What is income-driven repayment?

Income-driven repayment (IDR) plans set your monthly student loan payment based on your income and family size rather than your loan balance. Payments are typically 5-20% of your discretionary income, with remaining balance forgiven after 20-25 years.

What is discretionary income for IDR?

Discretionary income is your adjusted gross income (AGI) minus a percentage of the federal poverty guideline for your family size. For SAVE plan, it's AGI minus 225% of poverty guideline. For other plans, it's AGI minus 150% of poverty guideline.

Which IDR plan has the lowest payment?

The SAVE plan (formerly REPAYE) typically offers the lowest payments at 5% of discretionary income for undergraduate loans. IBR for new borrowers and PAYE are 10%, while ICR is 20% or a fixed 12-year payment, whichever is lower.

When is student loan forgiveness under IDR?

Under SAVE, forgiveness occurs after 20 years for graduate loans and 10 years for loans under $12,000 (scaled up for larger balances). IBR new borrowers get forgiveness after 20 years. PAYE after 20 years. ICR and IBR for older borrowers after 25 years.

Income-Driven Repayment Calculator

Calculate and compare IDR plan payments based on your income and family size.

Student Loan IDR Payment Calculator

Find the best income-driven repayment plan for your federal student loans

Loan Information

Total Loan Balance ($) Current federal student loan balance

Interest Rate (%) Weighted average interest rate

Loan Type Type affects SAVE plan rate

When Did You Borrow? Affects IBR eligibility

Income & Family

Annual Gross Income ($) Your adjusted gross income (AGI)

Family Size Include yourself, spouse, dependents

State Poverty guidelines vary by location

Filing Status Tax filing status

Your IDR Options

Lowest Payment

SAVE Plan

Discretionary Income

Annual

Standard Payment

10-year plan

Monthly Savings

vs Standard

Compare All IDR Plans

Swipe to see all plans

SAVE

5-10% of income

Forgiveness: 20-25 yrs

IBR

10-15% of income

Forgiveness: 20-25 yrs

PAYE

10% of income

Forgiveness: 20 yrs

ICR

20% of income

Forgiveness: 25 yrs

Income Allocation

Protected (0%)

Discretionary (0%)

IDR Payment (0%)

Income Calculation

Annual Gross Income $0

Spouse's Income $0

Poverty Guideline (150%) -$0

                    Discretionary Income
                    $0
                

SAVE Threshold (225%) $0

SAVE Discretionary $0

Detailed Plan Comparison

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Feature	SAVE	IBR	PAYE	ICR

Loan Forgiveness Projection

Years to Forgiveness

Under SAVE plan

Total You'll Pay

Before forgiveness

Amount Forgiven

Estimated balance

IDR vs Standard 10-Year Plan

Standard 10-Year Payment

Fixed payment, no forgiveness

Your IDR Savings

Monthly with SAVE plan

Payment Projection (First 10 Years)

Year	SAVE	IBR	PAYE	Standard

IDR Payment Formula

Payment = (AGI - Poverty Threshold) x Rate% / 12

Understanding Income-Driven Repayment

What is IDR?

Income-driven repayment plans base your monthly federal student loan payment on your income and family size. These plans cap payments at a percentage of your discretionary income and offer loan forgiveness after 20-25 years of qualifying payments.

Available Plans

SAVE: 5-10% of income, best for most borrowers
IBR: 10-15% of income, based on borrow date
PAYE: 10% of income, must be new borrower
ICR: 20% of income, available for Parent PLUS

Key Benefits

Lower monthly payments based on income
Payments adjust as income changes
Loan forgiveness after 20-25 years
PSLF eligible (10-year forgiveness)
Interest subsidy on some plans

Important Considerations

Must recertify income annually
Forgiven amounts may be taxable
Interest may capitalize
Only for federal student loans
Private loans not eligible