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Student loan calculator

Student Loan Repayment Calculator (UK)

Enter your salary and plan to see what you repay each year and month, across Plans 1, 2, 4, 5 and Postgraduate. Free, no signup.

Free, no signupAll UK plansVerify at gov.uk
Your details
Your gross salary before tax. Repayments are worked out on income above your plan's threshold.
£
Not sure? Check your plan in your online student loan account or on gov.uk.
Payoff timeline (optional)
Enter your main plan balance to estimate how long until it clears.
£
UK student loan interest tracks RPI (and income for Plan 2). This is an assumption you can change, not a prediction.
%
Your repayment
£505/yr
9% of income over £29,385
Per month£42.08
Per week£9.71
Income after this repaymentExcludes income tax and National Insurance£34,495
You repay only on income above the threshold, not your whole salary. Want your full net pay with income tax and National Insurance too? Use the take-home pay calculator.
Estimate only, general information, not financial advice. Verify current thresholds at gov.uk. Interest is charged separately from your repayments and grows your balance.
Simon Chadwick
Simon Chadwick
Founder, Orbit Money
Method: gov.uk income-contingent repayment thresholdsUpdated: 15 July 2026Sources: gov.uk (what you pay), gov.uk (which plan)

How UK student loan repayments work

UK student loans are income-contingent. You repay a percentage of the income you earn above your plan’s threshold, and nothing on the income below it. So the amount you repay is driven by what you earn, not by how much you owe. If your salary sits under the threshold, your repayment is nil. If it rises above, you repay 9% of the difference on Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5, or 6% on a Postgraduate Loan. This works much like a marginal tax, which is why a pay rise never leaves you worse off overall.

Current thresholds and rates by plan

PlanAnnual thresholdRateWho’s on it
Plan 1£26,9009%Started an English or Welsh course before 1 Sept 2012 (and some others)
Plan 2£29,3859%Started an English or Welsh course between 1 Sept 2012 and 31 July 2023
Plan 4 (Scotland)£33,7959%Scottish students (SAAS)
Plan 5£25,0009%Started an English course on or after 1 Aug 2023
Postgraduate Loan£21,0006%A Master's or Doctoral loan, can run alongside another plan

These are the thresholds in effect from 6 April 2026. Thresholds are reviewed each year, so confirm your plan and current figure on gov.uk or in your online student loan account. This tool is a guide, not financial advice.

Two loans at once: undergraduate plus postgraduate

If you took out a Master’s or Doctoral loan on top of your undergraduate degree, you can be repaying both at the same time. They stack: you repay 9% over your undergraduate threshold, and separately 6% over the £21,000 Postgraduate threshold. On a decent salary that can mean a noticeable slice of your pay goes to both. Tick the postgraduate option in the calculator to see each repayment split out.

Repayment vs interest

People often mix these up. Your repayment is the amount taken from your pay across the year, set by your income. Interest is added to your balance separately, and tracks inflation (RPI), with the rate depending on your plan and, for Plan 2, your income. If your repayments are smaller than the interest being added, your balance can grow even while you pay, which is why the optional payoff timeline in the calculator uses an interest assumption you can adjust.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I repay on my student loan?
You repay a percentage of the income above your plan's threshold, not your whole salary. On Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5 you repay 9% of income over the threshold; on a Postgraduate Loan it's 6%. For example, on Plan 2 (£29,385 threshold) earning £35,000, you repay 9% of the £5,615 above the threshold, which is about £505 a year, or roughly £42 a month.
Do I have to pay my student loan if I earn under the threshold?
No. If your income is below your plan's annual threshold, your repayment is nil. Repayments only start once you earn above it, and they stop again if your income drops back below. Repayments are worked out on your income, not on how much you owe.
What is the difference between Plan 1 and Plan 2 thresholds?
Both repay at 9% above the threshold, but the thresholds differ. Plan 1 starts at £26,900 and Plan 2 at £29,385, so on the same salary a Plan 1 borrower repays a bit more, because repayments begin at a lower income. Which plan you're on depends on where and when you started your course, not on your choice.
When do I stop paying my student loan?
Repayments stop when the loan is fully repaid, or when it is written off. Write-off timing depends on your plan: Plan 2 loans are written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay, and Plan 5 loans after 40 years. They are also cancelled if you die or become permanently unable to work. Until then you repay whenever your income is above the threshold.
Can I repay a Postgraduate Loan and another plan at the same time?
Yes. A Postgraduate Loan runs alongside an undergraduate plan. If you have both, you repay 9% of income over your undergraduate threshold and, separately, 6% of income over the £21,000 Postgraduate threshold. Tick the postgraduate option in the calculator to see both stacked together.
Is student loan interest the same as my repayment?
No, they are two separate things. Your repayment is the amount taken from your pay based on your income. Interest is added to your balance separately and tracks inflation (RPI), with the exact rate depending on your plan and, for Plan 2, your income. If your repayments are smaller than the interest added, your balance can still grow, which is why the payoff timeline in the calculator matters.

Related tools

Take-Home Pay Calculator (UK)
See your full net pay after tax, National Insurance and student loan.
Salary Sacrifice Calculator (UK)
Cut your tax and NI by paying into your pension pre-tax.
HECS/HELP Calculator (Australia)
The Australian version, for study loan repayments Down Under.
Compound Interest Calculator
Weigh overpaying your loan against the interest rate.
50/30/20 Budget Calculator
Budget around your monthly student loan deduction.

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Simon Chadwick
About the author
Simon Chadwick
Founder of Orbit Money

Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about personal finance for UK and Australian readers.

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This tool is a guide, not financial advice.