Eligible U.S. federal student loan borrowers now have until December 31, 2026 to enroll in autopay for a temporary 1 percentage point interest-rate reduction. The U.S. Department of Education announced the extension on September 29, 2026; the reduction is scheduled to last through June 30, 2028, while borrowers remain enrolled and meet the eligibility rules. Read the Department’s announcement.
What is the new deadline for the student loan autopay discount?
The enrollment deadline is December 31, 2026. The Department of Education extended the original September 30, 2026 cutoff in a September 29 announcement. For current deadline guidance, use that later announcement rather than older material that still lists September 30.
The temporary 1 percentage point rate reduction is scheduled to run through June 30, 2028. Borrowers must remain enrolled in autopay and continue to satisfy the eligibility conditions during the benefit period. The Department said nearly 2 million borrowers had enrolled since the reduction was announced earlier in the summer; that is the agency’s enrollment count as of its September 29, 2026 release, not a count of all eligible borrowers or a savings estimate.
Who qualifies for the 1 percentage point reduction?
The Department describes the offer as covering Federal Direct Loans originated after July 1, 2012, including loans for students and parents. Federal Student Aid says FFEL, HEAL, and Perkins loans are not eligible for this additional reduction. Check the loan type and origination date with your servicer, since eligibility depends on your account details.
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- Direct Loans: Check that the loan was originated after July 1, 2012.
- Parent PLUS: Parent borrowers are included in the Department’s description of eligible student and parent borrowers, subject to the Direct Loan and date requirements.
- FFEL, HEAL, and Perkins: These loan types are excluded from the additional reduction.
Federal Student Aid’s repayment information covers loan repayment and autopay, but its page may show the superseded September 30 cutoff. For the extended enrollment date, rely on the Department’s later September 29 announcement.
How do I get the 1% student loan interest-rate reduction?
If you are eligible and not already enrolled, arrange autopay through your loan servicer by December 31, 2026. Use the servicer’s website or contact it if you cannot find the setting.
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- Sign in to your loan servicer’s account. Confirm which loans the servicer handles and review their type and origination date.
- Select autopay or automatic payments. Follow the servicer’s enrollment instructions.
- Provide bank-account information and confirm the payment instructions. Check the account and payment details carefully before submitting.
- Verify enrollment with the servicer. Make sure autopay is active for the eligible loan or loans and keep it active to maintain the reduction.
Borrowers in default must first take the required steps to return to repayment before enrolling. Contact the servicer or the relevant federal loan authority for account-specific instructions rather than assuming autopay enrollment alone resolves default.
What if I was enrolled in the SAVE plan?
The Department says borrowers previously enrolled in the SAVE plan are included if they have enrolled in a different lawful repayment plan. Autopay by itself does not address that repayment-plan condition. Confirm your current repayment status with your servicer before relying on the interest-rate reduction.
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Does this lower my monthly payment?
The announced benefit is a temporary reduction to the interest rate, not a promise that a borrower’s required monthly installment will fall by a set amount. The official material does not establish a specific dollar saving or monthly-payment reduction. Your account terms, balance, and repayment arrangement determine what the rate change means for you; ask your servicer how it will appear on your account.
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