Estimated monthly repayment
£42/month
Affordit planning tool
Student loan repayment calculator
Use the salary slider to estimate how much student loan you could repay each month based on your repayment plan. See how repayments change as your salary moves up or down.
£35,000
Gross yearly salary£15,000£100,000
Estimated annual repayment
£506/year
Income above threshold
£5,615/year
Plan used
Plan 2 · 9% over £29,385
What this means
At £35,000 on Plan 2, your estimated repayment is £42 per month. This is based on 9% of income above the £29,385 yearly threshold.
Thresholds and repayment rates are based on current GOV.UK student loan repayment guidance. These may change in future tax years.
How student loan repayments work
In the UK, student loan repayments are based on your income and repayment plan. The amount you owe does not change how much you repay each month. Instead, repayments are calculated as a percentage of income above the threshold for your plan.
What happens if your salary changes?
As your salary rises above the threshold, your estimated repayment rises too. If your income falls below the threshold, your repayment estimate falls to £0 for that plan. This makes student loan repayments useful to include when planning rent, moving out, car finance, savings or other monthly commitments.
Why this matters for affordability
A pay rise can change more than your headline salary. It can affect student loan repayments, pension contributions, savings potential and how much monthly pressure a plan creates. Affordit helps you think about these changes before committing to rent, a car, a holiday, a house deposit or another goal.
Important note
This calculator is for guidance only. It does not connect to HMRC, Student Loans Company, payroll, your employer or your bank. Actual deductions may vary depending on payroll timing, bonuses, overtime, multiple jobs, self-assessment, future threshold changes and your exact student loan plan. Affordit is not financial advice.
Repayment thresholds by plan
| Plan | Yearly threshold | Monthly threshold | Repayment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | £2,241 | 9% |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | £2,448 | 9% |
| Plan 4 | £33,795 | £2,816 | 9% |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | £2,083 | 9% |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000 | £1,750 | 6% |
Coming soon: Lifelong Learning Entitlement planning
From September 2026, learners in England are expected to be able to apply for Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding for eligible courses and modules starting from January 2027. This will create a different funding structure for some modular, part-time and adult learning routes.
Affordit's current student loan calculator estimates repayments based on salary, repayment plan and current thresholds. LLE support will need to go further by helping learners understand remaining entitlement, course credits, modular study costs, maintenance support and how repayments may affect affordability.
Why LLE matters
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is likely to matter for adult learners, modular learners, part-time students, Higher Technical Qualification learners, FE colleges, higher education providers and training providers planning flexible delivery. A simple repayment calculator is useful, but LLE affordability will also need to consider entitlement, credits, previous funding and provider/course eligibility.
Future LLE support should include:
- - Full course vs modular study
- - Course or module credit value
- - Tuition cost by credits
- - Existing student finance already used
- - Remaining LLE entitlement
- - Residual entitlement for returning learners
- - Maintenance support eligibility
- - LLE repayment estimate using Plan 5-style repayment rules
- - Comparison of full-time, part-time and modular routes
- - Provider-facing embed version for colleges and course providers
LLE rules are still being rolled out and may change. This section is for planning context only and does not confirm funding eligibility, course eligibility, provider eligibility or entitlement.
Phase 2: LLE Affordability Calculator for providers
The next phase should be a dedicated LLE affordability calculator designed for FE colleges, HTQ providers and education providers. This would help learners and providers understand how modular study, previous funding, course credits and salary-based repayments could affect affordability.
Phase 2 inputs
- - Learner type: new or returning
- - Age at course start
- - Prior higher-level funding used
- - Course type: full course, module, HTQ or level 4–6
- - Credits
- - Tuition cost
- - In-person vs distance learning
- - Maintenance support needed
- - Salary after study
- - Existing student loan plan
- - Postgraduate loan: yes or no
Phase 2 outputs
- - Estimated entitlement used
- - Estimated remaining entitlement
- - Self-fund gap, if any
- - Estimated repayment route
- - Affordability warning
- - Provider-facing embed version
This would be a proper Affordit differentiator, especially if FE colleges, HTQ providers and modular learning providers become a route to distribution. Most calculators show repayments only. Affordit can go further by connecting entitlement, course structure and real-life affordability pressure.
Do not build this Phase 2 calculator in the current task. Add the roadmap content only, keep the design polished, and make the future feature clear without implying it is already available.
Want LLE support for your college or course?
Affordit is planning a provider-facing LLE affordability calculator for colleges, HTQ providers and education providers preparing modular or part-time delivery.
Common questions
How are student loan repayments calculated?
Repayments are calculated as a percentage of income above the threshold for your repayment plan. Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5 use 9%. Postgraduate Loans use 6%.
Does the amount I owe change my monthly repayment?
No. Your regular repayment is based on income over the threshold, not the total amount you owe.
What happens if my salary goes up?
If your salary moves further above the threshold, your estimated repayment increases. The calculator shows how monthly repayments change as you move the salary slider.
What happens if I earn below the threshold?
Your estimated repayment is £0 for that plan while your income is below the repayment threshold.
Can I have an undergraduate loan and a Postgraduate Loan?
Yes. If you have both, postgraduate repayments are calculated separately from your undergraduate plan, so your total monthly repayment may be higher.
Does this calculator include the Lifelong Learning Entitlement?
Not yet. This calculator estimates student loan repayments using current repayment plan thresholds. LLE support is listed as a roadmap feature because entitlement, credits, modular study and provider eligibility require a separate calculator.
Can Affordit tell me if I am eligible for LLE funding?
No. Affordit does not currently confirm LLE eligibility, course eligibility, provider eligibility or entitlement. The LLE section is planning context only.
Is this financial advice?
No. Affordit provides planning guidance only. It is not financial advice, payroll advice or a Student Loans Company decision.