Student Loans
Income-Driven Repayment Plans Compared: What Each One Costs Per Month
How each income-driven plan calculates a payment from discretionary income, and the forgiveness timeline attached to each.
By Sarah Mitchell · Reviewed by Legamoney Mortgage & Lending Desk
Every income-driven plan is a percentage of discretionary income. The plans differ in the percentage, the poverty-line multiplier and the forgiveness horizon.
Key takeaways
- Every income-driven plan is a percentage of discretionary income. The plans differ in the percentage, the poverty-line multiplier and the forgiveness horizon.
- Discretionary income is your adjusted gross income minus a multiple of the federal poverty guideline for your household size.
- Payments are recertified annually against updated income and family size.
- Unpaid interest treatment differs by plan and materially changes the balance over time.
In this guide
- What matters here
- Point by point
- Discretionary income is your adjusted gross income minus a multiple…
- Payments are recertified annually against updated income and family…
- Unpaid interest treatment differs by plan and materially changes th…
- Forgiven balances may be taxable depending on the plan and the year…
- A short review checklist
- Questions worth asking
- Worked repayment context
- Practical next steps
What matters here
- Discretionary income is your adjusted gross income minus a multiple of the federal poverty guideline for your household size.
- Payments are recertified annually against updated income and family size.
- Unpaid interest treatment differs by plan and materially changes the balance over time.
- Forgiven balances may be taxable depending on the plan and the year of forgiveness.
Point by point
Discretionary income is your adjusted gross income minus a multiple…
Discretionary income is your adjusted gross income minus a multiple of the federal poverty guideline for your household size. This is the part most people skip, and it is where student loan repayment costs money quietly rather than obviously.
Payments are recertified annually against updated income and family…
Payments are recertified annually against updated income and family size. Write the answer down before you act on it — an undocumented assumption here is impossible to audit later.
Unpaid interest treatment differs by plan and materially changes th…
Unpaid interest treatment differs by plan and materially changes the balance over time. Check this against your own paperwork rather than a general guide, because the terms differ between providers.
Forgiven balances may be taxable depending on the plan and the year…
Forgiven balances may be taxable depending on the plan and the year of forgiveness. If this changes, everything downstream of it changes too, so review it whenever your circumstances move.
A short review checklist
- Confirm which of the points above actually applies to your situation — several will not.
- Gather the documents that prove each figure you are relying on.
- Model the outcome with your own numbers before accepting anyone else's summary.
- Note the date you checked, because rules and rates on student loan repayment change.
- Keep a copy of any written confirmation you receive.
Questions worth asking
- How does this apply to you: discretionary income is your adjusted gross income minus a multiple of the federal poverty guideline for your household size?
- How does this apply to you: payments are recertified annually against updated income and family size?
- How does this apply to you: unpaid interest treatment differs by plan and materially changes the balance over time?
- How does this apply to you: forgiven balances may be taxable depending on the plan and the year of forgiveness?
Treat the list above as the agenda for a single sitting. Working through 4 specific questions with your own paperwork in front of you settles more about student loan repayment than reading another general explanation, and it produces a written record you can revisit when something changes.
Worked repayment context
Standard 10-year payments at common balances
| Balance | 5.5% rate | 6.5% rate | 7.5% rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $217.05 | $227.10 | $237.40 |
| $40,000 | $434.11 | $454.19 | $474.81 |
| $60,000 | $651.16 | $681.29 | $712.21 |
| $100,000 | $1,085.26 | $1,135.48 | $1,187.02 |
Practical next steps
- Pull your full loan list from the federal aid system so nothing is missed.
- Note the loan type and servicer for each — eligibility follows the loan type.
- Model the payment under the standard plan and one income-driven plan.
- Document every certification you file, with dates.
Sources
- 01Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov)
Primary source for federal loan limits, repayment plans and forgiveness rules.
- 02Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Student loans
Regulator guidance on servicing, repayment and borrower protections.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find every loan I hold?
Your federal aid account lists all federal loans and servicers. Private loans appear only on your credit report.
Can I change repayment plans later?
Federal borrowers can change plans at any time without a fee. Private lenders rarely allow it.
Does refinancing federal loans lose these options?
Yes. Refinancing with a private lender permanently removes access to federal repayment plans and forgiveness.
Editorial transparency
- Written by
- Sarah Mitchell — Consumer credit writer — personal loans, debt and credit scores
- Reviewed by
- Legamoney Mortgage & Lending Desk — Editorial desk — mortgages, home equity, and consumer credit
- How this was researched
- Worked with the standard published formula for this calculation and checked against the primary sources listed below.
- Corrections
- Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct and re-date the page. See our editorial policy.
- Advertising disclosure
- Ad placements are clearly labelled and never influence editorial judgement or the ordering of comparisons.
About the author
Sarah Mitchell covers borrowing outside the mortgage: personal loans, credit cards, student debt, debt payoff strategy and how credit scoring actually works. She uses CFPB guidance, the Federal Reserve's G.19 consumer credit release and the federal student aid rules as her reference points, and shows payoff arithmetic in full. She works with the Legamoney Mortgage & Lending Desk.
How this article was checked
- Every factual claim is traced to a named regulator, government agency, or the provider's own published terms before publication.
- Figures that change — rates, limits, thresholds — link to the primary source that publishes them rather than being quoted as a fixed number.
- Worked examples are shown as full arithmetic so a reader can reproduce the result independently.
- Each guide is checked by the owning editorial desk before it is published, and again whenever the underlying rules change.
Covers: Personal loans and loan comparison maths · Credit cards, interest accrual and payoff plans · Debt management and consolidation · Credit scores, reports and disputes
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Disclaimer
Figures on this page are worked examples produced with standard formulas and the assumptions stated. They are not an offer, a quote, or personalised financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before acting on any information here. Read our full disclaimer.