Document
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Income Driven Repayment Plan Request for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan Programs
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Department is proposing revision of a currently approved information collection request (ICR).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Department, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Department is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.
Title of Collection:
Income Driven Repayment Plan Request for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan Programs.
OMB Control Number:
1845-0102.
Type of Review:
Revision of a currently approved ICR.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals or Households.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses:
9,500,000.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours:
3,135,000.
Abstract:
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed into law on July 4, 2025, made statutory changes to Sections 455(a), 455(d), 455(e), 455(g), and 455(q) that impact borrower eligibility, terms and conditions, and borrowers' rights and responsibilities for Direct Loans received on or after July 1, 2026. Additionally, previous provisions regulated in 34 CFR 685.209 effective July 1, 2024, were invalidated as a result of court actions on March 10, 2026.
Section 493C of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (the HEA), authorizes the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan for borrowers who obtain student loans through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Section 455(e) of the HEA describes income-contingent repayment plans for borrowers who obtain student loans through the Direct Loan Program. Section 455(q) of the HEA describes the Repayment Assistance Plan for borrowers who obtain student loans through the Direct Loan Program. These plans are collectively referred to as income driven repayment (IDR) plans and the regulations that govern them are in 34 CFR 682.215 (for FFEL Program loans) and 685.209 (for Direct Loans). There are three income-contingent repayment plans: the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan (formerly REPAYE), Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Plan, and the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan. The court action effective March 10, 2026 invalidates the SAVE Plan and the OBBBA requires the remaining income-contingent plans be sunset by July 1, 2028.
The Department is updating the currently approved IDR Request Form that is used by a borrower to enroll, recertify, or change their IDR plan to support the provisions identified by the OBBBA and court action. Specifically, the form is being updated to add the Repayment Assistance Plan as an option for borrowers to select and revising the questions related to family size to accurately gather the borrower's number of dependents—a component unique to the Repayment Assistance Plan. Additionally, the form explains the terms of the Repayment Assistance Plan and provides notice that the PAYE and ICR plans will be sunset in 2028 (the SAVE Plan was removed in a previous version of the form as a result of a court injunction). Additional updates to improve clarity and the borrower experience as a result of these changes have also been made.
Ross Santy,
Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.