Student Loan Repayment Calculator
See how much of your pay goes to your HELP or other study loan in 2026–27: the amount withheld each pay, the repayment for the year, and how fringe benefits, salary-sacrificed super and investment losses push it up.
Your repayment
Compulsory study loan repayment, 2026–27
$2,170.80
$90.00 withheld a fortnight · 2.58% of repayment income
- Repayment income
- $84,000.00
- Rate on your next dollar
- 15%
- Withheld by your employer a fortnight
- $90.00
- Repayment spread over each pay (a fortnight)
- $83.49
- Take-home pay a fortnight with the loan
- $2,516.51
- Take-home pay a fortnight without it
- $2,600.00
- From the next dollar, 15% goes to your loan on top of income tax and Medicare, so a pay rise is worth less than it looks until the debt is cleared.
Australian resident claiming the tax-free threshold, 2026–27 repayment thresholds and the ATO’s Schedule 8 withholding. Covers HELP, VSL, SFSS, SSL, ABSTUDY SSL and AASL debts.
Rates checked 12 October 2026 against the ATO · How we calculate · Calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Repayments at every income
Nothing is due below $69,528. Above it, a share of each extra dollar goes to the loan. Hover along the line to read any income; the dot is you.
- Compulsory repayment
- You: $2,171 on $84,000
Show as a table
| Repayment income | Repayment a year | Share of income |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $0.00 | 0% |
| $21,818 | $0.00 | 0% |
| $43,636 | $0.00 | 0% |
| $65,455 | $0.00 | 0% |
| $87,273 | $2,661.75 | 3.05% |
| $109,091 | $5,934.45 | 5.44% |
| $130,909 | $9,230.64 | 7.05% |
| $152,727 | $12,939.70 | 8.47% |
| $174,545 | $16,648.76 | 9.54% |
| $196,364 | $19,636.40 | 10% |
| $218,182 | $21,818.20 | 10% |
| $240,000 | $24,000.00 | 10% |
What your loan takes from each pay
Take-home pay each pay with and without the loan, and the amount your employer withholds for it.
- Take-home pay without a study loan$2,600.00 a fortnight
- Take-home pay with your study loan$2,516.51 a fortnight
- Withheld for the loan$90.00 a fortnight
Where your next $1,000 pay rise goes
Of the next $1,000 of salary, what you keep and what goes to tax, Medicare and your loan.
- You keep $530.00
- Income tax $300.00
- Medicare $20.00
- Study loan $150.00
What makes up your repayment income
Your repayment is based on this total, not on salary alone.
- Taxable income $84,000
How student loan repayments work
Every study and training loan (HELP, VET Student Loans, SFSS, Student Start-up Loans, ABSTUDY SSL and Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans) is repaid through the tax system. There is no fixed monthly payment: once your repayment income passes $69,528, a percentage of the income above the threshold is repaid each year.
Your employer withholds an amount from each pay towards it. When you lodge your tax return, the ATO works out the actual compulsory repayment from your repayment income, credits what was withheld, and adds any difference to your tax bill or refund.
Repayment by salary, 2026–27
| Salary | Repayment a year | Withheld a fortnight | Take-home a fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,950.58 |
| $75,000 | $670.80 | $32.00 | $2,312.66 |
| $90,000 | $2,920.80 | $118.00 | $2,618.43 |
| $120,000 | $7,420.80 | $292.00 | $3,229.97 |
| $150,000 | $12,306.11 | $480.00 | $3,789.00 |
| $200,000 | $19,900.00 | $770.00 | $4,642.31 |
Salary only, with the $1,000 standard deduction and no other repayment income.
Repayment thresholds 2026–27
| Repayment income | Repayment |
|---|---|
| 0 – $69,528 | Nil |
| $69,529 – $129,717 | 15c for each $1 over $69,528 |
| $129,718 – $186,050 | $9,028 plus 17c for each $1 over $129,717 |
| $186,051 and over | 10% of your total repayment income |
Source: Study and training loan repayment thresholds and rates, ATO, last updated 30 June 2026.
What counts as repayment income
Repayment income is your taxable income plus:
- reportable fringe benefits, such as a novated lease on an electric car or salary-packaged items;
- reportable super contributions, which include salary sacrifice and personal contributions you claim as a deduction;
- net investment losses, such as negative gearing on a rental property or shares;
- exempt foreign employment income.
That is why packaging or salary sacrifice rarely lowers your loan repayment, and why the amount withheld from your pay can fall short.
Frequently asked questions
How much is taken out of my pay for my student loan?
On $85,000 a year, your employer withholds about $90.00 a fortnight for the loan on top of income tax. The exact amount comes from the ATO’s Schedule 8 tables, based on your pay for that period.
At what income do I start repaying my student loan?
Once your repayment income is more than $69,528 in 2026–27. Only the part above the threshold is repaid, at 15% of each extra dollar at first. From $186,051 the repayment is 10% of all repayment income.
Why do I owe more student loan at tax time?
Usually because your repayment income is higher than your salary. Reportable fringe benefits, salary-sacrificed super and investment losses are added at tax time, but your employer withholds on salary alone. With $10,000 of salary-sacrificed super on $85,000, about $1,330.80 more is due than was withheld.
Does salary sacrificing reduce my HECS repayment?
No. Salary sacrifice into super reduces your taxable income, but the sacrificed amount is reportable super and is added back to work out your repayment income, so the loan repayment is about the same.