Repayment after the 2025 law · calculator
Student loan payment calculator
A $30,000 federal balance at 6.52% costs $341 a month on the 10-year standard plan and $262 on the Tiered Standard plan, which stretches that balance over 15 years. The second plan exists since July 1, 2026: the 2025 budget law replaced the one-size 10-year schedule with terms set by the total principal you owe when you enter repayment, 10 years under $25,000, 15 from $25,000, 20 from $50,000 and 25 from $100,000. Anyone with a Direct Loan made on or after that date gets the Tiered Standard plan by default and can switch to the Repayment Assistance Plan at any time. Borrowers whose loans are all older keep the 10-year plan. Both are fixed: the payment does not follow your income, and the longer term lowers it at the price of more interest. This calculator shows the payment, the number of payments and the interest for each, and a term of your own choice for comparison.
Monthly payment, Tiered Standard (15 years)
$262
180 payments · $17,099 of interest over the term
- 10-year standard$341
- Tiered Standard (15 years) · lowest$262
- Your own term (12 years)$301
| Total repaid, 10-year standard | $40,914 |
| Total repaid, Tiered Standard (15 years) | $47,099 |
| Total repaid, Your own term (12 years) | $43,328 |
Fixed payment that repays principal and interest by the end of the term; $50 minimum on the federal fixed plans. How this is calculated.
What a fixed federal plan costs each month and over its whole term, with the term the 2025 law now ties to your balance.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Payments by balance and rate
The table applies the two fixed plans to common balances at the 2026-27 rates: 6.52% for undergraduate loans and 8.07% for graduate unsubsidized loans. The Tiered Standard term changes with the balance, so the gap between the two plans grows with the debt.
| Balance | Rate | 10-year standard | Tiered Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15,000 | 6.52% | $170 | $170 (10 yrs) |
| $27,000 | 6.52% | $307 | $235 (15 yrs) |
| $45,000 | 6.52% | $511 | $392 (15 yrs) |
| $60,000 | 8.07% | $730 | $504 (20 yrs) |
| $100,000 | 8.07% | $1,217 | $776 (25 yrs) |
| $180,000 | 8.07% | $2,191 | $1,398 (25 yrs) |
How the payment is computed
A fixed plan uses the standard loan formula: the payment that brings the balance to zero after the last month, at the monthly rate (the yearly rate divided by 12). For $30,000 at 6.52% over 120 months it gives $341; over 180 months it gives $262. Over the full term you repay $40,914 on the first schedule and $47,099 on the second. The calculator also lets you pick your own term, which helps when you compare with a private loan or set a payoff goal, for example $446 a month to finish in seven years.
When a fixed plan beats an income-driven plan
Fixed plans are simple and finish on a known date. They make sense when your income is comfortably above your payment and you do not expect forgiveness. With a modest income, the Repayment Assistance Plan can ask much less and still lower the balance every month, and the plan comparator shows total cost under each plan with your income path. Public service workers should read PSLF first: the Tiered Standard plan counts toward PSLF only when its payment reaches the 10-year amount, which is rarely the case for balances above $25,000.
Grace period, first bill and interest that came before
A Direct Loan enters repayment six months after you leave school or drop below half time. Interest on unsubsidized loans runs during school and that grace period, so the balance on your first bill can be higher than the amount you borrowed. Enter the balance your servicer shows, not the original loan amount. If you consolidated or left a forbearance, the unpaid interest may already have been added to principal. The figure the Tiered Standard plan uses to set your term is principal only, which is why two borrowers with the same total owed can receive different terms.
Your rate is the one fixed when each loan was first disbursed: 6.52% for undergraduate loans first disbursed from July 1, 2026, 6.39% the year before. A borrower with loans from several years should use the weighted average rate. The interest rate page lists every year since 2023.
Which loans this applies to
The calculator covers Direct Loans, including Direct PLUS loans. A parent PLUS loan made on or after July 1, 2026 must be repaid under the Tiered Standard plan (HEA section 455(d)(7)(E)). For older loans, the extended and graduated plans of 34 CFR 685.208 remain until you choose otherwise; they are not modeled here.