Student Loan Repayment Calculator
What you repay each month, whether you'll ever clear the balance before write-off — and why for most graduates the loan behaves like a 9% graduate tax, which is exactly how the political argument treats it.
Your loan
The politics of the graduate tax
Most Plan 2 graduates will never clear their balance — which is why economists describe the system as a 9% graduate tax on top of income tax and NI, giving many graduates a 37%+ marginal deduction rate on very ordinary salaries (check the combined picture with the take-home pay calculator). The party lines: the Greens have long pledged to abolish tuition fees and cancel graduate debt; Labour moved England to Plan 5 (lower threshold, 40-year write-off — cheaper for high earners, costlier for middle earners); Reform has proposed restricting loans alongside cutting "low-value" courses. Any of these would move thousands of pounds per graduate — the mechanism this calculator makes visible.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I repay on a student loan?
9% of everything you earn above your plan's threshold (6% for postgraduate loans): Plan 1 £26,065, Plan 2 £28,470, Plan 4 £32,745, Plan 5 £25,000, postgrad £21,000. On £32,000 with Plan 2 that's about £26 a month.
Will my student loan ever be written off?
Yes — Plan 1 after 25 years, Plans 2 and 4 after 30, Plan 5 after 40, postgraduate after 30 (timed from the April after graduation). Most Plan 2 borrowers reach write-off before clearing the balance, which is why overpaying is often wasted money.
Should I pay off my student loan early?
Only if you're on course to clear it anyway (high earner, low balance). If the calculator shows write-off wins, every voluntary overpayment is money you'd never have had to pay. This is generic information, not advice — your numbers decide.