Calculate your SAVE plan payment (formerly REPAYE). Undergrad borrowers pay just 5% of discretionary income with no payment cap.
The SAVE plan (Saving on a Valuable Education) replaced REPAYE in 2023 and offers the most generous terms of any income-driven repayment plan for undergraduate borrowers. Payments are just 5% of discretionary income for undergrad loans and 10% for graduate loans, with no payment cap.
SAVE also provides a significant interest subsidy: if your payment doesn't cover all accruing interest, the government covers the difference, preventing your balance from growing. This eliminates the negative amortization problem that plagues other IDR plans.
This calculator estimates your SAVE plan payment and shows how it compares to other repayment options. For many borrowers, SAVE offers the lowest monthly payment of any federal plan while protecting against runaway interest.
Students, parents, and educators all gain valuable perspective from precise repaye / save payment 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.
SAVE offers the lowest payments for undergraduate borrowers and the most generous interest subsidy of any IDR plan. At 5% of discretionary income, SAVE payments are half what IBR and PAYE charge. The interest subsidy means your balance won't grow even if your payments don't cover interest. This makes SAVE the default best choice for most federal borrowers with undergraduate debt.
Discretionary Income = AGI − 225% × FPL (SAVE uses 225%, not 150%) SAVE Payment = Discretionary Income × 5% (undergrad) or 10% (grad) / 12 No payment cap; interest subsidy covers unpaid interest
Result: $49/month
With $40,000 AGI, family size 1, and SAVE's 225% FPL threshold (~$33,885), discretionary income is about $6,115. At 5%: $306/year or approximately $49/month. The standard 10-year payment on $35,000 at 5.5% would be $380/month.
SAVE represents the most borrower-friendly federal repayment plan ever created. By cutting the payment percentage to 5% for undergrads, raising the income protection threshold to 225% of the poverty level, and providing a full interest subsidy, SAVE dramatically reduces the burden of student debt for millions of borrowers.
On other IDR plans, if your payment is $100/month but $200/month in interest accrues, the extra $100 adds to your balance. On SAVE, the government covers that $100 gap, keeping your balance flat. This is transformative for borrowers in the early career years when income is lowest and interest burden is highest.
SAVE is the best choice for most undergraduate borrowers, especially those with moderate incomes and high debt. The only drawbacks are the lack of a payment cap (relevant for high earners) and the inclusion of spouse income. If you're married to a high earner and have your own modest income, PAYE or IBR with separate filing may result in lower payments.
SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) is a federal income-driven repayment plan that replaced REPAYE in 2023. It offers the lowest payments (5% for undergrad, 10% for grad) and a 100% interest subsidy, making it the most generous IDR option for most borrowers.
SAVE improved on REPAYE in several ways: lower undergrad rate (5% vs 10%), higher income exemption (225% vs 150% of FPL), 100% interest subsidy (vs 50% on unsubsidized), and early forgiveness for small balances (as few as 10 years). Use this calculator to model different scenarios and find the best approach.
No. Unlike PAYE and IBR, SAVE has no payment cap at the standard 10-year amount. As your income grows, your SAVE payment can exceed the standard amount. However, the lower percentage and higher FPL threshold mean this is uncommon for most borrowers.
Yes. SAVE always includes spouse income in the AGI calculation, regardless of whether you file taxes jointly or separately. This is a key difference from PAYE and IBR, where filing separately can exclude spouse income.
If your SAVE payment doesn't cover all accruing interest, the government pays 100% of the remaining interest. This prevents your balance from growing (negative amortization), which is a major advantage over other IDR plans.
Standard forgiveness is after 20 years (undergrad) or 25 years (grad). Additionally, borrowers with original balances of $12,000 or less receive forgiveness after just 10 years, with an extra year added for each $1,000 above $12,000.