What will your student loan payments be?

    Enter what you will owe and, if you like, your expected income. See the standard plan next to the Repayment Assistance Plan that opened on July 1, 2026, with the balance year by year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

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    Your details

    How much will you owe?

    Your total federal student loan balance when repayment starts. Parent PLUS loans cannot use RAP.

    Try:

    $27,000 is the most a dependent student can borrow in federal loans over four years.

    What kind of loan?

    Sets the fixed rate for loans first paid out 2026–27.

    When were the loans first paid out?

    Loans made from July 1, 2026 must use the Tiered Standard Plan or RAP.

    Your expected income (optional)

    Adjusted gross income on your tax return after college. If you file jointly, include your spouse's income. Needed for RAP.

    Try:

    Your result appears here

    Enter a loan balance (or tap an example) to see the monthly payment and total cost. Add your expected income to compare the new Repayment Assistance Plan.

    The 2026–27 rules, in plain English

    Every rule and amount comes from the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Checked November 5, 2026.

    1. Standard plans

      Loans first paid out from July 1, 2026 use the Tiered Standard Plan, a fixed payment over a term set by your balance (under $25,000: 10 years; $25,000 to under $50,000: 15 years; $50,000 to under $100,000: 20 years; $100,000 or more: 25 years). Older loans use the 10-year standard plan, with a payment of at least $50 a month.

    2. Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)

      RAP charges 1% to 10% of your whole adjusted gross income (an AGI of $10,000 or less pays $120 a year), divided by 12, minus $50 a month for each dependent, and never less than $10 a month. Interest your payment does not cover is waived, and if a payment cuts principal by less than $50, the Department of Education adds the difference (up to your payment). What is left after 360 qualifying payments is forgiven.

    3. 2026–27 interest rates

      Loans first paid out July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 carry fixed rates of 6.52% (undergraduate), 8.07% (graduate Unsubsidized) and 9.07% (PLUS).

    Worked example

    1. Balance $27,000 at 6.52%, first paid out after July 1, 2026: the Tiered Standard term is 15 years, so the payment is $236 a month, $42,389 in total.
    2. On RAP with an AGI of $45,000 and no dependents: 4% × $45,000 ÷ 12 = $150 a month in the first year.
    3. The calculator follows both month by month to show when each one is paid off and whether anything would be forgiven.

    Assumptions and limits

    • All loans are federal Direct Loans at one fixed rate. Parent PLUS loans cannot use RAP.
    • Repayment starts with the balance you enter. Interest that built up during school or a grace period is not added.
    • Your income grows at the rate you pick (or stays flat) and your dependents do not change. RAP is recalculated every year from your tax return.
    • Every payment is made in full and on time. Any auto-pay interest rate discount is not included.

    Worked out from the published 2026–27 federal rules. Your aid office sets your actual award, and your loan servicer sets your payments.

    Official sources

    Financial aid glossary Sticker vs net price by state Plain-text version for AI assistants

    Next step: put it in one report

    The tool stays free. The optional report puts your own numbers in one document. Pricing details

    Aid & Loan Plan$14 once

    A PDF that applies the 2026–27 federal aid rules to you and up to three colleges: Pell Grant, loan limits, the gap left and repayment.

    What the plan includes See a sample report

    Guides that use this tool

    Step-by-step explanations of the figures, written from the same federal data.

    Frequently asked questions

    Short answers about how the numbers work.

    How is the RAP student loan payment calculated?

    Take 1% to 10% of your adjusted gross income, depending on your income band (for example 4% for $40,001–$50,000), divide by 12, then subtract $50 for each dependent. The payment is never below $10 a month. Married couples filing jointly use combined income.

    What is the minimum payment under RAP?

    $10 a month. Borrowers with an AGI of $10,000 or less pay $120 a year.

    How long is the new standard repayment plan?

    For loans first paid out from July 1, 2026, the Tiered Standard Plan term depends on the balance: under $25,000: 10 years; $25,000 to under $50,000: 15 years; $50,000 to under $100,000: 20 years; $100,000 or more: 25 years.

    What are federal student loan interest rates for 2026–27?

    6.52% for undergraduate Direct Loans, 8.07% for graduate Unsubsidized Loans and 9.07% for PLUS loans, fixed for the life of loans first paid out July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

    Does RAP forgive student loans?

    Yes. Any balance left after 360 qualifying monthly payments (30 years) is forgiven. Because unpaid interest is waived and principal falls every month, the balance never grows on RAP.

    Can Parent PLUS loans use RAP?

    No. Parent PLUS loans, and consolidation loans that include one, are not eligible for the Repayment Assistance Plan.

    Do I have to switch to RAP or the Tiered Standard Plan?

    Borrowers who take out a new loan or consolidate on or after July 1, 2026 repay all their Direct Loans under RAP or the Tiered Standard Plan. Loans made earlier can stay on their current plans for now; your servicer can confirm your options.

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