Estimate your monthly federal student loan payment on an income-driven plan. Enter your AGI, family size, loan balance and rate, pick IBR, PAYE, ICR or the new Repayment Assistance Plan, and see the payment, the standard 10-year comparison, a year-by-year projection and when any remaining balance would be forgiven.
Last updated:
Income and family
$
Joint AGI if married filing jointly.
You, spouse, and children you support.
$
Enter a newer HHS figure for your family size.
Loans and plan
$
%
%
years
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the Income-Driven Repayment Calculator
Enter your AGI from your latest tax return and your family size.
Pick your plan and enter your federal loan balance and average rate.
Set expected income growth and any years of qualifying payments already made.
Read the monthly payment and compare it with the standard 10-year payment.
Check the projection for the forgiveness date, total paid and amount forgiven.
Income-driven plans compared
Plan
Payment
Income protected
Forgiveness
Cap
IBR (new borrower on or after July 1, 2014)
10% of discretionary income
150% of poverty guideline
20 years
10-year standard payment
IBR (earlier borrowers)
15% of discretionary income
150% of poverty guideline
25 years
10-year standard payment
PAYE
10% of discretionary income
150% of poverty guideline
20 years
10-year standard payment
ICR
20% of discretionary income*
100% of poverty guideline
25 years
None
RAP (from July 1, 2026)
1%–10% of total AGI − $50 per dependent, min. $10
None (tiered by AGI)
30 years
None
*ICR is the lesser of 20% of discretionary income or a 12-year fixed payment adjusted by income; this calculator uses the 20% figure. PAYE and ICR are closing to new enrollment and end by July 1, 2028.
RAP payment rate by AGI
AGI
Share of AGI
Example monthly payment (no dependents)
$10,000 or less
$10/month minimum
$10
$10,001 – $20,000
1%
$15 at $18,000
$20,001 – $30,000
2%
$42 at $25,000
$30,001 – $40,000
3%
$88 at $35,000
$40,001 – $50,000
4%
$150 at $45,000
$50,001 – $60,000
5%
$229 at $55,000
$60,001 – $70,000
6%
$325 at $65,000
$70,001 – $80,000
7%
$438 at $75,000
$80,001 – $90,000
8%
$567 at $85,000
$90,001 – $100,000
9%
$713 at $95,000
Over $100,000
10%
$1,000 at $120,000
2025 HHS poverty guidelines used
Family size
48 states & DC
150%
Alaska
Hawaii
1
$15,650
$23,475
$19,550
$17,990
2
$21,150
$31,725
$26,430
$24,320
3
$26,650
$39,975
$33,310
$30,650
4
$32,150
$48,225
$40,190
$36,980
5
$37,650
$56,475
$47,070
$43,310
6
$43,150
$64,725
$53,950
$49,640
Add $5,500 per extra person in the 48 states ($6,880 Alaska, $6,330 Hawaii). Check the latest figures at the HHS poverty guidelines page and enter them in the override box when they change.
How the projection works
Each year your AGI grows by the rate you enter and the payment is recalculated. The poverty guideline is held constant, which is slightly conservative.
Payments go to interest first, then principal. On IBR, PAYE and ICR unpaid interest accrues without being added to principal; on RAP it is waived and the principal match applies.
Whatever is left after the plan's forgiveness period is shown as the amount forgiven.
Frequently asked questions
How is an income-driven repayment payment calculated?
For IBR and PAYE, discretionary income is your AGI minus 150% of the HHS poverty guideline for your family size. The yearly payment is 10% (or 15% on old IBR) of that, divided by 12. ICR uses 20% of income above 100% of the guideline. The Repayment Assistance Plan instead charges 1% to 10% of your whole AGI, minus $50 a month per dependent.
What is the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)?
RAP is the federal income-driven plan created by the 2025 budget law and available from July 1, 2026. The payment is a percentage of AGI that rises by 1 point for each $10,000 above $10,000, up to 10% above $100,000, reduced by $50 per dependent, with a $10 minimum. Unpaid interest is waived, a principal match keeps the balance falling, and any remaining balance is forgiven after 30 years of qualifying payments.
What happened to the SAVE plan?
SAVE was blocked by federal courts and is being eliminated under the 2025 law, so it is not included. Borrowers in SAVE are being moved to other plans. PAYE and ICR are closed to new borrowers and are scheduled to end by July 1, 2028, while IBR remains available.
What poverty guideline does this use?
By default it uses the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines: $15,650 for one person plus $5,500 for each extra person in the 48 states and DC, with higher amounts for Alaska and Hawaii. The Department of Education updates the figure each year, so you can enter a newer amount in the override box.
Is forgiven student loan debt taxable?
The federal tax exclusion for income-driven forgiveness under the American Rescue Plan covered forgiveness through December 31, 2025. Forgiveness after that may be treated as taxable income federally unless the law changes. Public Service Loan Forgiveness remains tax-free. State rules vary.
Why is my payment capped on IBR and PAYE?
On IBR and PAYE your payment never goes above what you would pay on the 10-year standard plan based on the balance when you entered the plan. High earners can reach that cap, which means IDR no longer lowers their payment.
Does this include Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
Not directly. PSLF forgives the balance after 120 qualifying payments (10 years) while working full-time for a qualifying employer. You can see the balance after 10 years in the projection table.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.