Student Loan Calculator
Payment · payoff date · total interest · extra-payment impact
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2025–26 federal undergraduate Direct loans are 6.53%; graduate 8.08%; PLUS 9.08%. Check your servicer for your exact rate.
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Most servicers cut 0.25% off the rate when you sign up for automatic debit.
On unsubsidized loans, interest accrues from day one. We add 6 months of simple interest to the balance that enters repayment.
Deducts up to $2,500 of interest at a 22% marginal rate → max $550/yr back. Skips the deduction automatically if your income (below) is over the phase-out.
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Monthly payment (standard plan)
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Payoff date
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Months to payoff
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Total interest paid
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Net interest (after deduction)
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Total amount paid
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Balance entering repayment
Pick the plan that matches your goal
The 10-year standard plan pays the least interest. Extending to 20–25 years lowers the monthly bill but nearly doubles total cost. Even a modest extra payment attacks principal and compounds the savings.
Compare repayment plans
Same balance, same rate — three timeline options. The longer the plan, the lower the payment and the higher the interest. Extra payments apply on top of whichever plan you choose.
| Plan | Payment / mo | Months | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculate to compare 10, 20 and 25-year plans. | |||
Related tools
What moves the needle on a student loan
- Pay during school/grace (unsubsidized): every dollar of interest you cover now is a dollar that never compounds. It reduces the balance that actually enters repayment.
- Recount on income-driven plans: on IDR plans, requested payment recalculation whenever income changes or family size grows — keep the payment tied to real cash flow.
- Autopay: a 0.25% cut on a $30k 10-year loan saves several hundred dollars and removes the risk of a missed payment.
- Refinancing: a lower private rate slashes interest — but on federal loans you give up IDR, deferment and forgiveness. Never refinance debt you're pursuing PSLF on.
- Employer assistance: up to $5,250/yr is tax-free until at least end-2025. Ask HR before you assume it doesn't exist.
US federal vs private: federal loans come with IDR, forbearance and forgiveness paths; private loans trade that flexibility for sometimes-lower rates. Treat them as different products with different payoff logic — federal flexibility has real financial value.