What repayment plans exist for federal student loans?

Federal plans include: Standard (10 years), Graduated (10 years, rising payments), Extended (up to 25 years), and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans like SAVE, PAYE, IBR, and ICR. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives balances after 10 years for qualifying employees.

Can I pay off my student loans early?

Yes. Federal student loans have no prepayment penalty. Extra payments reduce the principal directly, reducing future interest. Specify that overpayments apply to principal. Paying $100 extra per month on $30,000 at 6.5% can save thousands and cut 2-3 years off repayment.

What is income-driven repayment?

Income-driven repayment (IDR) caps monthly payments at 5-20% of discretionary income. The SAVE plan caps undergraduate payments at 5%. After 20-25 years of qualifying payments, any remaining balance is forgiven.

Student Loan Calculator — Monthly Payment & Payoff

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Calculateur de prêt étudiant

Calculate your monthly payment, total paid, and interest cost for student loans.

Loan Balance ($)

Taux d'intérêt annuel (%)

Durée du prêt

Monthly Payment Override ($) (facultatif)

Paiement mensuel

Total Paid

Intérêt total

Interest % of Principal

Term Comparison

Term	Paiement mensuel	Total Paid	Intérêt total

Amortization Summary (First 5 Years)

Année	Capital payé	Intérêts payés	Équilibre

What is a Student Loan Calculator?

A student loan calculator helps borrowers understand the true cost of their education debt by computing the monthly payment, total amount repaid, and total interest paid over the life of the loan. Federal student loan interest rates in the US change each year based on the 10-year Treasury note rate. For 2024–2025, undergraduate Direct Loans carry a 6.53% rate, graduate Direct Unsubsidized Loans 8.08%, and Direct PLUS Loans 9.08%.

The repayment term dramatically affects both the monthly payment and the total interest cost. A 10-year standard repayment minimizes total interest but has the highest monthly payment. Extended plans (20 or 25 years) lower the monthly payment significantly but can more than double the interest cost over the life of the loan.

How to Use the Student Loan Calculator

Entrez votre Loan Balance — the total outstanding principal.
Entrez le Taux d'intérêt annuel from your loan servicer's statements.
Sélectionnez un Durée du prêt: 10-year Standard, 20-year Extended, 25-year Income-Based, or custom.
Entrez éventuellement un Monthly Payment Override to see how extra payments shorten payoff time.
View results, the term comparison table, and the first 5-year amortization breakdown.

Why Use Our Student Loan Calculator?

Three-Term Comparison — Side-by-side view of 10, 20, and 25-year plans.
Amortization Table — Year-by-year breakdown of principal vs. interest paid.
Payment Override — See the impact of paying more than the minimum.
Résultats instantanés — All figures update in real time.
100% gratuit et privé — No account required.

Foire aux questions

The average monthly student loan payment for federal borrowers is approximately $300–$400, though this varies greatly by total debt and repayment plan. Borrowers with $30,000 in debt at 6.5% on a 10-year plan pay about $340/month. Borrowers with $50,000 in debt on a 10-year plan pay about $567/month. The national average total student debt for bachelor's degree graduates is around $29,000–$30,000.

Federal student loan repayment plans include: Standard (10 years, fixed payments), Graduated (10 years, payments start low and increase), Extended (up to 25 years, lower monthly payments), Income-Driven Repayment plans (IDR) such as SAVE, PAYE, IBR, and ICR — these cap payments at 5–20% of discretionary income and offer forgiveness after 20–25 years of payments. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives remaining balances after 10 years of payments for qualifying public service employees.

Yes. Federal student loans have no prepayment penalty — any extra payment reduces the principal directly, which reduces future interest charges. When making extra payments, specify in writing (or through your servicer's website) that the overpayment should be applied to principal, not credited toward future monthly payments. Paying an extra $100/month on a $30,000 loan at 6.5% can save thousands in interest and shave 2–3 years off the repayment period.

Income-driven repayment (IDR) plans set your monthly federal student loan payment as a percentage of your discretionary income — typically 5–20% depending on the plan and loan type. The SAVE plan (Saving on a Valuable Education) caps undergraduate loan payments at 5% of discretionary income. After 20–25 years of qualifying payments, any remaining balance is forgiven. IDR plans are especially helpful for borrowers whose debt-to-income ratio is high.

Faits en bref

✓ 10, 20, and 25-year plan comparison
✓ 5-year amortization table
✓ Payment override for extra payments
✓ Instant live calculations
✓ 100% free — no account needed