RAP vs IBR Calculator 2026: Compare Your Student Loan Plans on True CostCount true cost, lifetime payments plus the tax on any forgiven balance, and IBR wins in the worked example: about $87,240 all in, roughly $20,000 less than Tiered Standard and $35,000 less than RAP. The catch: the tax on about $42,000 of forgiven debt runs about $9,240. The win only holds if you set aside about $39 a month toward that bill.Student loans and career
Repayment plans priced on true cost, and job offers compared on total compensation.
RAP vs IBR Calculator 2026: Compare Your Student Loan Plans on True CostCount true cost, lifetime payments plus the tax on any forgiven balance, and IBR wins in the worked example: about $87,240 all in, roughly $20,000 less than Tiered Standard and $35,000 less than RAP. The catch: the tax on about $42,000 of forgiven debt runs about $9,240. The win only holds if you set aside about $39 a month toward that bill.
Job Offer Comparison Spreadsheet: Total Comp Wins, Not SalaryDo not compare salaries; compare four-year totals. In the worked example, the $175,000 offer with a $50,000 signing bonus leads after one year, $225,000 kept against $150,000, but the $150,000 offer with $300,000 of RSUs wins from year two and finishes $150,000 ahead, $900,000 against $750,000. The RSU offer only wins if you stay past the one-year cliff and the stock keeps at least half its value.