The Student Loan Survival Guide: RAP, PSLF, default and the new 2026 rules, step by step

RAP, IBR, PSLF, Default and Private Loans After the 2025 Law: What to Do Step by Step, With Call Scripts, a Decision Tree and a 30-Day Plan

Federal student loans changed more in 2025 and 2026 than in the previous decade. A new law created the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), ended Grad PLUS for new borrowers, capped Parent PLUS, and put PAYE and ICR on a countdown to July 2028. A court settlement ended SAVE. Collections on defaulted loans restarted, paused, and are moving to the Treasury. If you feel lost, this book gives you a clear, dated, step-by-step path.

You will learn exactly how RAP calculates your bill (with the full AGI bracket table and worked examples), when IBR is cheaper, and what former SAVE borrowers should do now. You will see how the July 1, 2026 cutoff can quietly take plans away if you borrow or consolidate again, what Parent PLUS borrowers can still do, and how to protect your PSLF count after the courts struck down the 2025 employer rule.

If you are behind or in default, you get a plain-English map of wage garnishment, tax refund offset and Social Security offset limits, plus a side-by-side comparison of rehabilitation and consolidation and how each affects your credit and your future plan options. Private loans and refinancing get an honest trade-off analysis, and a full chapter covers the tax side: forgiveness taxes, married filing separately, and legal ways to lower AGI.

Finish with a 10-question decision tree, seven word-for-word servicer call scripts, two letter templates, a scam-spotting guide, a list of official sources, and a 30-day action plan. Every rule is dated and points you to StudentAid.gov to confirm. Educational guide, not legal, tax or financial advice.

What you get:

• RAP decoded: the full AGI bracket table, interest waiver and $50 principal match with worked examples
• Which plans you can still use, and the July 1, 2026 trap for new loans and consolidation
• A clear checklist for former SAVE borrowers
• Parent PLUS, Grad PLUS and the new 2026 borrowing limits explained
• PSLF in 2026: the employer rule court fight and a routine to protect your count
• Garnishment, tax refund offset and rehabilitation vs. consolidation, step by step
• Seven word-for-word servicer call scripts and two letter templates
• A 10-question decision tree and a 30-day action plan

Instant download: PDF ebook (6x9 in), readable on any phone, tablet or computer. Educational content; rules change, so check the official sources listed in the book.