Income-Based Repayment (IBR)

Reduce your federal student loan payments based on your income and family size. Get affordable payments with forgiveness after 20-25 years.

10-15%
of discretionary income
20-25
years to forgiveness
$0
minimum payment

How IBR Works

Income-Based Repayment (IBR) caps your monthly payments at 10-15% of your discretionary income, making federal student loans more manageable for borrowers with financial hardship.

Income-Based Payments

Your monthly payment is capped at 10% (new borrowers) or 15% (existing borrowers before 2014) of your discretionary income.

Family Size Matters

Larger family sizes reduce your discretionary income calculation, potentially lowering your payments even further.

Loan Forgiveness

Any remaining balance is forgiven after 20 years (undergraduate loans) or 25 years (graduate loans) of qualifying payments.

Partial Financial Hardship

Must demonstrate that IBR payments would be less than standard 10-year repayment plan payments.

IBR Payment Example

Annual Income: $40,000
Family Size: 2
Discretionary Income: $18,090
Monthly IBR Payment: $151

*Example calculation - actual payments may vary

Who Qualifies for IBR?

✅ Eligible Loans

  • Direct Subsidized Loans
  • Direct Unsubsidized Loans
  • Direct PLUS Loans (Graduate)
  • Direct Consolidation Loans
  • FFEL Program Loans

📋 Requirements

  • Must have partial financial hardship
  • Federal student loan borrower
  • Annual income certification required
  • Loans in good standing
  • Parent PLUS loans not eligible