UK Student Loan Repayment Calculator (2026/27)
See exactly what comes off your payslip for Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 4, Plan 5 or a Postgraduate Loan. Repayments are 9% of income above your plan's threshold — 6% for postgraduate loans — and nothing at all below it.
Your student loan repayment
An estimate for guidance only, not financial advice. Repayments are calculated per pay period rather than annually, so a variable-pay month can differ. Check your balance and plan type with the Student Loans Company.
UK student loan repayment thresholds for 2026/27
You repay a fixed percentage of income above a threshold, not a percentage of what you borrowed. Below the threshold you repay nothing at all.
| Plan | Annual threshold | Monthly threshold | Rate above threshold | Written off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | £2,242 | 9% | 25 years after repayments were due to start, or at age 65 for the oldest loans. |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | £2,449 | 9% | 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. |
| Plan 4 | £33,795 | £2,816 | 9% | 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | £2,083 | 9% | 40 years after the April you were first due to repay. |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000 | £1,750 | 6% | 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. |
Thresholds are usually reviewed each April. Postgraduate Loans are repaid on top of an undergraduate plan, so someone with both repays 9% and 6% concurrently.
Which UK student loan plan am I on?
Where and when you studied decides your plan, and the plan decides how much you repay.
Plan 1
Started an English or Welsh course before 1 September 2012, or a Northern Irish course at any time.
Repay 9% of everything above £26,900 a year (£2,242 a month). Written off 25 years after repayments were due to start, or at age 65 for the oldest loans.
Plan 2
Started an English or Welsh undergraduate course between 1 September 2012 and 31 July 2023.
Repay 9% of everything above £29,385 a year (£2,449 a month). Written off 30 years after the april you were first due to repay.
Plan 4
Studied in Scotland and borrowed from the Student Awards Agency Scotland.
Repay 9% of everything above £33,795 a year (£2,816 a month). Written off 30 years after the april you were first due to repay.
Plan 5
Started an English undergraduate course on or after 1 August 2023.
Repay 9% of everything above £25,000 a year (£2,083 a month). Written off 40 years after the april you were first due to repay.
Postgraduate Loan
Took a Master's or Doctoral loan in England or Wales. Repaid alongside any undergraduate plan.
Repay 6% of everything above £21,000 a year (£1,750 a month). Written off 30 years after the april you were first due to repay.
Read the full student loan repayment guide for interest rates, write-off rules and what happens if you move abroad.
Student loan repayment by salary and plan
| Salary | Plan 1 | Plan 2 | Plan 4 | Plan 5 | Postgraduate Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| £25,000 | — | — | — | — | £20/mo |
| £27,000 | £1/mo | — | — | £15/mo | £30/mo |
| £30,000 | £23/mo | £5/mo | — | £38/mo | £45/mo |
| £35,000 | £61/mo | £42/mo | £9/mo | £75/mo | £70/mo |
| £40,000 | £98/mo | £80/mo | £47/mo | £113/mo | £95/mo |
| £45,000 | £136/mo | £117/mo | £84/mo | £150/mo | £120/mo |
| £50,000 | £173/mo | £155/mo | £122/mo | £188/mo | £145/mo |
| £60,000 | £248/mo | £230/mo | £197/mo | £263/mo | £195/mo |
| £70,000 | £323/mo | £305/mo | £272/mo | £338/mo | £245/mo |
| £80,000 | £398/mo | £380/mo | £347/mo | £413/mo | £295/mo |
| £100,000 | £548/mo | £530/mo | £497/mo | £563/mo | £395/mo |
Monthly repayments at each salary for 2026/27. A dash means your income is below that plan's repayment threshold, so nothing is deducted.
Want this alongside Income Tax and National Insurance? Use the full take-home pay calculator, which applies your loan plan to the rest of your payslip.
Student loan repayment FAQ
How much student loan do I repay in the UK?
You repay 9% of everything you earn above your plan's threshold (6% for a Postgraduate Loan), taken automatically through PAYE. On a £35,000 salary with a Plan 2 loan that is £505.35 a year, or £42.11 a month. Nothing is deducted on income below the threshold.
Which student loan plan am I on?
It depends on where and when you studied. Plan 1 covers pre-September-2012 English and Welsh courses and all Northern Irish ones; Plan 2 covers English and Welsh courses started between September 2012 and July 2023; Plan 4 covers Scottish students; Plan 5 covers English courses started from August 2023. Postgraduate Loans are repaid on top of any of these.
Is a student loan repayment a tax?
Not legally, but it behaves like one. It is collected through PAYE alongside Income Tax and National Insurance, calculated as a percentage of income rather than of the balance, and any remaining balance is cancelled at the end of the term. Your effective marginal rate rises by 9 percentage points once you cross the threshold.
Do student loan repayments come out before or after tax?
After. Repayments are calculated on your gross pay for the period but deducted from what is left after Income Tax and National Insurance, so they reduce take-home pay rather than your tax bill. Pension contributions made by salary sacrifice do reduce the pay your repayment is worked out on.
Should I pay off my student loan early?
Often not. Because repayments are capped at a percentage of income and the balance is written off at the end of the term, many borrowers never repay the full amount — so overpaying is money spent on a debt that would have been cancelled. It is more likely to be worthwhile for high earners with small balances who will clear the loan anyway.
Do I repay a student loan if I work abroad?
Yes. You must tell the Student Loans Company and repay directly, against a threshold adjusted for the cost of living in that country. Ignoring it triggers fixed monthly penalty charges regardless of what you actually earn.