When Will I Pay Off My Student Loan Calculator

Your Renewable Help Balance And Re

Your HELP balance is renewable. Starting from the 2019-20 income year, any compulsory or voluntary HELP or VSL repayments made will top up a person’s HELP balance. These repayments will be applied to a person’s HELP balance after they have completed their 2019-20 tax return and been issued with a notice of assessment from the ATO. Repayments can be re-borrowed in the future, up to the current HELP loan limit. For more information on the new combined HELP loan limit and renewable HELP balance visit the combined HELP loan limit page.

Applying For Federal Financial Aid

The process for obtaining federal financial aid is relatively easy. You fill out a single form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and send it to your schools financial aid office. Then they do the rest. The FAFSA is your single gateway to Stafford loans, Perkins loans and PLUS loans. Many colleges also use it to determine your eligibility for scholarships and other options offered by your state or school, so you could qualify for even more financial aid.

There is really no reason not to complete a FAFSA. Many students believe they wont qualify for financial aid because their parents make too much money, but in reality the formula to determine eligibility considers many factors besides income. By the same token, grades and age are not considered in determining eligibility for most types of federal financial aid, so you wont be disqualified on account of a low GPA.

Include Payments In Your Budget

Build your student debt payments into your budget and make payments that are larger than the minimum payments. You can also speak with your financial institution about setting up automatic payments.

When planning your budget and automatic payments, make sure you know when your payments are due. Remember that if you have more than one loan or line of credit, you may have more than one payment due date.

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Student Lines Of Credit

If you have a student line of credit through your financial institution, you’ll have to pay the interest on the amount of money you borrow while youre still in school.

After you graduate, many financial institutions give you a 4 to 12-month grace period. During this time, you only have to pay the interest on your line of credit. After this period, youll pay back your debt through a repayment schedule agreed upon with your financial institution.

Contact your financial institution to get information about paying back your student line of credit.

Calculate By Monthly Payment

For many consumers, the monthly payment on a new loan is the single most important factor. You can use the Calculate by Monthly Payment option to find what you feel will be the right payment for you.

Just as was the case when I did Calculate by Loan Term, Ill start by entering a loan amount of $10,000 and a loan APR of 7%.

Next, click the Calculate by Monthly Payment option. Then hit the Calculate button.

Youll be asked to enter the Expected monthly payment. For the sake of example, lets enter $155, then hit the Calculate button.

The loan payoff calculator will display three results:

• Months to Payoff 81 months.
• Years to Payoff 6.75 years.
• Interest Paid $2,555.

Now, most lenders wont make a loan for 81 months, since it doesnt represent a specific number of years. Youll likely be asked to choose either 72 months, which will raise the payment somewhat, or 84 months, which will lower the payment slightly.

But notice that the lower monthly payment $155 vs. $198.01 I used in Calculate by Loan Term also results in a much higher amount of interest paid over the life of the loan.

With the term at 60 months, youll pay $1,880.60 over the life of the loan. But at 81 months and the lower monthly payment youll pay $2,555, which will raise the cost of the loan by $675.

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How Long Will It Take To Pay Off My Loan

When you repay a loan, you pay back the principal or capital as well as interest . Interest growing over time is the really important part: the faster you pay back the principal, the lower the interest amount will be.

E.g. You borrow $40,000 with an interest rate of 4%. The loan is for 15 years. Your monthly payment would be $295.88, meaning that your total interest comes to $13,258.40. But paying an extra $100 a month could mean you repay your loan a whole five years earlier, and only pay $8,855.67 interest. Thats a saving of $4,402!

Play around with our Loan Payoff Calculator, above, to see how overpayments can shorten the length of your loan.

The following guide focuses particularly on student loans, but the tips and advice can apply to all types of loans. So read on to learn how to shorten and shrink your loan.

If You Declare Bankruptcy

If you declare bankruptcy, you still have to pay your OSAP loan. This means you must continue to make a regular monthly payment.

Apply to the Repayment Assistance Plan if you cant make these monthly payments.

If youve been out of studies for more than five years, you can ask a bankruptcy court to have your OSAP loan included in your discharge. Contact your bankruptcy trustee for help.

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Explanation Of Repayment Results

It might not seem obvious, but there are so many variables involved here and the backstage student loan repayment calculations are extremely complex. Honestly – we’re surprised we’re still sane enough to write this! And with that in mind, take these results simply as an estimation of your repayments.

Our student loan repayment calculator takes into account:

1. Average Inflation affects a few calculations such as the interest on your loan and salary growth. We’ve estimated it at 2.8%.

2. Salary Growth we add this % to RPI which gives you an idea of how much your salary will grow above inflation. Weve estimated it at 1.5%.

You can alter both of these using the Advanced section of the calculator.

We’ve also had to make these necessary assumptions:

• You won’t have any career breaks
• Your salary will increase steadily with a yearly pay-rise
• The repayment threshold from 2021 is £27,295 and will rise by average UK earnings growth
• Your maintenance loan is paid in 3 equal instalments at the start of each term
• You start to repay your loan 1 year after graduating
• Values are calculated on how much money is worth today
• Your tuition fees will be the same each year.

It’s also worth noting that repayments of your student loan are taken off monthly, but the interest is accrued daily.

per hour

Please note figures are estimates and variables subject to change. Please direct any feedback or bug reports to our contact page, and check with your student loan provider for actual monies owed.

If You Have A Postgraduate Loan And A Plan 1 Plan 2 Or Plan 4 Loan

You pay back 6% of your income over the Postgraduate Loan threshold . In addition, youll pay back 9% of your income over the Plan 1, Plan 2 or Plan 4 threshold.

Example

You have a Postgraduate Loan and a Plan 2 loan.

Your annual income is £28,800 and you are paid a regular monthly wage. This means that each month your income is £2,400 . This is over the Postgraduate Loan monthly threshold of £1,750 and the Plan 2 threshold of £2,274.

Your income is £650 over the Postgraduate Loan threshold and £126 over the Plan 2 threshold .

You will pay back £39 to your Postgraduate Loan and £11 to your Plan 2 loan. So your total monthly repayment will be £50.

Example

You have a Postgraduate Loan and a Plan 1 loan.

Your annual income is £28,800 and you are paid a regular monthly wage. This means that each month your income is £2,400 . This is over the Postgraduate Loan monthly threshold of £1,750 and the Plan 1 threshold of £1,657.

Your income is £650 over the Postgraduate Loan threshold and £743 over the Plan 1 threshold .

You will pay back £39 to your Postgraduate Loan and £66 to your Plan 1 loan. So your total monthly repayment will be £105.

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If You Have A Plan 4 Loan And A Plan 1 Loan

You pay back 9% of your income over the Plan 1 threshold .

If your income is under the Plan 4 threshold , your repayments only go towards your Plan 1 loan.

If your income is over the Plan 4 threshold, your repayments go towards both your loans.

Example

You have a Plan 4 loan and a Plan 1 loan.

Your annual income is £28,800 and you are paid a regular monthly wage. This means that each month your income is £2,400 . This is over the Plan 4 monthly threshold of £2,083 and the Plan threshold of £1,657.

Your income is £743 over the Plan 1 threshold which is the lowest of both plans.

You will pay back £67 and repayments will go towards both plans.

Extend Your Grace Period By Another Six Months If You:

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If You Dont Repay Your Loans

If you don’t make your loan payments, you will be in default.

An OSAP loan is considered to be in default when no required payments have been made for 270 days.

Being in default means:

• your debt will be turned over to a collection agency
• you will be reported to a credit bureau
• you could be ineligible for further OSAP until the default is cleared
• your ability to get a car loan, mortgage or credit card can be affected
• your income tax refund and HST rebate can be withheld
• interest will continue to build up on the unpaid balance of your loan

Your OSAP debt will only be erased when you have paid it off in full.

Use A Lump Sum To Pay Off Your Loan Faster

Tax refund, bonus, commission, inheritance, yard sale, gift or lottery win? Whatever it may be, an unexpected windfall can be used to pay off a chunk of the principal in one fell swoop.

So there you have it. Check out our loan payoff calculator to see how overpayments can help you save money in the long run.

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If You Have 2 Or More Jobs

If youre employed, your repayments will be taken out of your salary. The repayments will be from the jobs where you earn over the minimum amount, not your combined income.

Example

You have a Plan 1 loan.

You have 2 jobs, both paying you a regular monthly wage. Before tax and other deductions, you earn £1,000 a month from one job and £800 a month for the other.

You will not have to make repayments because neither salary is above the £1,657 a month threshold.

Example

You have a Plan 2 loan.

You have 2 jobs, both paying you a regular monthly wage. Before tax and other deductions, you earn £2,300 a month from one job and £500 a month for the other.

You will only make repayments on the income from the job that pays you £2,300 a month because its above the £2,274 threshold.

How Student Debt Affects Your Credit Score

Student loans and lines of credit form part of your credit history. If you miss or are late with your payments, it can affect your credit score.

Your credit score shows future lenders how risky it can be for them to lend you money. A poor credit score can also affect your ability to get a job, rent an apartment or get credit.

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How Do I Repay My Help Debt

Your HELP debt includes any unpaid HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP, OS-HELP, SA-HELP and VET Student Loans debts.

From 1 July 2019 VET Student Loans debt was separated from HELP. Students studying through a VSL approved from that date will have a VSL debt.

You pay back your HELP debt through the tax system once you earn above the compulsory repayment threshold. The compulsory repayment threshold is different each year.

The compulsory repayment threshold for the 2021-22 income year is $47,014.

The compulsory repayment threshold for the 2020-21 income year was $46,620.

You can make a voluntary repayment to the Australian Taxation Office at any time.

What You Should Know About Loan Payoffs

As I demonstrated with the loan examples above, loan payoffs are something of a trade-off between the monthly payment and the total cost of the loan. The lower the monthly payment you choose, the longer the loan term will be, and the more interest youll pay over the life of the loan. That will increase the total cost of the loan.

Youll need to decide whats more important a low monthly payment, or getting the loan paid off as soon as possible and saving money on the total cost.

Theres one other factor you should be aware of, especially when it comes to personal loans. Some personal loan lenders charge origination fees equal to between 1% and 6% of the amount you borrow. That means you may pay between $100 and $600 on a $10,000 loan.

But an origination fee shouldnt discourage you from considering a personal loan. For example, lets say you have $10,000 in with an average interest rate of 23%. That means youre paying $2,300 per year in interest.

You have an opportunity to get a personal loan at 12% over 60 months with a 6% origination fee. Even though youll pay $600 for the origination fee, youll still save hundreds of dollars compared to your current credit card debt.

And since the origination fee applies only when you accept the loan, the savings each year thereafter will be even higher. And equally important, the debt will be completely paid off in five years. Thats unlikely to happen with credit card debt.

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How Extra Payments Pay Off Loans Faster

Say, for example, you borrow $20,000 in student loans with an interest rate of 5%. Your monthly payment for 10 years would be $212 and you would pay $5,440 in interest.

What if you paid $100 a month more toward that loan? Your monthly payment would rise to $312 but you would pay about $2,000 less in interest and be debt-free nearly four years earlier.

The more payments you can tack on, the less youll pay in interest and the closer youll get to freedom from student debt. If it feels like you have no cash to spare, try making biweekly student loan payments instead its a simple way to trick yourself into making one full extra payment each year.

The standard repayment plan takes 10 years to pay off a student loan. But repayment can last longer if you change your repayment plan for example, income-driven options can last up to 25 years.

You can pay off a student loan as quickly as you’re financially able to. There’s never any penalty for prepaying a student loan, and paying off your loan quickly will result in paying less overall.

You can calculate your student loan payoff date based on your current loan balance, the loan’s interest rate and the amount you pay each month. If you’re on an income-driven repayment plan, your student loan will be paid off when the amount you owe is paid in full or your repayment term reaches its end, whichever happens first.

Get A Loan Out Of Default

Learn how you could be eligible for financial relief and how the deferral may apply to your debt.

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Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made in building this tool, we are not to be held liable for any damages or monetary losses arising out of or in connection with the use of it. Full disclaimer. This tool is here purely as a service to you, please use it at your own risk.

Who Needs To Start Repaying

You may need to start paying back your OSAP loan six months after your study period ends.

Youll be making payments to the National Student Loans Service Centre , not to OSAP.

You dont need to start paying back your OSAP loan if your school confirms your enrolment for the next study period and we approve your application for one of the following programs:

• OSAP for Full-Time Students

If you received loans through the OSAP micro-credentials program, learn about repayment for micro-credentials programs.

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