Guides
UK Student Loan Guides
Everything on this page is written by a Chartered Actuary and kept aligned with the assumptions inside the calculator. Start with your plan if you are new to this, or go straight to the overpayment question if you are planning.
Which student loan plan am I on? →
Work out your plan from where you lived and when your course started, and see why it changes what you repay.
How student loan interest works in the UK →
RPI, the Plan 2 sliding scale, compound interest, and why your balance grows before it falls.
Should I overpay my student loan? →
The one question that decides whether overpaying is rational, with worked examples for Plan 1, 2 and 5.
Should I invest or overpay my student loan? →
Index fund returns against loan interest, three risk profiles, and why write-off changes the answer.
The Plan 2 threshold freeze explained →
Why freezing the repayment threshold costs graduates more each year, with the full history.
Plan 5 student loans explained →
The newest plan: a £25,000 threshold, RPI-only interest and a 40-year write-off, compared against Plan 2.
Moving abroad with a student loan →
Overseas thresholds by country, the default charge if you do not report income, and the write-off clock.
How this calculator works →
The methodology: gilt breakeven inflation, ONS salary curves, present value and the implied subsidy.
Prefer to see your own numbers?
The calculator projects your loan year by year using Bank of England market data and ONS salary curves.
Calculate my loan →