Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Calculator
Estimate monthly payments and loan forgiveness timelines under federal Income-Driven Repayment options based on discretionary income.
About Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)
Income-Driven Repayment plans set federal student loan payments based on household income and family size rather than total outstanding debt balance.
Discretionary Income Calculation
Discretionary Income = AGI - (1.5 × Federal Poverty Guideline)
Monthly payment is calculated as either 10% or 15% of discretionary income divided by 12.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to remaining debt after 20 or 25 years?
Remaining loan balances are eligible for discharge after 20 to 25 years of qualifying monthly payments, depending on the specific IDR plan and undergraduate versus graduate debt mix.
Do zero-dollar payments count toward forgiveness?
Yes. If income falls below the federal poverty threshold, calculated monthly payments of $0 count toward loan forgiveness requirements.
How often must income be recertified?
Borrowers must recertify income and family size annually to maintain their calculated monthly payment tier.
Is forgiven student loan debt federally taxable?
Tax treatment depends on current federal legislation; verify applicable rules with a tax advisor when planning long-term forgiveness strategies.
Calculate in three steps
- 1Enter your valuesUse the fields above and check the units shown beside each input.
- 2Run the calculationSelect Calculate to refresh the result with your latest values.
- 3Review or shareCompare the result, reset the form, print it, or share this page.