Answers · UK 2025/26

Do I repay my student loan while I am still studying?

No. You do not make any student loan repayments while you are studying. Repayments only begin in the April after you finish or leave your course, and even then only when your income is above the repayment threshold for your plan, such as £29,385 a year on Plan 2.

Last updated: 7 June 2026Last reviewed: 7 June 2026How we verify

Full answer

You do not repay your student loan while you are still studying, and you do not start repaying as soon as you graduate either. Repayments begin from the April following the year in which you finish or leave your course. From that point, you only actually pay anything once your income rises above the repayment threshold for your loan plan, and you pay a percentage of income above the threshold rather than a fixed amount. For 2026/27 the thresholds are £26,900 a year on Plan 1, £29,385 on Plan 2, £25,000 on Plan 5 and £21,000 on a Postgraduate Loan. On Plans 1, 2 and 5 you repay 9% of everything you earn above the threshold, while on a Postgraduate Loan you repay 6% above its threshold. If your income is below the threshold, you pay nothing, even though the loan still exists. Interest does accrue on the loan while you study and afterwards, but for many graduates the loan is eventually written off after a set period without ever being fully repaid, so the interest may never affect what you actually pay. Repayments are normally collected automatically through PAYE if you are employed, deducted from your salary like tax, or through Self Assessment if you are self-employed. Importantly, the loan does not appear on your credit file and will not stop you getting a mortgage in the usual way, although lenders consider the monthly repayment as a regular outgoing. Use a student loan repayment calculator to see when you would start repaying and how much would come out of your pay at different salary levels.