Extended Repayment

If standard repayment seems unmanageable, you can stretch your repayment period with extended repayment—and make smaller payments.

But remember, the longer you take to repay your loan, the more interest you will have to repay.

How It Works

  • If you took out your oldest loan on or after October 7, 1998, you may be eligible.
  • You also need at least $30,000 in loans in either the Direct Loan (DL) program or the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP).
  • DL and FFELP loans cannot be combined to reach the $30,000 minimum.
  • Extended repayment stretches your repayment period from 10 years to as long as 25 years.
  • This lowers your payments, but it increases the total interest you pay over the life of the loan—making your loan more expensive.

For example, at 6.8% interest, the cost of repaying a $50,000 loan over 10 years is far lower than the cost of repaying it over 25 years:

 Standard RepaymentExtended Repayment
Number of Payments120 (10 years)300 (25 years)
Monthly Payment Amount$575$347
Total Cost of Interest$19,048$54,111
Total Amount Repaid$69,048$114,111


The difference is costly, but don’t rule out extended repayment if you can’t afford your payments right now. Just consider extending your repayment only a few years—instead of the maximum time available. That will save you money in the long run.

See what your payments could look like under this schedule with our extended repayment calculator.

Changing Your Repayment Plan

There is no form for changing to the extended repayment schedule, but some servicers will ask for a written request.  

If you have any questions about the plan, you can also call American Student Assistance® (ASA). Our counselors can help you decide if this plan is right for you. We can also call your servicer with you.