Student Loan Repayment Plan Chooser 2025 – IDR vs Standard

Introduction

Choosing the right student loan plan affects your monthly budget and long‑term cost. This guide compares Standard and Income‑Driven Repayment (IDR) options so you can estimate payments, interest, and forgiveness timelines in 2025.

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Plans Overview (High Level)

• Standard: fixed payments over 10 years; fastest payoff, higher monthly
• IDR (e.g., SAVE/REPAYE, PAYE, IBR): payment tied to income; potential forgiveness after 20–25 years if eligible
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): 120 qualifying payments with eligible employment

Note: Eligibility, rules, and acronyms evolve—use our calculator for current program logic and your details.

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What You’ll Need

• Loan types and balances
• Interest rates
• Income and family size
• Filing status (MFJ vs MFS can matter for IDR)

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How to Use the Calculator

1. Enter loan balances and interest rates
2. Add income, family size, and state
3. Compare Standard vs IDR estimated payments
4. See total interest and years to forgiveness (if applicable)
5. Export a plan with budget integration

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Strategies

• If pursuing forgiveness, maximize retirement/HSA to lower AGI and payments
• If paying off quickly, target extra payments to highest interest loans
• Reevaluate after raises, marriage, or job changes

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FAQ

Q: Does filing separately lower IDR payments?
A: Sometimes under certain plans; weigh higher taxes vs payment savings.

Q: Will interest capitalize?
A: Depends on plan/rules; minimizing capitalization can save money.

Q: Are private loans eligible for IDR/PSLF?
A: Generally no; federal loans are required for those programs.

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Related Tools

• Take‑Home Pay Calculator 2025: /calculator
• Budget 50/30/20 vs Zero‑Based: /calculator/budget
• Credit Card Payoff Calculator: /calculator

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CTA: Find Your Best Plan

Estimate payments under multiple plans, pick the best path (forgiveness vs fastest payoff), and generate a one‑page action plan.