Calculate your consolidated student loan rate and payment. Weighted average rate rounded up to nearest 1/8th with terms up to 30 years.
Federal student loan consolidation combines multiple loans into a single Direct Consolidation Loan with one monthly payment and one interest rate. The new rate is the weighted average of your existing rates, rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of a percent.
Consolidation simplifies your repayment by replacing multiple servicers and due dates with one. It also unlocks extended repayment terms of up to 30 years and enables access to income-driven repayment for Parent PLUS loans (through ICR). However, consolidation may increase your total cost due to the rounded-up rate and potential longer term.
This calculator computes your consolidated interest rate and estimates the new monthly payment for your chosen term, helping you decide whether consolidation makes financial sense for your situation.
Students, parents, and educators all gain valuable perspective from precise student loan consolidation data when planning academic paths, managing workloads, or setting realistic performance goals. Return to this calculator each semester or grading period to stay on top of evolving academic targets.
Managing multiple student loans with different rates, servicers, and due dates is confusing. Consolidation simplifies everything into one payment. This calculator shows you exactly what your new rate will be and how different repayment terms affect your payment. Understanding these numbers helps you weigh the convenience of consolidation against the potential cost.
Weighted Avg Rate = Σ(Balance_i × Rate_i) / Σ(Balance_i) Consolidated Rate = ceiling(Weighted Avg Rate × 8) / 8 Monthly Payment = P[r(1+r)^n] / [(1+r)^n − 1]
Result: 5.875% rate | $393/month
Weighted average = (15000×0.045 + 20000×0.068) / 35000 = 5.814%. Rounded up to nearest 1/8%: 5.875%. On a $35,000 consolidation loan at 5.875% over 10 years, the monthly payment is approximately $393.
When you consolidate, the Department of Education pays off your existing federal loans and creates a new Direct Consolidation Loan. The new loan has a fixed interest rate equal to the weighted average of your old rates, rounded up to the nearest eighth of a percent. You choose a new repayment plan and term.
Consolidation is most valuable when you need to convert FFEL or Perkins loans to Direct Loans for PSLF eligibility, when you want to combine Parent PLUS loans for ICR access, or when managing multiple servicers has become burdensome. The simplification benefit is real, even if the financial benefit is minimal.
Don't consolidate if you've made significant progress toward IDR forgiveness (the count resets), if you have loans with borrower benefits you'd lose (like interest rate discounts), or if you're close to paying off a small loan (consolidating extends its effective term). Also avoid consolidating subsidized loans with unsubsidized ones, as you may lose the interest subsidy benefit.
The rate is the weighted average of all consolidated loans, rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of a percent. This rounded rate is fixed for the life of the consolidated loan.
Consolidation itself doesn't save money because the rate rounds up. However, it can simplify payments and unlock access to forgiveness programs. Extending the term lowers monthly payments but increases total cost.
No. Federal consolidation only combines federal loans. To combine federal and private loans, you'd need to refinance with a private lender, which means losing federal benefits like IDR and forgiveness.
Yes. Consolidation resets your IDR forgiveness payment count to zero. If you've made significant progress toward 20–25 year forgiveness, consolidation may not be worth it unless you're consolidating for PSLF access.
Standard (10 years), graduated (10 years), extended (up to 25 years), and income-driven plans. The maximum term depends on your total balance and can extend up to 30 years for balances over $60,000.
No. Consolidation is a federal program that combines federal loans at a weighted average rate. Refinancing is done through private lenders at a new market rate. Refinancing can lower your rate but eliminates federal protections.