You are automatically placed on the standard repayment plan unless you contact your loan servicer and choose a different repayment option.

Quick Scoop

  • For most federal student loans, the default is the Standard Repayment Plan.
  • This plan uses fixed monthly payments designed to fully pay off your loans within a set time (often about 10 years for many borrowers).
  • You stay on this plan unless you actively request another option, such as an income-driven or graduated plan, by working with your servicer.

In other words, if you finish school and do nothing about choosing a plan, your payments will normally be set up under the standard repayment plan by default.