Standard Loan Payoff & Total-Interest Calculator
studentloans
Projects your standard payoff timeline and the total interest you’d pay over the life of the loan at your current rate.
Student Loans
Turn a balance that feels endless into a payoff date you can actually see.
Student debt is overwhelming mostly because it’s opaque. We help you compare repayment paths side by side — straight payoff, forgiveness, or an income-driven plan — so the trade-offs stop being guesswork. The goal is a strategy you understand and can commit to.
Who it’s for
Borrowers with federal or private loans who feel stuck between minimum payments and a balance that barely moves.
Why it works
A concrete payoff timeline and a forgiveness countdown convert anxiety into a decision — clients sign on when they can finally see the finish line.
The student loans toolkit
3 calculators, one practice area.
Each runs in the visitor’s browser, shows a real answer instantly, then routes a lead to the firm. No sign-up, nothing stored.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Progress
studentloans
Tracks your progress toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which generally recognizes qualifying borrowers after 120 qualifying payments, per the federal PSLF program rules.
Income-Driven Repayment (IBR) Estimator
studentloans
Outlines how income-driven repayment ties your payment to income and family size; the specific figures are being finalized for 2026, so results are directional under the current federal IDR framework.
Try it now — live
See your estimate for yourself.
This is the real tool your visitors would use, recolored to your firm.
Illustrative amortization. Federal loans have a 10-year standard term by default. Not financial advice. This is an illustrative estimate for general informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, it does not create an attorney–client relationship, and it is not a quote, promise, prediction, or guarantee of any benefit, amount, eligibility, deadline, or outcome. Figures are based on published government sources as of the date shown and change over time; results may not reflect current law or the facts of your situation. Do not rely on this tool — consult a licensed attorney before taking or refraining from any action.
How it works
From curious to qualified, in three steps.
01
Map
Pull together your loan balances, rates, and current repayment plan.
02
Compare
Weigh standard payoff against forgiveness and income-driven options to see total cost and timing.
03
Choose
Pick the path that fits your career and budget, with help navigating the federal program rules.
The key numbers
The verified figures behind the math.
Every calculator draws on published government sources, dated and monitored. These are the current ones for student loans.
120
PSLF threshold — 120 qualifying payments
As of 2026 · ED — Public Service Loan Forgiveness requires 120 qualifying monthly payments while employed full-time by a qualifying employer
Common questions
Student Loans — answered.
Should I chase forgiveness or just pay the loans off?
It depends on your income, employer, and balance — public-service workers with high balances often benefit from forgiveness, while others save more by paying down aggressively. Comparing both paths side by side usually makes the answer clear.
What counts as a qualifying payment for PSLF?
Generally, on-time payments made under an eligible repayment plan while working full time for a qualifying employer count toward the 120-payment milestone, per the federal PSLF rules. Periods that don’t meet those conditions typically don’t count.
Why are the income-driven numbers marked as not final?
The federal income-driven repayment rules are being updated, and the precise 2026 figures are still being finalized. We treat those results as directional until the official terms are set.
Does refinancing federal loans into a private loan make sense?
Refinancing can lower your rate, but it converts federal loans into private ones and gives up access to forgiveness and income-driven plans. That trade-off matters most if you might ever rely on those federal protections.
Can student loans be discharged in bankruptcy?
Discharging student loans in bankruptcy is possible but requires meeting a demanding hardship standard under the Bankruptcy Code, so it’s the exception rather than the rule. It’s worth discussing with counsel if repayment is genuinely impossible.
Why it’s built this way
Numbers you can stand behind.
Official sources only
Every figure traces to a federal or state primary source — VA, SSA, IRS, USCIS, the U.S. Trustee — with its effective date shown.
Attorney-reviewed
Tools are reviewed by a licensed attorney and ship as illustrative information, never as advice or a guarantee.
Always current
Monitored on each source’s own cadence — annual COLA, quarterly IRS interest, and so on — so a stale number can’t linger.
Zero retention
The math runs in the visitor’s browser. No claimant data is stored unless they choose to send it to the firm.
Related practice areas
Put the student loans toolkit on your firm’s site.
One line of code, or let us build the whole site. It runs itself — no agency, no retainers.
This is an illustrative estimate for general informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, it does not create an attorney–client relationship, and it is not a quote, promise, prediction, or guarantee of any benefit, amount, eligibility, deadline, or outcome. Figures are based on published government sources as of the date shown and change over time; results may not reflect current law or the facts of your situation. Do not rely on this tool — consult a licensed attorney before taking or refraining from any action.