Repayment Plan Scenarios at Six Income Levels
The same $40,000 loan can cost $51 a month or $1,000 a month depending on the plan and your income. This table runs the 2026 formulas side by side, so you can see where each plan is cheaper and where it stops helping.
Monthly Payment by Plan and Income
Balance, rate, and family size come from the controls above. Green marks the lowest payment in each income column.
| Plan | $30k | $45k | $60k | $75k | $90k | $120k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBR (new borrower) | $51 | $176 | $301 | $426 | $454 | $454 |
| IBR (older borrower) | $76 | $263 | $451 | $454 | $454 | $454 |
| PAYE | $51 | $176 | $301 | $426 | $454 | $454 |
| ICR | $101 | $351 | $401 | $401 | $401 | $401 |
| RAP (2026) | $75 | $150 | $300 | $438 | $675 | $1,000 |
| Standard (10-year) | $454 | $454 | $454 | $454 | $454 | $454 |
What Happens Over the Plan Term
At $45,000 of income, using the same balance and rate. Months is the payoff month, or the plan term if a balance is left to forgive.
| Plan | Monthly | Total Paid | Forgiven | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBR (new borrower) | $176 | $42,120 | $60,189 | 240 |
| IBR (older borrower) | $263 | $78,975 | $5,117 | 300 |
| PAYE | $176 | $42,120 | $60,189 | 240 |
| ICR | $351 | $62,478 | -- | 178 |
| RAP (2026) | $150 | $54,000 | $19,849 | 360 |
| Standard (10-year) | $454 | $54,503 | -- | 120 |
Three Things the Table Shows
RAP has no cap
In the default scenario, RAP charges $75 at $30,000 of income and $1,000 at $120,000. The second number is more than double the $454 standard payment, because RAP has no standard-plan ceiling. A plan that is cheapest at a low income can be the most expensive at a high one.
The income plans stop at standard
IBR and PAYE are capped at the 10-year standard payment. In the default scenario that is $454, which they reach around $90,000 of income. Above that line, a raise no longer changes the bill. ICR behaves differently: it caps at a 12-year payment, around $401 here.
Low payments can grow the balance
At $30,000, the IBR payment is $51 against roughly $217 of monthly interest. The balance grows to about $121,000 by the 20-year mark. That only makes sense if you expect forgiveness. Outside PSLF, a forgiven balance can be taxable, which is a separate cost.
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every figure is computed from the same formulas the site's calculators use, not copied from a table.
- Discretionary income = AGI minus 150% of the federal poverty guideline for your family size.
- IBR = 10% (new borrower) or 15% (older borrower) of discretionary income, divided by 12, capped at the standard payment. 20 or 25 year term.
- PAYE = 10% of discretionary income, capped at the standard payment. 20 year term.
- ICR = the lesser of 20% of discretionary income or a 12-year fixed payment. 25 year term.
- RAP = 1% to 10% of AGI on a sliding scale, a $10 floor, and $50 off per dependent. 30 year term. Unpaid interest is waived and up to $50 of monthly principal is matched.
- Standard = a fixed 10-year payment.
The 2026 poverty guideline used here is $15,960 for a household of one, plus $5,680 per additional person (48 contiguous states). The simulation walks the balance month by month: interest accrues at the rate divided by 12, your payment is applied, and RAP's interest waiver and principal match are applied where relevant.
SAVE is not in this table because it was struck down and no longer accepts borrowers. These are estimates for planning, not an official quote. Confirm your own numbers with the Loan Simulator at StudentAid.gov.
Next Step
If you want to change the inputs one plan at a time, use the IDR calculator. If you want the full plan list with eligibility rules, use the repayment plan comparison. For the 2026 income-based plan specifically, the RAP calculator goes deeper.