Student loan repayment calculator
Updated Updated for 2026 tax law
See how much of your salary goes on student loan repayments in 2026/27 for every plan, and roughly how long your balance will take to clear — or how much will be written off.
| Plan | Threshold | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | £60.75 | £729.00 |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | £42.11 | £505.35 |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | £33,795 | £9.04 | £108.45 |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | £75.00 | £900.00 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000 | £70.00 | £840.00 |
Illustration only: assumes the 2026/27 threshold and your interest rate stay fixed and interest is added once a year. In reality thresholds usually rise each April and rates change, so treat this as a rough guide. Write-off: 30 years after the April you were first due to repay.
How to use the student loan calculator
- Enter your salary before tax and pick your repayment plan.
- Add any salary sacrifice — it lowers the pay repayments are worked out on.
- Compare monthly repayments across all plans in the table.
- Optionally enter your balance, interest rate and expected pay rises to see a payoff or write-off estimate.
Repayment thresholds 2026/27
| Plan | Year | Month | Week | Rate | Who |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | £2,241.67 | £517.31 | 9% | England/Wales courses before Sept 2012; Northern Ireland |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | £2,448.75 | £565.10 | 9% | England courses Sept 2012 – July 2023; Wales from Sept 2012 |
| Plan 4 | £33,795 | £2,816.25 | £649.90 | 9% | Scotland |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | £2,083.33 | £480.77 | 9% | England courses from 1 Aug 2023 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000 | £1,750 | £403.85 | 6% | Master’s or doctoral loan (England/Wales) |
Your employer takes repayments through payroll each pay period using the weekly or monthly threshold, rounding down to the pound. If you earn above the threshold in one month (say from a bonus) you repay that month even if your yearly pay ends up below it — you can ask the Student Loans Company for a refund after the tax year ends.
Repayments by salary
| Salary | Plan 1 / month | Plan 2 / month | Plan 4 / month | Plan 5 / month | Postgrad / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £20 |
| £30,000 | £23.25 | £4.61 | £0 | £37.50 | £45 |
| £35,000 | £60.75 | £42.11 | £9.04 | £75 | £70 |
| £40,000 | £98.25 | £79.61 | £46.54 | £112.50 | £95 |
| £45,000 | £135.75 | £117.11 | £84.04 | £150 | £120 |
| £50,000 | £173.25 | £154.61 | £121.54 | £187.50 | £145 |
| £60,000 | £248.25 | £229.61 | £196.54 | £262.50 | £195 |
| £80,000 | £398.25 | £379.61 | £346.54 | £412.50 | £295 |
Interest and write-off
When checked on 18 October 2026, GOV.UK listed interest of 4.1% for Plans 1, 4 and 5 and 6% for Postgraduate Loans. Plan 2 interest depends on income after you leave your course: 4.1% up to £29,385, rising to 6% at £52,885 and above. Rates are reviewed through the year, so check GOV.UK for the current figure.
- Plan 1: written off 25 years after the April you were first due to repay (or at 65 for loans before September 2006).
- Plan 2: written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay.
- Plan 4: written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay.
- Plan 5: written off 40 years after the April you were first due to repay.
- Postgraduate Loan: written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay.
Many Plan 2 and Plan 5 borrowers never clear the balance, so for them repayments behave more like a 9% graduate tax above the threshold. Overpaying only makes sense if you’re likely to repay in full before write-off.
Related tools
- UK salary calculator
- Scotland salary calculator
- Income Tax calculator
- National Insurance calculator
- Salary sacrifice calculator
- Hourly to annual salary
- £30,000 after tax
- £40,000 after tax
- £50,000 after tax
- £60,000 after tax
- £100,000 after tax
Sources
Every rate and threshold on this page is for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027) and was checked against these official pages on 18 October 2026:
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (HMRC)
- Income Tax rates and allowances for current and previous tax years (HMRC)
- Scottish Income Tax: rates and bands 2026 to 2027 (Scottish Government)
- Income Tax in Scotland (GOV.UK)
- Marriage Allowance (GOV.UK)
- Repaying your student loan: what you pay (GOV.UK)
- When your student loan gets written off or cancelled (GOV.UK)
- Tax codes (GOV.UK)
- Annual allowance (GOV.UK)
- Changes to salary sacrifice for pensions from April 2029 (HM Treasury/HMRC)
Disclaimer: Estimates for information only — not tax or financial advice. Results are annual figures for a single employment paid evenly through the year. Payroll applies thresholds per pay period and rounds some deductions, so your payslip can differ by a few pounds. Check your tax code and personal tax account on GOV.UK.
Frequently asked questions
How much student loan will I repay on £35,000?
On Plan 2 you repay 9% of everything above £29,385: £505.35 a year, or £42.11 a month. On Plan 5 it’s £900 a year.
Which student loan plan am I on?
Roughly: Plan 1 if you started in England or Wales before September 2012 or studied from Northern Ireland; Plan 2 for English courses starting September 2012 to July 2023 and Welsh courses from September 2012; Plan 4 if you applied from Scotland; Plan 5 for English courses starting from 1 August 2023. Your payslip or Student Loans Company account shows it.
Do I repay my undergraduate and postgraduate loan at the same time?
Yes. The Postgraduate Loan is 6% above £21,000 on top of the 9% for your undergraduate plan.
When is a student loan written off?
Plan 1: 25 years after the April you were first due to repay (age 65 for loans taken before September 2006). Plan 2 and Plan 4: 30 years. Plan 5: 40 years. Postgraduate: 30 years.
Does a pension reduce student loan repayments?
Only salary sacrifice does, because repayments are based on the same pay as National Insurance. Net pay and relief-at-source contributions don’t change them.
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Estimates for information only — not tax, legal or financial advice.