Student Loan
Repayment
Simulator
Enter your balance, salary, and plan type to see your monthly repayment, total amount repaid, and exactly when your loan gets paid off, or written off.
Your Loan
2025/26 repayment rates
England & Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Always Plan 1
Northern Ireland never moved to Plan 2. If you started university in Northern Ireland at any point (before or after 2012) you are on Plan 1, not Plan 2.
Loan Written Off
Year 30
£274,570 written off after 30 years
Monthly Now
£5
current repayment
Total Repaid
£46,194
over lifetime
Interest Paid
£275,763
approximate
Written Off
£274,570
remaining balance
Balance & Repayments Over Time
Year-by-Year Breakdown
| Year | Salary | Monthly Repayment | Annual Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now | £28,000 | — | — | £45,000 |
| Yr 1 | £28,000 | £5 | £3,285 | £48,222 |
| Yr 2 | £28,840 | £12 | £3,520 | £51,603 |
| Yr 3 | £29,705 | £18 | £3,767 | £55,153 |
| Yr 4 | £30,596 | £25 | £4,026 | £58,882 |
| Yr 5 | £31,514 | £32 | £4,298 | £62,800 |
| Yr 6 | £32,460 | £39 | £4,584 | £66,920 |
| Yr 7 | £33,433 | £46 | £4,885 | £71,253 |
| Yr 8 | £34,436 | £54 | £5,201 | £75,811 |
| Yr 9 | £35,470 | £61 | £5,534 | £80,610 |
| Yr 10 | £36,534 | £69 | £5,885 | £85,663 |
| Yr 11 | £37,630 | £78 | £6,253 | £90,986 |
| Yr 12 | £38,759 | £86 | £6,642 | £96,597 |
| Yr 13 | £39,921 | £95 | £7,052 | £102,512 |
| Yr 14 | £41,119 | £104 | £7,483 | £108,751 |
| Yr 15 | £42,353 | £113 | £7,939 | £115,335 |
| Yr 16 | £43,623 | £123 | £8,419 | £122,285 |
| Yr 17 | £44,932 | £132 | £8,927 | £129,624 |
| Yr 18 | £46,280 | £142 | £9,463 | £137,378 |
| Yr 19 | £47,668 | £153 | £10,029 | £145,573 |
| Showing first 20 years. Chart shows full trajectory. | ||||
How this works. You repay 9% of earnings above your plan threshold, not 9% of your total salary. Interest accrues on your balance year-round. If your loan isn't paid off by the write-off date, the remaining balance is cancelled and you don't pay it.
True as of April 2026. Repayment thresholds, interest rates, and write-off rules are subject to change by the government at any time. This tool is for illustration only, not financial advice. If unsure about your plan type or repayment terms, do your own independent research at gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan.
The write-off reality
True as of April 2026 · subject to changeNorthern Ireland: Plan 1 applies after 2012
Students from Northern Ireland who started university after 2012 are on Plan 1, not Plan 2 like the rest of the UK. This is because Northern Ireland did not adopt the 2012 tuition fee reforms. Plan 1 has a lower repayment threshold (£24,990) and a shorter write-off period (25 years), but also charges lower interest (roughly RPI only, compared to RPI+3% on Plan 2/5).
Plan 1 write-off note: Plan 1 is written off at whichever comes first: 25 years after your first repayment April, or when you reach age 65. The simulator models the 25-year timeline. If you began repaying later in life, your actual write-off may occur at 65 before the 25 years is up.
Most Plan 2 graduates won't repay in full
The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that around 75% of Plan 2 borrowers will not pay off their student loan in full before the 30-year write-off. For many graduates, the question isn't 'when will I pay this off?' but 'how much will get written off?'
You only repay 9% above the threshold
Your repayment is 9% of earnings above the threshold, not 9% of your total salary. If you earn £32,295 on Plan 2, you repay 9% of £5,000 (£32,295 − £27,295) = £450/year, or £37.50/month. Below the threshold, you pay nothing.
Interest adds up, but write-off cancels it
Plan 2 and Plan 5 accrue interest at RPI + 3%, which means your balance can grow significantly. However, if you're likely to have the loan written off anyway, the interest doesn't change your out-of-pocket cost. Making extra repayments only makes sense if you're on track to pay it off before write-off.
The written-off amount is not taxable
When your student loan is written off, HMRC does not treat the cancelled amount as income. You won't receive a tax bill for the amount forgiven. It simply disappears. This is the current position as of April 2026 and could change.