According to the Federal Student Aid Office, you can make qualifying monthly payments only during periods when you are required to make a payment. Therefore, you cannot make a qualifying monthly payment while your loans are in one of the following: an in-school status, the grace period, a deferment, or a forbearance.
Additionally, payments must be made in full and on time to qualify for PSLF.
Plans that DO qualify for PSLF
The following repayment plans count toward PSLF:
- Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) — available for Direct Loans made on or after July 1, 2026. Only on-time payments count; months in deferment or forbearance during RAP enrollment do not count.
- Income-Based Repayment (IBR)
- Standard 10-Year Repayment Plan (note: paying on the standard plan will likely pay off your loan before reaching the 120 qualifying payments needed for PSLF)
- Legacy plans (PAYE, IBR, ICR) — qualify only for loans made before July 1, 2026, and only for payments made through June 30, 2028
Plans that do NOT qualify for PSLF
Payments made on the following plans will not qualify for PSLF:
- Tiered Standard Repayment Plan — does not qualify for PSLF regardless of when your loan was made
- Extended Graduated Repayment Plan
- Standard 25- or 30-Year Plan (if you have consolidated your loans)
- SAVE (REPAYE) — no longer an eligible repayment plan
Important changes to note
- PAYE and ICR plans are being sunset on July 1, 2028. Payments made under these plans through June 30, 2028 still count toward PSLF, but payments made on or after July 1, 2028 do not. If you are on one of these plans, you will need to switch to the Repayment Assistance Plan, IBR, Standard, Graduated, or Extended repayment by July 1, 2028.
- Parent PLUS borrowers who took out their first loan on or after July 1, 2026 are only eligible for the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan, which does not qualify for PSLF.
- PSLF credit during deferment or forbearance: In most cases, months in deferment or forbearance do not count toward PSLF. However, outside of RAP enrollment, you may be able to receive PSLF credit for certain deferment or forbearance periods if you made supplemental payments equal to what you would have paid on a qualifying repayment plan, or if you would have qualified for a $0 payment on an income-driven repayment plan. Eligible periods include cancer treatment deferment, economic hardship deferment, military service deferment, and certain forbearances such as AmeriCorps, National Guard Duty, and administrative forbearance.
- Employer eligibility: Starting July 1, 2026, payments will not count toward PSLF for any month after a determination that your employer engaged in a "substantial illegal purpose." If an employer loses eligibility, it may regain it after 10 years by certifying it no longer engages in those activities.
For more information, visit https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service#qualifying-payments