ICR Plan: 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 your spouse also has eligible student loans, you may choose to repay your loans jointly with the ICR repayment plan. If you choose that option, your servicer will calculate separate payments for each spouse adjusted proportionally to each spouse’s share of the overall debt.
