How does my spouse’s income and student loans affect my eligibility and payment amount? The answer to this question depends on the plan:

How does my spouse’s income and student loans affect my eligibility and payment amount?
The answer to this question depends on the plan:

REPAYE Plan: Whether you file a joint tax return or not, your spouse’s income is generally factored into your monthly payment amount unless you are separated or you can’t reasonably access your spouse’s income under this plan. If your spouse has eligible student loans also paid using the REPAYE plan, your servicer will usually automatically adjust your payment amount proportionally, based on each spouse’s share of the total loan debt.

PAYE and IBR Plans: If you and your spouse file separate income tax returns, your loan servicer will generally not consider your spouse’s income when determining eligibility or calculating your monthly payments. However, if you file joint income tax returns, your spouse’s income will be factored into eligibility and monthly payments unless you are separated or you can’t reasonably access your spouse’s income.

If you file a joint federal income tax return with your spouse, your loan servicer will use your combined eligible student loan debt when determining your eligibility. It will also automatically adjust your payment amount proportionally, based on each spouse’s share of the total loan debt. If you file separate federal income tax returns, only your student loan debt will be used when determining your eligibility for the plan, and there will be no adjustment to your payment amount, even if your spouse also has student loans.