The Education Department’s tools don’t give you the full picture.

StudentAid.gov tracks how many PSLF payments you’ve made, but it won’t show how much you’ll pay moving forward or how much you could save. The FSA’s Loan Simulator ignores how far along you are already in the process.

That’s where this calculator comes in. You plug in what you know (like your estimated qualifying payments, income, and loan info) and it shows you:

• What your monthly payments look like under different plans.

• How much you have to pay in total before forgiveness.

• How much you can save by switching plans or sticking with your current one.

To use it, you’ll need:

• Your loan balance and interest rate.

• Your current repayment plan.

• Your income, tax filing status, and family size.

• An estimate of how many qualifying payments you’ve already made.

Whether you’re strategizing your next move or just need a reality check, this tool helps you stay on track, avoid mistakes, and take control of your PSLF progress.

Our PSLF calculator keeps things simple. The more accurate your input, the better your results will be:

1. Loan Details

• Loan Balance: This is your total federal student loan debt. It’s used to estimate monthly payments and total repayment costs.

• Average Interest Rate: The combined interest rate across your loans. This data helps calculate how much interest you’ll pay over time.

• Monthly Payment: This is what you’re currently paying. We use this number to compare your existing plan to options like SAVE, IBR, and PAYE.

2. Income & Household Details

• State of Residence: Where you live matters. State tax laws impact how your discretionary income is calculated for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Read more here: State Student Loan Forgiveness Programs.

• Tax Filing Status: Choose Single, Married Filing Jointly, or Married Filing Separately. This determines how your income is counted for repayment plans.

• Family Size: The number of people in your household, including yourself. Larger households lower your discretionary income, which reduces your monthly payment.

• Annual Income: Your pre-tax yearly income is a key factor in how much you’ll pay under income-driven repayment plans.

• Expected Income Growth: Estimate your annual salary increase (e.g., 3%). This helps project future payments based on raises or promotions.

3. Repayment History

• Years in Public Service: Put how long you’ve worked for a PSLF-qualifying employer. We use this to estimate how far along you are in the 10-year (120-payment) requirement.

• Qualifying Payments: Type in how many qualifying payments you’ve already made so the calculator can determine how many are left to go.

Get your loan info, plug it in, and see where you stand.

To qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, you must meet all four of these requirements:

• Work for a PSLF-qualifying employer. Your employer (not your job title) determines eligibility. You must work full-time for a government agency, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or a private nonprofit that provides public services. Jobs at for-profit companies, labor unions, and political organizations don’t count.

• Have the right type of loans. Only federal Direct Loans qualify. If you have FFEL or Perkins Loans, you must consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan to become eligible. Private loans NEVER qualify.

• Make payments under a PSLF-qualifying repayment plan. You must be on an IDR plan like SAVE, income-based repayment (IBR), PAYE, or income-contingent repayment (ICR). The 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan also qualifies, but you’ll pay off your loan before PSLF kicks in unless you switch to IDR.

• Make 120 qualifying payments. You must make 120 on-time, full payments while working for a qualifying employer. Payments don’t count if your loans are in deferment or forbearance, except during COVID-19 relief periods.

If you meet these four requirements, you’re on track for PSLF. But even one mistake can set you back. Stay on top of your paperwork and check your PSLF progress regularly to avoid costly delays.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has undergone significant changes recently. While the previous administration expanded PSLF, forgiving nearly $180 billion in student debt for 4.9 million borrowers, including thousands of public service workers, the current administration is shifting course.

In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Education to revise the PSLF program. The aim is to exclude organizations engaged in activities deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose.”

However, the implementation of these changes requires a rulemaking process, which typically takes at least a year and involves public comment periods.

Additionally, since PSLF was created by Congress in 2007, altering its core structure likely requires Congressional approval, not just an executive order.

Related: What Happens to Student Loans If The ED is Abolished?

Student loan rules have been changing nonstop. If you’ve deferred, consolidated, switched plans, or had loans paused, your payment history and timeline may look different from what you expect.

PSLF adds even more layers. One missed detail (like a monthly payment amount made under the wrong plan) can throw off your whole count.

This calculator gives you a solid estimate based on the information you readily have. But it’s just that, an estimate. Loan changes, servicer mistakes, or past ineligible payments can shift the real numbers.

Use this tool to get a clear snapshot of what your path could look like. Then cross-check with your official records on the FSA and run your numbers through the Loan Simulator if you want to explore repayment plans in more detail.

• SAVE Plan Calculator

• Income-Based Repayment Calculator

• PAYE Plan Calculator

• Income-Contingent Repayment Calculator

• Parent PLUS Loan Calculator

• Partial Financial Hardship Calculator