your IDR Repayment Plans
Enter your information below. Results update instantly as you type.
This calculator is for educational purposes only.
It estimates your monthly student loan payments under the main federal IDR plans. Use it to understand your options, not as personalized advice.
This tool will:
- Estimate payments for New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP.
- Show how filing status affects payments if you're married.
This tool will not:
- Capture every detail of your loans or tax situation.
- Replace guidance from your servicer or a financial planner.
If you're considering filing separately, talk with a tax professional first. More help: dreambiggerfinancial.com/student-loan-help
Your IDR Results
What is Income-Driven Repayment?
IDR plans set your monthly payment based on what you earn, not what you owe. On the Standard Plan, $300,000 in loans means about $3,331/month. On an IDR plan, your payment could be significantly lower, and in some cases as low as $0.
There are four IDR plans: New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP. Each uses a different formula and has different tradeoffs. The plan you choose can mean a difference of hundreds of dollars per month.
By the end of this guide, you'll understand:
Before we compare plans, here's the vocabulary.
If you already know these, skip ahead.
📋 IDR (Income-Driven Repayment)
A category of federal repayment plans that set your monthly payment based on your income instead of your loan balance. New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP are all IDR plans.
📋 Discretionary Income
The portion of your income the government considers available for loan payments. IBR and PAYE calculate your payment as a percentage of this number. It's your AGI minus 150% of the federal poverty guideline for your family size.
Discretionary income = AGI − (150% × poverty guideline for your family size and location).
For example, if your AGI is $65,000 and you're a family of 1 in the mainland US, the poverty guideline is $15,960. Multiply by 150% = $23,940. Your discretionary income = $65,000 − $23,940 = $41,060.
On New IBR or PAYE, your monthly payment is 10% of this ÷ 12 = about $342/month. On Old IBR, it's 15% ÷ 12 = about $513/month.
📋 AGI (Adjusted Gross Income)
Your total income minus certain deductions (retirement contributions, HSA, etc.). Found on Line 11 of your tax return. All IDR plans use this as the starting point.
📋 PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness)
A federal program that forgives your remaining loan balance after 10 years of qualifying payments if you work for a nonprofit or government employer. The forgiveness is tax-free.
📋 10-Year Standard Repayment
The default repayment plan. Pays off your loans in 10 years with fixed monthly payments. This is also the payment cap for IBR and PAYE. Your IDR payment can never exceed this amount.
Which plans are you eligible for?
Eligibility depends on when your loans were first disbursed. There's one major dividing line: July 1, 2026.
The tricky part isn't whether you qualify for an IDR plan. It's whether you have access to all four plans or just RAP. That depends on whether you're a new borrower or an old borrower.
🆕 New Borrower
You take out a federal loan or complete a consolidation on or after July 1, 2026.
Your only IDR option will be RAP. No IBR. No PAYE.
📋 Old Borrower
All your federal loans were taken out before July 1, 2026, and you don't take out new loans or consolidate after that date.
You keep access to IBR, PAYE (until 2028 phase-out), RAP, Standard, Graduated, and Extended.
A consolidation completed after July 1, 2026 can permanently change which plans are available to you. It's not when you start the application that matters. It's when the consolidation is finalized.
This is one of the most common expensive mistakes I see.
Available if your first federal student loan was disbursed on or after July 1, 2014. Payments are 10% of discretionary income with 20-year forgiveness.
Available to borrowers with loans disbursed before July 1, 2014. Payments are 15% of discretionary income with 25-year forgiveness. If you have a mix of old and new loans, you may still qualify.
Even borrowers currently using PAYE will eventually need to move to IBR or RAP. PAYE and ICR are expected to be phased out by July 2028.
A consolidation completed after July 1, 2026 permanently changes your borrower status. Even if all your original loans were taken out before that date, consolidating after it makes you a new borrower with access to only RAP or Standard. This decision cannot be reversed.
IDR plans at a glance.
Here's how the four plans compare on the features that matter most. Each of these features has important tradeoffs. We'll unpack them one at a time.
How each plan calculates your payment.
Two different approaches. The plans you're eligible for determine which formula applies to you.
📊 IBR and PAYE
These plans start with your income, subtract a protected amount based on your family size, and take 10% (New IBR, PAYE) or 15% (Old IBR) of what's left. Your payment is capped at what you'd owe on the Standard Repayment plan, so it can never go above a certain amount.
📊 RAP
RAP takes a percentage of your total income based on which bracket you fall into (1% to 10%), then subtracts $50 for each dependent. No payment cap. No poverty guideline calculation. Simpler formula, but no ceiling on how high your payment can go.
AGI: $65,000 · Family size: 2 · Location: Mainland US
Step 1: Find poverty guideline → Family size 2 = $21,640
Step 2: Multiply by 150% → $21,640 × 1.5 = $32,460
Step 3: Subtract from AGI → $65,000 − $32,460 = $32,540 (discretionary income)
Step 4: Multiply by 10% → $32,540 × 10% = $3,254/year
Step 5: Divide by 12 → $3,254 ÷ 12 = ~$271/month
AGI: $65,000 · Dependents: 1
Step 1: Find AGI bracket → $60,001–$70,000 = 6%
Step 2: Multiply AGI × 6% → $65,000 × 6% = $3,900/year
Step 3: Divide by 12 → $3,900 ÷ 12 = $325/month
Step 4: Subtract dependents → $325 − $50 = $275/month
Payment caps.
The table gives you the facts. These three sections explain why they matter.
On IBR and PAYE, your payment is capped at the 10-Year Standard Repayment amount. That cap depends on your loan balance and interest rate. For a $300K balance at 6%, the cap is about $3,331/month.
RAP has no cap. Your payment rises with your income without limit. At $500,000 income, your RAP payment would be about $4,167/month, regardless of your loan balance. During residency this doesn't matter. At attending income, it can matter a lot.
Assume $300,000 in loans at 6% interest, family size 1, 0 dependents.
This one feature can be worth $100,000+ over a PSLF timeline.
Forgiveness + PSLF.
All IDR plans forgive your remaining balance eventually: 20 years for New IBR and PAYE, 25 years for Old IBR, and 30 years for RAP. That forgiveness is taxable.
PSLF is different. If you work for a qualifying employer (most residency programs, nonprofit hospitals, the VA), your balance is forgiven after 120 payments, tax-free. All four IDR plans count.
If you're pursuing PSLF, the forgiveness timeline doesn't matter. What matters is keeping payments as low as possible for 10 years. If you're not pursuing PSLF, the timeline matters a lot. An old borrower on New IBR or PAYE reaches forgiveness in 20 years. On RAP, it's 30. That's 10 extra years of payments.
Nonprofit hospitals and health systems, academic medical centers, the VA, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), government agencies (federal, state, local), and public universities.
You must be on an IDR plan (or the Standard plan), working full-time for a qualifying employer, and making your payment on time. Payments made during residency and fellowship count if your employer qualifies.
Balance growth.
On IBR and PAYE, if your monthly payment doesn't cover all the interest, the unpaid interest gets added to your balance. Your $300,000 in loans can quietly grow to $400,000+ while you're making payments. In plain terms: if you're making payments for years and then decide to pay off your loans, you could owe more than you started with.
RAP prevents this. Unpaid interest is not added to your balance. RAP may also apply an additional principal reduction of up to $50/month. Your balance can actually shrink, even with small payments.
If you're pursuing PSLF, balance growth doesn't matter. Your balance gets forgiven regardless. But if there's any chance you'll pay your loans back instead of having them forgiven, a growing balance can cost you significantly.
The Married Filing Separately strategy.
If you're married, how you file your taxes directly affects your student loan payment on every IDR plan. This is one of the most powerful planning strategies available, and one of the most misunderstood.
When you file Married Filing Jointly (MFJ), your spouse's income is included. When you file Married Filing Separately (MFS), your spouse's income is generally excluded.
👨⚕️ Dr. Patel, married
He earns $65,000. His spouse earns $295,000. They have 1 dependent. $300K in loans at 6%.
File jointly (MFJ)?
RAP: ~$2,950/mo · New IBR/PAYE: ~$2,659/mo
File separately (MFS)? (non-community property state)
RAP: ~$275/mo · New IBR/PAYE: ~$200/mo
👥 Family Size vs. Dependents: One Key Difference
On IBR and PAYE, your spouse always counts in your family size, even when filing separately. Bigger family = bigger deduction = lower payment.
On RAP, only the dependents you personally claim on your tax return reduce your payment ($50 each). Your spouse doesn't automatically count. This can make RAP slightly less favorable for some married filers.
The tradeoff? Filing separately can increase your total tax bill. The right answer depends on how much you save on student loans versus how much more you pay in taxes.
If you live in AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, or WI, income may be split 50/50 between spouses when filing separately. This changes the math, but filing separately can still reduce your payment.
IBR and PAYE always include your spouse in your family size, even when filing separately. Your family size also includes children and other dependents who receive more than half of their support from you, including unborn children. This means a larger family = a larger poverty guideline deduction = a lower payment.
RAP is different. RAP does not use family size. It uses the number of dependents you claim on your federal tax return, as defined under IRS Section 152. You do not count yourself. You do not automatically count your spouse. Only qualifying dependents reduce your payment ($50 each). If you file MFS, only dependents claimed on your return are included.
On IBR and PAYE, a married couple filing separately with 2 kids has a family size of 4 (you + spouse + 2 kids), even though your spouse's income is excluded. That larger family size gives you a bigger poverty line deduction and a lower payment.
On RAP, the same person might only claim 1 dependent on their return, resulting in a $50 reduction instead of the larger deduction IBR/PAYE provides through family size.
A real-world IDR comparison.
One borrower, four plans. Here's how the numbers compare.
Loans: $300,000 at 6.0% · AGI: $65,000 · Family size: 2 (includes spouse) · Dependents: 1
Which IDR plan should I use?
There's no universal answer. The right plan depends on your income trajectory, your employer, your marital status, and your loan disbursement dates. But here's a starting framework.
✅ Consider RAP if...
You're a new borrower after July 2026 (it may be your only IDR option).
You're early in your career with lower income and want the lowest payment right now.
You want balance growth protection. Unlike IBR and PAYE, RAP prevents unpaid interest from being added to your balance.
You're pursuing PSLF and want an affordable payment that counts toward forgiveness.
✅ Consider New IBR or PAYE if...
You're an old borrower with access to these plans.
You expect your income to grow significantly (the payment cap protects you at attending income).
You're pursuing PSLF and the payment is similar to RAP during training, but you want the cap for later.
⚠️ Think carefully if...
You're choosing between multiple plans and haven't compared the numbers. Small differences in monthly payments can add up to tens of thousands over 10+ years.
You're married and haven't run the MFJ vs. MFS comparison. The filing status decision is often more impactful than the plan choice itself.
🚨 Be cautious if...
You're considering consolidation and it would be completed after July 1, 2026, which changes your borrower status and plan access.
You're switching plans without comparing the long-term cost. Use the calculator above to compare side by side →
The details matter. Income, filing status, employer type, family size, and future income all play a role. If you're unsure, that's exactly what a strategy session is for.
One conversation can save you thousands
Practical questions.
The questions I hear most from physicians comparing IDR plans.
The stuff you actually need to know to take action.
It depends on your income, family size, dependents, and loan balance. At lower incomes, RAP often produces the lowest payment. At higher incomes, New IBR or PAYE may be lower because of the payment cap. Use the calculator above to compare all plans with your actual numbers.
You can switch between IDR plans you're eligible for by contacting your loan servicer. However, switching plans may affect your forgiveness timeline. If you switch from one plan to another, you may need to start your forgiveness clock over depending on the plan and your situation. Check before you switch.
PAYE is being phased out by July 2028. If you're currently on PAYE and have loans disbursed before that date, you may be able to stay on PAYE. However, this area is still evolving. If you follow my newsletter, I'll send updates as guidance is released.
If you file jointly, yes, on every IDR plan. If you file separately, your spouse's income is generally excluded. In community property states (AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI), income may be split 50/50 even when filing separately. Use the MFJ vs. MFS comparison in the calculator to see the impact.
Yes. All four IDR plans (New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP) are expected to qualify for PSLF. Qualifying payments count toward the 120 payments needed for tax-free forgiveness.
You recertify your income annually with your loan servicer. If your income has changed, your payment will be recalculated. If you don't recertify on time, your payment may temporarily increase to the Standard Repayment amount. If your income drops significantly, you can submit updated documentation without waiting for the annual deadline.
It depends. If your consolidation is completed on or after July 1, 2026, you become a new borrower for those loans, limiting you to RAP. It's the completion date that matters, not when you start the application. If you want to preserve access to IBR or PAYE, your consolidation needs to be finalized before that date. But consolidation also resets your PSLF payment count.
What to do right now.
You don't have to figure everything out today. But here are three things you can do right now that will put you ahead of most borrowers.
1️⃣ Run your numbers
Use the IDR calculator above to see your payment under every plan. If you're married, run it both ways (MFJ and MFS). This takes 2 minutes and will tell you more than hours of googling.
2️⃣ Check your PSLF eligibility
Find out whether your employer qualifies. If it does, that changes the entire strategy. Most residency programs and nonprofit hospitals qualify. Check your PSLF status →
3️⃣ Don't consolidate until you've compared plans
If you're thinking about consolidation, make sure you understand how it changes your borrower status and plan access. A consolidation completed after July 1, 2026 permanently limits you to RAP.
Know someone who needs this?
Drop it in the group chat. Share it on Discord or Reddit. Text it to the co-resident who keeps saying "I'll figure out my loans later." This stuff is too important to get wrong, and too confusing to figure out alone. Let this bounce around.
Real physicians. Real financial results.
Want help getting this right?
You just read through four repayment plans, three tradeoffs, and a filing strategy that can swing your payments by thousands per month. The decisions you make here matter, and most of them can't be undone.
Most people can get pretty far on their own using this guide and the calculator. But if you'd rather talk things through with someone who does this every day, I'm here.
🔍 One-time strategy session ($299)
We'll review your loans, compare your IDR options, check your PSLF path, coordinate with your tax situation, and give you a clear game plan with exact next steps. One meeting. Full clarity.
🤝 Ongoing concierge support ($99/mo)
You're pursuing PSLF and don't want to deal with annual forms, servicer changes, or payment recertification alone. One yearly meeting, email access year-round, and a simple action plan so you always know what to do next.
Pick the path that fits you today.
You can always adjust later if your situation changes.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial, tax, or student loan advice. Student loan programs and repayment rules change frequently, and while I strive to keep this page up to date, I cannot guarantee accuracy at all times. Please consult your tax or financial professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Compare Your IDR Repayment Plans.
Four plans. One clear comparison.
Use the calculator below to compare New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP side by side, then keep scrolling to understand which plan fits your situation.
Book a $299 Strategy Session →Most people leave knowing exactly what to do next.
Last Updated: June 2, 2026
IDR Student Loan Calculator
Compare all four IDR plans with your real numbers. If you're married, toggle MFJ vs. MFS to see the difference.
Compare Your IDR Repayment Plans
Enter your information below. Results update instantly as you type.
This calculator is for educational purposes only.
It estimates your monthly student loan payments under the main federal IDR plans. Use it to understand your options, not as personalized advice.
This tool will:
- Estimate payments for New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP.
- Show how filing status affects payments if you're married.
This tool will not:
- Capture every detail of your loans or tax situation.
- Replace guidance from your servicer or a financial planner.
If you're considering filing separately, talk with a tax professional first. More help: dreambiggerfinancial.com/student-loan-help
Your IDR Results
What is Income-Driven Repayment?
IDR plans set your monthly payment based on what you earn, not what you owe. On the Standard Plan, $300,000 in loans means about $3,331/month. On an IDR plan, your payment could be significantly lower, and in some cases as low as $0.
There are four IDR plans: New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP. Each uses a different formula and has different tradeoffs. The plan you choose can mean a difference of hundreds of dollars per month.
By the end of this guide, you'll understand:
Before we compare plans, here's the vocabulary.
If you already know these, skip ahead.
📋 IDR (Income-Driven Repayment)
A category of federal repayment plans that set your monthly payment based on your income instead of your loan balance. New IBR, Old IBR, PAYE, and RAP are all IDR plans.
📋 Discretionary Income
The portion of your income the government considers available for loan payments. IBR and PAYE calculate your payment as a percentage of this number. It's your AGI minus 150% of the federal poverty guideline for your family size.
Discretionary income = AGI − (150% × poverty guideline for your family size and location).
For example, if your AGI is $65,000 and you're a family of 2 in the mainland US, the poverty guideline is $21,640. Multiply by 150% = $32,460. Your discretionary income = $65,000 − $32,460 = $32,540.
On New IBR or PAYE, your monthly payment is 10% of this ÷ 12 = about $271/month. On Old IBR, it's 15% ÷ 12 = about $407/month.
📋 AGI (Adjusted Gross Income)
Your total income minus certain deductions (retirement contributions, HSA, etc.). Found on Line 11 of your tax return. All IDR plans use this as the starting point.
📋 PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness)
A federal program that forgives your remaining loan balance after 10 years of qualifying payments if you work for a nonprofit or government employer. The forgiveness is tax-free.
📋 10-Year Standard Repayment
The default repayment plan. Pays off your loans in 10 years with fixed monthly payments. This is also the payment cap for IBR and PAYE. Your IDR payment can never exceed this amount.
Which plans are you eligible for?
Eligibility depends on when your loans were first disbursed. There's one major dividing line: July 1, 2026.
The tricky part isn't whether you qualify for an IDR plan. It's whether you have access to all four plans or just RAP. That depends on whether you're a new borrower or an old borrower.
🆕 New Borrower
You take out a federal loan or complete a consolidation on or after July 1, 2026.
Your only IDR option will be RAP. No IBR. No PAYE.
📋 Old Borrower
All your federal loans were taken out before July 1, 2026, and you don't take out new loans or consolidate after that date.
You keep access to IBR, PAYE (until 2028 phase-out), RAP, Standard, Graduated, and Extended.
A consolidation completed after July 1, 2026 can permanently change which plans are available to you.
This is one of the most common expensive mistakes I see.
Available if your first federal student loan was disbursed on or after July 1, 2014. Payments are 10% of discretionary income with 20-year forgiveness.
Available to borrowers with loans disbursed before July 1, 2014. Payments are 15% of discretionary income with 25-year forgiveness.
Even borrowers currently using PAYE will eventually need to move to IBR or RAP. PAYE and ICR are expected to be phased out by July 2028.
A consolidation completed after July 1, 2026 permanently changes your borrower status. Even if all your original loans were taken out before that date, consolidating after it makes you a new borrower with access to only RAP or Standard. This decision cannot be reversed.
IDR plans at a glance.
Here's how the four plans compare on the features that matter most. Swipe the table to see all columns.
| Feature | New IBR | Old IBR | PAYE | RAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Old Borrowers | Old Borrowers | Old Borrowers | All |
| % of Income | 10% | 15% | 10% | Tiered |
| Income Basis | Discretionary | Discretionary | Discretionary | AGI Brackets |
| Payment Cap | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Forgiveness | 20 yrs | 25 yrs | 20 yrs | 30 yrs |
| PSLF Eligible | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Balance Growth | Possible | Possible | Possible | Prevented |
| MFS Excludes Spouse | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
How each plan calculates your payment.
Two different approaches. The plans you're eligible for determine which formula applies.
📊 IBR and PAYE
Start with your income, subtract a protected amount based on your family size, and take 10% (New IBR, PAYE) or 15% (Old IBR) of what's left. Payment is capped at the Standard Repayment amount.
📊 RAP
Takes a percentage of your total income based on which bracket you fall into (1% to 10%), then subtracts $50 for each dependent. No payment cap. No poverty guideline calculation.
AGI: $65,000 · Family size: 2 · Location: Mainland US
Step 1: Find poverty guideline → Family size 2 = $21,640
Step 2: Multiply by 150% → $21,640 × 1.5 = $32,460
Step 3: Subtract from AGI → $65,000 − $32,460 = $32,540 (discretionary income)
Step 4: Multiply by 10% → $32,540 × 10% = $3,254/year
Step 5: Divide by 12 → $3,254 ÷ 12 = ~$271/month
AGI: $65,000 · Dependents: 1
Step 1: Find AGI bracket → $60,001–$70,000 = 6%
Step 2: Multiply AGI × 6% → $65,000 × 6% = $3,900/year
Step 3: Divide by 12 → $3,900 ÷ 12 = $325/month
Step 4: Subtract dependents → $325 − $50 = $275/month
Payment caps.
The table gives you the facts. These three sections explain why they matter.
On IBR and PAYE, your monthly payment can never exceed what you'd owe on the 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan. This cap protects you as your income rises. At attending income, the cap can save you hundreds per month.
RAP has no payment cap. Your payment keeps rising with income, with no ceiling. At $300,000 AGI, RAP could cost ~$2,450/month vs. the capped ~$2,304 on New IBR/PAYE.
💡 Why this matters
During residency, payments are similar across plans. But when your income jumps to attending level, the cap becomes the single biggest difference. If you're pursuing PSLF, lower payments during the 10-year window = more forgiven.
This one feature can be worth $100,000+ over a PSLF timeline.
Forgiveness + PSLF.
Every IDR plan has a built-in forgiveness timeline. New IBR and PAYE forgive after 20 years. Old IBR after 25. RAP after 30. But the forgiveness at the end of these timelines is taxable.
PSLF is different, and much more powerful. If you work full-time for a qualifying employer (hospitals, universities, nonprofits, government), your remaining balance is forgiven after just 10 years (120 qualifying payments). And the forgiveness is tax-free.
All four IDR plans qualify for PSLF. If you're pursuing PSLF, the plan that gives you the lowest payment during those 10 years saves you the most money, because the forgiven amount is tax-free either way.
PSLF qualifying employers include: hospitals, medical schools, universities, nonprofits (501(c)(3)), and any federal, state, or local government agency. Most residency programs qualify. Private practices generally do not, unless they're part of a nonprofit system.
Balance growth.
On IBR and PAYE, if your monthly payment doesn't cover all the interest, the unpaid interest gets added to your balance. Your $300,000 in loans can quietly grow to $400,000+ while you're making payments. In plain terms: if you're making payments for years and then decide to pay off your loans, you could owe more than you started with.
RAP is different. Under RAP, unpaid interest is never charged. Your balance can't grow from unpaid interest. RAP also guarantees at least $50 of principal reduction per month.
If you're pursuing PSLF, balance growth doesn't matter. Your balance gets forgiven regardless. But if there's any chance you'll pay your loans back instead of having them forgiven, a growing balance can cost you significantly.
The Married Filing Separately strategy.
If you're married, how you file your taxes directly affects your student loan payment on every IDR plan.
When you file MFJ, your spouse's income is included. When you file MFS, your spouse's income is generally excluded.
👨⚕️ Dr. Patel, married
He earns $65,000. His spouse earns $295,000. They have 1 dependent. $300K in loans at 6%.
File jointly (MFJ)?
RAP: ~$2,950/mo · New IBR/PAYE: ~$2,659/mo
File separately (MFS)? (non-community property state)
RAP: ~$275/mo · New IBR/PAYE: ~$200/mo
👥 Family Size vs. Dependents: One Key Difference
On IBR and PAYE, your spouse always counts in your family size, even when filing separately. Bigger family = bigger deduction = lower payment.
On RAP, only the dependents you personally claim on your tax return reduce your payment ($50 each). Your spouse doesn't automatically count.
The tradeoff? Filing separately can increase your total tax bill. The right answer depends on how much you save on student loans versus how much more you pay in taxes.
If you live in AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, or WI, income may be split 50/50 between spouses when filing separately.
IBR and PAYE always include your spouse in your family size, even when filing separately. Your family size also includes children and other dependents who receive more than half of their support from you, including unborn children. This means a larger family = a larger poverty guideline deduction = a lower payment.
RAP is different. RAP does not use family size. It uses the number of dependents you claim on your federal tax return, as defined under IRS Section 152. You do not count yourself. You do not automatically count your spouse. Only qualifying dependents reduce your payment ($50 each). If you file MFS, only dependents claimed on your return are included.
On IBR and PAYE, a married couple filing separately with 2 kids has a family size of 4 (you + spouse + 2 kids), even though your spouse's income is excluded. That larger family size gives you a bigger poverty line deduction and a lower payment.
On RAP, the same person might only claim 1 dependent on their return, resulting in a $50 reduction instead of the larger deduction IBR/PAYE provides through family size.
A real-world IDR comparison.
One borrower, four plans. Here's how the numbers compare.
Loans: $300,000 at 6.0% · AGI: $65,000 · Family size: 2 · Dependents: 1
Which IDR plan should I use?
There's no universal answer. Here's a starting framework.
✅ Consider RAP if...
You're a new borrower after July 2026 (RAP is your only option). Or you're on a non-PSLF path and want balance growth protection. Or your income is low and you want the simplest formula.
✅ Consider New IBR or PAYE if...
You're eligible and pursuing PSLF. Or you expect attending-level income and want the payment cap. Or you're married and the family size deduction gives you lower payments than RAP's dependent deduction.
⚠️ Think carefully if...
You're considering consolidation near the July 2026 deadline. If your consolidation is completed on or after July 1, 2026, you lose access to IBR and PAYE for those loans. This decision can't be undone.
🚨 Be cautious if...
You're on Old IBR with a path to forgiveness. Switching plans may reset your forgiveness clock. Don't switch without understanding the consequences. And never consolidate just because someone told you to without understanding what you're giving up.
Practical questions.
The questions I hear most from physicians comparing IDR plans.
What to do right now.
1️⃣ Run your numbers
Use the IDR calculator above to see your payment under every plan. If you're married, run it both ways (MFJ and MFS). This takes 2 minutes and will tell you more than hours of googling.
2️⃣ Check your PSLF eligibility
Find out whether your employer qualifies. If it does, that changes the entire strategy. Most residency programs and nonprofit hospitals qualify. Check your PSLF status →
3️⃣ Don't consolidate until you've compared plans
Consolidation can permanently change which plans you're eligible for. If your consolidation completes on or after July 1, 2026, you lose IBR and PAYE. Run the numbers first. Then decide.
Real physicians. Real financial results.
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You just read through four repayment plans, three tradeoffs, and a filing strategy that can swing your payments by thousands per month. The decisions you make here matter, and most of them can't be undone.
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You can always adjust later if your situation changes.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial, tax, or student loan advice. Student loan programs and repayment rules change frequently, and while I strive to keep this page up to date, I cannot guarantee accuracy at all times. Please consult your tax or financial professional for guidance specific to your situation.