Forgiveness and PSLF · calculator
PSLF calculator
A public servant with $75,000 of Direct Loans, a $58,000 income and 36 qualifying payments already counted has 84 payments to go. On the Repayment Assistance Plan they cost $242 a month, $20,300 in total, and about $89,350 would then be forgiven, tax-free. On IBR the payment would be $284 and the amount forgiven about $85,808. Public Service Loan Forgiveness cancels the remaining balance of Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments made while you work full time, at least 30 hours a week, for a government employer or a qualifying nonprofit. The 2025 law kept the program and added on-time RAP payments to the list of qualifying payments. What it did not do is make every plan count: the new Tiered Standard plan qualifies only when its payment is at least the 10-year standard amount, which for this borrower would mean $855 a month, not the $564 the plan asks. The best PSLF plan is usually the one with the lowest payment.
Projected tax-free PSLF forgiveness
$89,350
84 payments left (7 yr) at $242 a month on RAP
| RAP payment | $242 |
| Paid until forgiveness on RAP | $20,300 |
| IBR payment | $284 |
| Paid until forgiveness on IBR | $23,842 |
| 10-year standard payment (pays off before 120) | $855 |
| Tiered Standard payment (20 years) | $564 |
Needs full-time work (30 hours a week or more) for a qualifying employer each month, Direct Loans and a qualifying plan. The Tiered Standard plan counts only when its payment is at least the 10-year standard amount. How this is calculated.
How many qualifying payments you have left, what they will cost on each plan, and the balance Public Service Loan Forgiveness will cancel.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
A teacher's ten years
Take a public school teacher with $42,000 of undergraduate loans at 6.53%, a $51,000 income and two children claimed as dependents. On RAP her payment is $113 a month. After 120 payments she will have paid about $13,500 and see roughly $55,926 canceled. The RAP interest waiver keeps her balance from growing while she waits, which matters if she ever leaves public service before the ten years are up.
Payments on each plan for the same borrower
| Plan | Monthly payment | Paid over 84 more payments | Forgiven at the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAP | $242 | $20,300 | $89,350 |
| IBR (new borrower) | $284 | $23,842 | $85,808 |
| 10-year standard | $855 | pays off before 120 | $0 |
| Tiered Standard (20 years) | $564 | does not qualify at this payment | n/a |
What counts as a qualifying payment
A payment counts when it covers the full scheduled amount, under a qualifying plan, on a Direct Loan that is not in default, while you are employed full time by a qualifying employer. Several installments that add up to the full amount count as one payment. On an income-driven plan, a lump sum paid ahead counts for the months it covers, up to your next annual recertification; on the 10-year standard plan, up to twelve months ahead. On RAP, an overpayment that advances your due date still counts for each month it covers, although those months earn no matching principal payment. Some deferment and forbearance months, such as cancer treatment, economic hardship or military service deferment, also count when you are not on RAP. The rules are in 34 CFR 685.219 as revised by the regulations of May 1, 2026.
The employer rule effective July 1, 2026
The final rule of October 31, 2025 excludes from the definition of qualifying employer organizations that engage in activities with a substantial illegal purpose, such as aiding or abetting violations of federal immigration law or supporting terrorism. The Department applies it to employment from July 1, 2026; the rule credits no payment for months after a determination against an employer, so payments made before it are not taken away. Details and the exact definition: the PSLF employer rule.
Before you rely on the projection
The calculator assumes your income stays at the figure you enter for the remaining years. Raises increase RAP and IBR payments and lower the amount forgiven, but they never push you off PSLF. Check your official count in the PSLF tracker on StudentAid.gov, certify employment at least once a year, and make sure your loans are Direct Loans: FFEL and Perkins loans must be consolidated into a Direct Loan first. When Direct Loans are consolidated, the weighted average of their qualifying payments carries over to the new loan. If you change employers, certify the old job before you leave: an employer that has closed or stopped answering is the most common reason a count stalls, and the regulation then lets the Department rely on other documentation of your employment.