Why do I need to recertify my Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan?
All IDR plans are approved for 12 months to ensure that your monthly payment amount reflects any changes to your income and family size that may occur. Even if your circumstances don't change, you are required to recertify your plan.
What is a recertification date?
A recertification date is when your IDR plan expires. Recertification dates are unique to you and the last time your IDR application was processed.
Your loan servicer and FSA will contact you when your recertification date is approaching. It’s important to recertify by your unique recertification deadline to maintain IDR enrollment. Each plan has its own consequences for failing to recertify.
Where can I find my recertification date?
You can find your recertification date on your loan servicer's web portal.
How do I recertify my IDR plan?
You can recertify your IDR plan by submitting an IDR application with your proof of income using Summer's IDR tool. Your application and documentation will be sent to your loan servicer for processing.
What happens if I miss my recertification date?
Generally, if you fail to recertify, you’ll remain enrolled in the IDR plan, but your payment won’t be based on your income. The payment will be recalculated to the Standard 10-year plan payment based on the loan amount when you originally enrolled in IDR.
The consequences of missing your annual recertification deadline vary depending on your IDR plan. For more details on each plan’s consequences for failing to recertify by your recertification date, refer to Federal Student Aid (FSA).
Can I automatically recertify my IDR plan?
The IDR application was updated in 2023 so that you can consent to allow the Education Department (ED) to access your tax information through the IRS. If you consent to this benefit, your IDR plan will automatically recertify annually, and you will be informed before your new monthly plan amount goes into effect. If your income decreases before your recertification, you can manually submit a recalculation application so that your monthly payment reflects your new income.
If you signed up for auto-enrollment and your family size isn’t accurately reflected on your tax return, you will be allowed to update your family size with your loan servicer to ensure an accurate monthly payment amount.