Finance

Income-Driven Repayment Calculator

Your income-based student loan payment and forgiveness timeline.

Enter your values

Adjusted gross income($)

Enter the adjusted gross income in $.

Poverty guideline for your family size($)

Enter the poverty guideline for your family size in $.

Protected income multiple(%)

Enter the protected income multiple in %.

Plan percentage of discretionary income(%)

Enter the plan percentage of discretionary income in %.

Loan balance($)

Enter the loan balance in $.

Interest rate(%)

Enter the interest rate in %.

Years to forgiveness

Enter the years to forgiveness you are working with.

Results update instantly as you type — no submit needed. Your values are remembered on this device, and the shareable link reopens the calculator with exactly these numbers.

Results

Monthly payment: $133.42
Discretionary income: $16,010.00
Monthly interest accruing: $225.00
Payment covers interest?: No — $91.58 of interest unpaid each month
Paid over 20 years: $32,020.00
Balance forgiven (approx.): $34,960.00

Quick answer

IDR payments are a percentage of discretionary income — income above a multiple of the poverty guideline for your family size — not a percentage of the loan.

Payment = (AGI − poverty guideline × multiple) × plan % ÷ 12

At a glance

What it does	Your income-based student loan payment and forgiveness timeline.
Category	Finance
Inputs needed	Adjusted gross income, Poverty guideline for your family size, Protected income multiple, Plan percentage of discretionary income, Loan balance, Interest rate, Years to forgiveness
Main output	Monthly payment
Formula	Payment = (AGI − poverty guideline × multiple) × plan % ÷ 12
Cost	Free — no sign-up, no download

How to use the Income-Driven Repayment Calculator

1Enter your AGI from your latest tax return.
2Enter the poverty guideline for your household size and the plan's protected multiple.
3Add the plan percentage — typically 5–15% of discretionary income.

Inputs explained

Adjusted gross income($): Enter the adjusted gross income in $.
Poverty guideline for your family size($): Enter the poverty guideline for your family size in $.
Protected income multiple(%): Enter the protected income multiple in %.
Plan percentage of discretionary income(%): Enter the plan percentage of discretionary income in %.
Loan balance($): Enter the loan balance in $.
Interest rate(%): Enter the interest rate in %.
Years to forgiveness: Enter the years to forgiveness you are working with.

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

Adjusted gross income62000 $
Poverty guideline for your family size20440 $
Protected income multiple225 %
Plan percentage of discretionary income10 %
Loan balance45000 $
Interest rate6 %
Years to forgiveness20

Results

Monthly payment$133.42
Discretionary income$16,010.00
Monthly interest accruing$225.00
Payment covers interest?No — $91.58 of interest unpaid each month
Paid over 20 years$32,020.00
Balance forgiven (approx.)$34,960.00

Frequently asked questions

What if my payment is $0?

A zero payment is still a qualifying payment on IDR and PSLF plans, and it still counts toward the forgiveness clock.

Is forgiven debt taxable?

PSLF forgiveness is tax-free. Long-term IDR forgiveness may be taxable depending on the year and jurisdiction, so plan for a possible tax bill.

What do I need to enter into the Income-Driven Repayment Calculator?

Just 7 values: adjusted gross income, poverty guideline for your family size, protected income multiple, plan percentage of discretionary income, loan balance, interest rate, years to forgiveness. Every field starts with a realistic example, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result update instantly.

How does the Income-Driven Repayment Calculator work out the answer?

IDR payments are a percentage of discretionary income — income above a multiple of the poverty guideline for your family size — not a percentage of the loan. It applies the formula Payment = (AGI − poverty guideline × multiple) × plan % ÷ 12 and shows the working so you can check each step by hand.

Is the Income-Driven Repayment Calculator free, and do I need an account?

It is completely free with no sign-up, no download and no usage limit. Everything is calculated in your browser, so the numbers you type never leave your device.

Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.