The extended maintenance window locks borrowers out of logins, the FAFSA, and the income-driven repayment application just as 7 million SAVE enrollees prepare to choose a new plan.
The Department of Education is taking StudentAid.gov offline for extended maintenance June 27–28, locking borrowers out of logins, the FAFSA, and the income-driven repayment application just days before the new Repayment Assistance Plan goes live.
The timing lands at the worst possible moment for borrowers. Roughly 7 million people in the now-defunct SAVE plan are about to be told to pick a new repayment plan, and the site they need to do it on will be unavailable for part of the weekend right before that clock starts ticking.
However, it's likely required for the massive amount of updates needed to launch the various changes that roll out July 1.
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The Details
Per Federal Student Aid, the outage begins around 4 p.m. ET Saturday, June 27, and runs until roughly 1 p.m. ET Sunday, June 28. During that window, users can't log in, create an account, or access the FAFSA or the income-driven repayment application.
The IRS is also performing maintenance Saturday from about 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, which disrupts the automated transfer of tax data into StudentAid.gov. Between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., applicants will have to enter their federal tax information manually.
The Big Picture
The maintenance almost certainly ties to the July 1 rollout of new repayment options created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Starting July 1, new Direct Loan borrowers get just two choices (a Tiered Standard plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan) and servicers begin notifying SAVE borrowers, who then have 90 days to switch.
Taking the system down to rollout those changes is routine, but it will inevitably leave borrowers confused and frustrated as they try to explore their options.
How This Connects
The Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP, launches July 1 as the newest income-driven repayment plan. Payments scale from a $10 minimum up to 10% of adjusted gross income, with a $50-per-month reduction per dependent, and the plan blocks unpaid interest from growing the balance while guaranteeing principal drops at least $50 a month.
For SAVE borrowers leaving forbearance, the choice between RAP and IBR is going to be the main focus.
Expect borrower confusion and heavier servicer call volume in early July as SAVE notices go out and RAP enrollment opens.
Anyone who needs to submit a FAFSA (luckily not many in the summer), file an IDR application, or recertify income should wait until the site is back Sunday afternoon.
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Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience – he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same.
He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.