Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Calculator
Estimate your monthly payment under Old or New Income-Based Repayment. Start with a quick range, then add loan details only when they improve the answer.
Estimate an Income-Based Repayment payment, then optionally check the 10-year Standard cap, loan eligibility warnings, and official forgiveness-count arithmetic.
How Your IBR Payment Is Calculated
IBR starts with adjusted gross income, not take-home pay. The formula protects 150% of the annual HHS poverty guideline for your IBR family size and region. It applies 15% of the remaining discretionary income for Old IBR or 10% for New IBR, then divides by 12.
The quick result shows that income-based amount. A more accurate result also checks the 10-year Standard payment cap and, for joint filers with two federal-loan balances, the borrower’s share after spouse-debt proration. After those steps, an amount under $5 becomes $0 and an amount from $5 to under $10 becomes $10.
The legal cap uses eligible balances and rates from when the borrower entered IBR. Today’s figures are useful when the historical snapshot is unavailable, but they produce an approximation. See the manual IBR calculation guide for the longer walkthrough.
Old IBR and New IBR
Old IBR generally uses 15% of discretionary income and a 300-payment forgiveness term. New IBR generally uses 10% and a 240-payment term. Both remain subject to the 10-year Standard cap.
The New IBR test depends on complete Direct and FFEL history, not a single “first borrowed” date. If that history has not been confirmed, the calculator shows both results as a range. The current IBR overview explains the borrower test and July 1, 2026 restrictions in more detail.
Before You Rely on the Estimate
A correct formula can still be the wrong answer for an ineligible loan. Use the calculator’s loan check before acting. Direct Parent PLUS loans cannot use IBR, and Parent-PLUS-inclusive consolidations require a separate review. A new Direct Loan or consolidation on or after July 1, 2026 may also change legacy-plan access across the borrower’s Direct portfolio.
After estimating the payment, compare the result with StudentAid.gov Loan Simulator and the servicer’s calculation disclosure. Check the AGI, family size, spouse treatment, eligible balances, rates, and IBR version used. The calculator cannot retrieve records or make an enrollment decision.
For Parent PLUS questions, use the dedicated Parent PLUS and IBR guide. For spouse-income and filing-status depth, use the spouse-income guide.
Other Repayment Decisions
This page stays IBR-only. If the decision is IBR versus RAP, use the IBR-vs-RAP calculator. For PAYE questions, read the PAYE-vs-IBR guide. Neither comparison is folded into this payment estimate.
Sources and Limitations
Current as of July 11, 2026. The engine uses the RISE final rule and the 2026 HHS Poverty Guidelines. Poverty values must be reviewed each January. The current Federal Student Aid IDR request and IDR FAQs describe current administration.
The calculator cannot establish loan eligibility, verify New IBR status, reproduce a historical cap without accurate inputs, determine official IDR or PSLF credit, predict future income, or calculate future tax treatment. It provides general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice.
IBR Calculator FAQs
IBR subtracts 150% of the poverty guideline for your family size and region from adjusted gross income. It generally uses 15% of what remains for Old IBR or 10% for New IBR, divides by 12, and limits that household amount to the 10-year Standard amount fixed at IBR entry. It then applies spouse-loan proration when required. An amount after proration under $5 becomes $0; an amount from $5 to under $10 becomes $10.
Old IBR uses 15% of discretionary income and generally has a 300-payment term. New IBR uses 10% and generally has a 240-payment term. New IBR status depends on the regulatory borrower test and complete loan history. If you are unsure, the calculator shows a range instead of choosing the lower result.
The current regulation no longer imposes a general partial-financial-hardship entry test for an otherwise eligible Direct Loan borrower choosing IBR. The 10-year Standard payment cap still limits the calculated payment. Loan type, loan date, and other portfolio facts still affect eligibility.
Married filing jointly generally uses combined income. Married filing separately generally uses the borrower's income, and the regulation also has a narrow separated or unable-to-access-spouse-information exception. When joint income is used and both spouses have eligible federal debt, the household amount is prorated by the borrower's share of the couple's combined eligible balances.
IBR family size includes the borrower; a spouse when the borrower files jointly; qualifying children, including an unborn child expected during the certification year; and certain other people who live with the borrower and receive more than half their support from the borrower for that year. It is not always the same as tax household size.
Direct Parent PLUS loans cannot use IBR. A qualifying Parent-PLUS-inclusive consolidation made before the applicable cutoff may follow a specific ICR-to-IBR sequence under current rules and forms. This calculator cannot determine whether that pathway applies, so verify the loan history and current process before acting.
IBR is a qualifying repayment plan for PSLF, but the borrower must also have eligible Direct Loans, qualifying employment, and qualifying months. This calculator estimates an IBR payment only. It does not determine whether a loan, employer, or payment receives PSLF credit.
No. Months paid under the Repayment Assistance Plan do not advance the IBR forgiveness clock. Certain qualifying non-RAP IDR months and specified other months may count under the regulation. Use the official count shown by StudentAid.gov and verify any dispute before changing plans.
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