The Department of Education has scheduled an extended maintenance period for StudentAid.gov from 4 p.m. ET Saturday, June 27 to 1 p.m. ET Sunday, June 28. This shutdown comes at a critical time, as millions of borrowers are preparing to select new repayment plans that will launch on July 1.
During this maintenance window, borrowers will be unable to log in, create accounts, or access the FAFSA or income-driven repayment application. This outage coincides with the IRS maintenance, which will disrupt the automated transfer of tax data into StudentAid.gov from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on Saturday. Applicants will need to manually enter their federal tax information during this period.
The Impact on Borrowers
The timing of this maintenance could not be worse for borrowers. Approximately 7 million individuals enrolled in the now-defunct SAVE plan are about to be notified to choose a new repayment plan. With the website unavailable for part of the weekend right before this process begins, borrowers may face confusion and delays.
The maintenance is likely necessary to implement the massive updates required for the launch of new repayment options under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Starting July 1, new Direct Loan borrowers will have just two choices a Tiered Standard plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). Servicers will begin notifying SAVE borrowers, who will then have 90 days to switch to one of these new plans.
Understanding the New Repayment Assistance Plan
The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) launching on July 1, is the newest income-driven repayment plan. Payments under this plan will scale from a $10 minimum up to 10% of adjusted gross income with a $50-per-month reduction per dependent. The plan also blocks unpaid interest from growing the balance and guarantees that the principal will drop by at least $50 a month.
For borrowers leaving forbearance, the choice between RAP and the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan will be a primary focus. This transition is expected to cause confusion and increase call volumes to servicers in early July as SAVE notices go out and RAP enrollment opens.
Advice for Affected Borrowers
Anyone who needs to submit a FAFSA file an IDR application or recertify income should wait until the site is back online Sunday afternoon. This outage, while routine for system updates, will inevitably leave borrowers frustrated as they try to explore their new repayment options.
Robert Farrington founder of The College Investor and a recognized expert on student loan debt, emphasizes the importance of understanding these changes. With over 15 years of experience in researching and advising on student loans, Farrington has been featured in prominent publications such as The New York TimesThe Wall Street Journal and Forbes. His expertise combines professional insights and personal experience, having successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey.
Farrington’s work is dedicated to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. For more information, you can visit his personal site at .
