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A clearer starting point

Explore repayment paths — not just a loan payment.

Use your income, household, balance, loan history, and goals to see which federal repayment paths may deserve a closer look. Estimates are educational, not an eligibility decision or a quote from your servicer.

Start your comparisonUse Federal Student Aid's Loan Simulator ↗
Repayment workspace

Choose your calculator

Agents can use the short screen for an initial check, or open the comprehensive explorer for more detail.

QUICK

Initial repayment-plan check

Only the essentials. Use this to identify what to review next—not to promise qualification.

Needed for the RAP dependent adjustment.
Helps screen for the IBR rate; full new-borrower rules still apply.
Enables an illustrative Standard payment reference.
Needed to apply the IBR/PAYE payment cap reliably.

For screening only. Mixed loan portfolios, Parent PLUS consolidation, spouse income, and uncertain dates require the comprehensive calculator and official account review. Never guarantee approval, savings, forgiveness, or a specific payment.

Your comparison workspace

Start with the details that shape your options.

Use approximate figures if you are exploring. Do not enter a Social Security number, password, FSA ID, or other account credentials.

Private to this browser session
Nothing here is sent or saved by this calculator.
01

Income & household

These details can influence income-driven formulas.

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Usually found on your federal tax return.
Use the current plan's household definition.
Used only for the illustrative RAP formula.
Filing status can change which income is counted.
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Enter spouse income separately only if it is not already included in your AGI.
May affect how a joint payment is allocated.
2026 HHS guideline reference.
02

Loan details

Plan availability depends on loan type, dates, and consolidation history.

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%
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May differ from the total balance after accrued interest.
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Use an official 10-year Standard payment below if you know it; current balance is not the same as original principal.
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Best input for the IBR/PAYE payment cap.
IBR uses a legal “new borrower” definition; first-loan date alone may not settle it.
The consolidation-loan date can change transition eligibility.
Do not infer this from merely being enrolled; verify payment history.
No account login required.
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Your comparison will appear here

Complete the fields above and choose “Compare repayment paths.” We'll show illustrative amounts where a simplified estimate is defensible and flag the items that require official review.

Read the result responsibly

What this tool can — and cannot — tell you.

01

Eligibility comes first

A payment formula alone does not establish that a borrower or loan qualifies. Consolidation history, disbursement dates, loan status, and other rules can change the answer.

02

Low payment isn't the whole story

Interest, time in repayment, family circumstances, and forgiveness requirements matter. The smallest initial estimate is not automatically the lowest total cost.

03

Verify before you act

Use Federal Student Aid's official simulator and your servicer's written information before applying, changing plans, or making a financial decision.

Continue with official resources

These government tools are free to use.

Loan Simulator ↗Repayment plan overview ↗PSLF Help Tool ↗Consolidation information ↗Federal Student Aid IDR formula & eligibility FAQ ↗2026 HHS poverty guidelines ↗

Important: This independent educational tool is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education. It does not connect to a federal or servicer account, submit an application, confirm eligibility, predict forgiveness, or calculate the full lifetime cost of every plan. Some plan formulas and legal transitions cannot be safely reduced to a short calculator. “Review needed” means use the official tool or contact your servicer; it does not mean a plan is unavailable.