Are you graduating, borrowed student loans and are worried about making payments? Perhaps your student loans are already in repayment and you are struggling to make those payments. Do not despair, there are several options available to help you stay on track and alleviate some of your worries. Let us begin with the following steps:
If you are unsure who your loan servicer is, please visit https://nsldsfap.ed.gov/login in order to find out. Remember that you will need to contact each of your loan servicers if you have more than one.
If you are unemployed, enrolled in school, or suffering through an economic hardship you can possibly qualify for a deferment. A deferment temporarily postpones your payments and the interest on subsidized loans for a specified amount of time. Another option may be a forbearance, which may postpone your payment but the interest will continue to accrue on all loans. You can contact your loan servicer if you would like to discuss your repayment plan options or change your repayment plan. The fixed payment repayment plans include the Tiered Standard Plan (if your loan was disbursed on or after July 1, 2026), the Standard Repayment Plan, the Graduated Repayment Plan, and the Extended Repayment Plan. These plans base your monthly payment amount on how much you owe, your interest rate, and a fixed repayment time period. If you want to be placed on one of these plans, contact your loan servicer. When you leave school, you will be automatically enrolled in the Tiered Standard Plan (unless you pick a different repayment plan). Fixed Plans Plans Eligible Loans Standard Tiered Standard All Direct Loans Graduated Extended To qualify for this plan, you must have more than $30,000 in outstanding Direct Loans (if you're a Direct Loan borrower) or more than $30,000 in outstanding FFEL Program loans (if you're a FFEL borrower). These loan types are eligible: Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plans IDR plans base your monthly payment amount on how much money you make and your family size. If you have eligible loans taken out before July 1, 2026, you’re permitted to access the Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Plans on or after July 1, 2026. There will be no restriction on enrolling in the IBR, ICR, or PAYE Plans on or after July 1, 2026, unless you receive a disbursement on a new loan on or after July 1, 2026. Once you receive a first disbursement on a loan as of July 1, 2026, you will lose eligibility for the IBR, ICR, and PAYE plans. Eligible loans will have access to the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). The One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminates the ICR and PAYE plans entirely in the future. We will publish more information about the ICR Plan enrollment deadlines that borrowers with consolidated parent PLUS loans must meet before the ICR Plan is eliminated in order for them to continue to be able to access the IBR Plan. The IDR plans are:How to postpone your payments
Fixed Payment Repayment Plans
Now that you have explored your options it is now time to contact your loan servicer. Do not delay in contacting your loan servicer if you are already in repayment.
Falling behind on your loan payments can result in late fees and it can negatively affect your credit score.
You’re not alone when it comes to student loans, UTRGV has partnered with Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), to provide you with FREE assistance on your Federal student loan obligations to ensure successful, and comfortable, loan repayment. Inceptia’s friendly customer representatives may reach out to you if your loan(s) become delinquent.
Inceptia is not a collection agency. We’ve partnered with them to help you explore a wide variety of possibilities such as alternative repayment plans, deferment, consolidation, discharge, forgiveness, and forbearance options. Inceptia will stay in touch with you via phone calls, letters, and/or emails to help you find answers to your questions and solutions to your issues.
For additional resources including information on repayment options, please visit Inceptia’s Federal Student Loan Overview website at Inceptia.org/FAQ.
If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to contact our Default Management Office at (956) 665-2144 or via email at manageyourloans@utrgv.edu.
Things that may interest you:
- Loan repayment assistance through the Loan Repayment Program for Mental Health Professionals
- Loan repayment assistance through the Nursing Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Program
- Loan repayment through the Peace Officer Loan Repayment Assistance Program
- Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation, and Discharge Programs
- Loan Consolidation: The Pros and Cons
- Beware of Student Loan Debt Relief Scams
seekUT is a free, online tool and website that presents data on the earnings and educational graduate outcomes for UTRGV and other UT System Institutions. Visit seekUT and see what the median salary, debt and jobs statistics for your major or course of study has to offer all in one place.
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UTRGV Average Student Loan Debt and 3-YR CDR vs State and National
The information below represents three years of historical data for UTRGV’s average student loan debt and 3-YR Cohort Default Rate (CDR) in comparison to the State and National averages.
3 Year Historical Data
| Average Student Loan Debt: | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 |
| UTRGV Average Student Loan Debt | $15,803 | $11,661 | $16,129 |
| % of UTRGV Students Who Borrowed | 55.0% | 59.0% | 59.0% |
| State Average Student Loan Debt | $27,293 | $26,951 | $27,293 |
| National Average Student Loan Debt | $29,096 | $28,950 | $29,200 |
| 3-YR CDR Rate: | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 |
| UTRGV 3-YR CDR Rate | 0.0% | 0.1% | 4.7% |
| State Average 3-YR CDR Rate | 0.0% | 3.6% | 10.3% |
| National Average 3-YR CDR Rate | 0.0% | 1.8% | 7.3% |
Source : Federal Student Aid: Official Cohort Default Rates for Schools
Official Cohort Default Rates for Schools | Knowledge Center
Source : The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS): Project on Student Debt
Project on Student Debt - The Institute for College Access & Success