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Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Comparison Calculator

See monthly payments, total paid, and forgiven amounts across all four federal IDR plans versus the standard 10-year plan.

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Standard 10-year monthly payment

$568

10-year standard plan monthly payment.

Detailed results
SAVE plan monthly payment$82.45
PAYE plan monthly payment$263
SAVE estimated forgiveness amount$142,388
Standard plan total paid (10yr)$68,129

What this result means

Standard 10-year monthly payment: $568.

SAVE reduces your monthly payment by $485 vs the standard plan. Whether total cost is lower depends on how much is forgiven after the repayment term.

IDR Plan Comparison

Side-by-side monthly payment and forgiveness estimates for each plan. Note: FPL-dependent values require verified 2025 poverty guidelines.

IDR Plan Comparison. 6 rows, first 6 shown.
PlanMonthly PaymentTotal PaidEstimated ForgivenessRepayment Term (years)
Standard (10-year)$568$68,129$0.0010
SAVE$82.45$19,788$142,38820
PAYE$263$63,050$53,98520
IBR (new)$263$63,050$53,98520
IBR (prior)$394$84,798$0.0025
ICR$656$64,668$0.0025

How this is calculated

IDR payment = (AGI − FPL × multiplier%) × plan% ÷ 12. Standard payment = P × r(1+r)^120 / ((1+r)^120 − 1).

Income-driven repayment (IDR) plans cap your federal student loan payments at a percentage of your discretionary income and forgive any remaining balance after a set repayment term.

SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) replaced REPAYE in 2023. It uses 5% of discretionary income for undergraduate loans (10% for graduate) and defines discretionary income as the amount above 225% of the federal poverty line — the most generous definition of any plan. Unpaid interest does not capitalize on SAVE.

PAYE (Pay As You Earn) caps payments at 10% of discretionary income (150% FPL threshold) and at the standard 10-year payment amount. Available only to borrowers who had no outstanding federal loans before October 1, 2007.

IBR (Income-Based Repayment) comes in two variants: new borrowers (after July 1, 2014) pay 10%; prior borrowers pay 15%. Widely available — no loan-origination-date eligibility requirement for most borrowers.

ICR (Income-Contingent Repayment) calculates the lesser of 20% of discretionary income or a 12-year fixed payment adjusted for income. Typically the least favorable for high-balance borrowers.

IDR payment amounts use the 2025 HHS federal poverty guidelines ($15,650 for a single person, +$5,530 per additional household member).

Assumptions

  • Federal poverty guidelines: $15,650 (individual, 48 contiguous states, 2025 HHS guidelines), +$5,530 per additional household member.
  • Income is assumed constant throughout the repayment term; actual IDR payments recalculate annually.
  • Standard payment computed using 10-year term at the stated interest rate.
  • Forgiveness tax treatment follows current law (federally tax-free through extended legislation) — verify at time of forgiveness.
  • Graduate vs. undergraduate loan split not modeled — SAVE rate defaults to undergrad percentage.
  • PAYE eligibility (loan origination date) is not verified.

Frequently asked questions

›Why might IDR cost more than the standard plan?

If your income is high relative to your debt, the IDR payment calculation (5–20% of discretionary income) can actually equal or exceed the standard 10-year payment. In that scenario, IDR offers no advantage, and you extend the repayment term unnecessarily, paying more interest overall. Always compare the actual monthly payment across all plans — higher income can be a disadvantage on IDR despite the flexible terms.

›Is forgiven debt taxable?

Under current federal law (extended through 2025 by the American Rescue Plan), debt forgiven through IDR plans is exempt from federal income tax. However, this tax exemption is set to expire after 2025 — Congress may extend it again or let it lapse. Do not assume forgiveness will remain tax-free indefinitely. If planning large forgiveness amounts, consult a tax advisor about state-level taxation and verify current rules before relying on this benefit.

›How does PSLF interact with IDR?

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives the remaining loan balance after 120 on-time qualifying payments while employed full-time at a qualifying government or nonprofit organization. PSLF works best paired with an IDR plan — your lower monthly payment means more of those 120 payments consist of interest, and the balance remaining at forgiveness tends to be larger, so the tax-free forgiveness benefit is more valuable. PSLF forgiveness is always federally tax-free, regardless of future tax law changes.

›Can I switch plans?

Yes, you can switch between IDR plans or from IDR to standard repayment through your loan servicer, usually with minimal friction. However, switching resets certain plan-specific benefit clocks — for example, switching out of SAVE temporarily stops unpaid interest from being frozen. On PSLF, switching plans doesn't reset your 120-payment count, but switching servicers can create confusion and potential delays. Make switches intentionally, not casually.

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