Income-Driven Repayment Calculator

About this calculator

An income-driven repayment (IDR) plan caps a federal student loan borrower's monthly payment as a percentage of their discretionary income — income above a multiple (typically 150%) of the federal poverty guideline for the borrower's family size — rather than basing the payment on the loan balance and a fixed term. The general formula is monthly payment = (annual income − poverty guideline threshold) × payment percentage ÷ 12, with the specific percentage and threshold varying by plan (such as SAVE, IBR, PAYE, or ICR in the US federal student loan system).

Borrowers with federal student loans use IDR plans when their standard 10-year payment is unaffordable relative to their income, since the payment scales with earnings and family size rather than debt size — someone with a low income and a large loan balance can end up with a payment far smaller than under standard repayment, sometimes even $0 if income falls below the threshold. Loan servicers recalculate the payment annually as income and family size are recertified, and most IDR plans also offer eventual loan forgiveness after a set number of qualifying payments (typically 20-25 years).

This calculator takes your annual income, family size, and the applicable poverty guideline and payment percentage, then returns your estimated monthly income-driven payment, so you can compare it against your standard repayment amount.