PAYE/REPAYE Student Loan Plans: How They Work. Whom They Are Best
Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and its newer equivalent Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) are two of the four ICR options offered. Although REPAYE is usually easier to qualify for, PAYE may be a better alternative for you when student loans are due, depending on your circumstances.
This change will cause borrowers’ monthly payments to increase, in some cases by hundreds of dollars. For example, a borrower with $50,000 in student loans and a $50,000 salary would have seen their monthly payments increase from $179 to $372 under the new rules.
If you’re having trouble making your federal student loan payments, you might want to consider enrolling in an income-driven repayment plan.
To be eligible for PAYE, you must have taken out your first federal student loan after October 1, 2007, as well as a Direct Loan or a Direct Consolidation Loan after October 1, 2011.
What you need to know about PAYE vs. REPAYE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is the difference between PAYE and REPAYE?
Choosing between PAYE and REPAYE is a difficult task.
Deciding between PAYE and REPAYE Loan Repayment
Alternatives to PAYE and REPAYE
What is the difference between PAYE and REPAYE?
PAYE student loan repayment and REPAYE student loan repayment programs both reduce your monthly student loan payment to 10% of your disposable income. Each of these is also a repayment plan that qualifies for student loan forgiveness programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The following are some of the most critical aspects of each plan.
Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (REPAYE)
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Direct Loans only
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Excludes Parent PLUS and Consolidation Loans that repaid a previous Parent PLUS
Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (PAYE)
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For Direct Loans only
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Excludes Parent PLUS and Consolidation Loans that repaid a previous Parent PLUS
Your monthly payment will be capped at 10% of your discretionary income on a monthly basis. This payment cannot be more than what you would pay on a standard 10-year payback plan each month. Remember that if you’re married but file your taxes separately, your spouse’s income won’t be factored towards your payment.
Payback time: You’ll have 20 years to repay your loans.
REPAYE
REPAYE student loan plans are available to the majority of people who have taken out federal direct loans. This is due to the fact that there is no necessity to demonstrate financial hardship. REPAYE’s benefits, on the other hand, aren’t as generous as PAYE’s.
Your monthly payment will be capped at 10% of your discretionary income, but unlike PAYE, these payments can be larger than your usual 10-year monthly payment. Even if you file your taxes separately, your spouse’s earnings will be included in your total earnings. REPAYE is available to every borrower who has qualified for a loan.
Repayment time: If you have undergraduate loans, you will have a 20-year repayment schedule. With graduate student loans, you’ll have a 25-year repayment period.
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If you are experiencing a temporary financial crisis, PAYE may be a better option than REPAYE student loan plans. You’re only eligible for REPAYE if you don’t have a partial financial hardship, making this an obvious choice.
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You anticipate an increase in your earnings in the future: If your income rises, you may lose your PAYE eligibility and be compelled to change plans. This may have unintended implications, such as interest capitalization. In this scenario, enrolling in REPAYE might be a good idea.
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The majority of your student loans are unsubsidized: If that’s the case, REPAYE may be a better option because you’ll obtain interest subsidies even on unsubsidized loans.
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You are eligible for both PAYE and REPAYE if you meet the following criteria: If you qualify for both, PAYE is usually the superior option because you’ll get more generous monthly payment reductions.
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You’re married and submit separate tax returns: Single borrowers are treated the same in both plans. If you’re married, however, you’ll have to think about how your spouse’s income may affect your plan when student loans are due. If you file taxes separately, your spouse’s income will not be taken into account when computing your monthly payment under PAYE. Your spouse’s income will be counted under REPAYE regardless of how you pay your taxes.
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Choose the option that makes the most sense for you.
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Apply for the income-driven repayment plan of your choice.
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Continue to make your loan payments as usual until you get confirmation that your application for income-driven repayment has been granted.
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Make the necessary changes to your monthly installments.
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Annually, recertify your income.
Alternatives to PAYE and REPAYE Loan Repayment
Are you unsure which income-based repayment plan is best for you?
De-stress Your Life and Student Loans Before the Pause Ends- Contact us today to determine which type of forgiveness is best for you.
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