GeraJobs / Student Loan Repayment / Plan 1
Plan 1 Student Loan Repayment 2026
From 6 April 2026, Plan 1 borrowers repay 9% of income above £26,900 a year (£2,241 a month, £517 a week).
How does Plan 1 student loan repayment work in 2026?
From 6 April 2026, Plan 1 borrowers repay 9% of income above £26,900 a year (£2,241 a month). At the UK median full-time salary of £39,039, that is £1,093 a year. Source: GOV.UK Student Loans Company (OGL v3.0).
Gera Student Loan Index
At the UK median full-time salary (£39,039, April 2025 ASHE), a Plan 1 borrower repays £1,093 a year — 9% of income above the £26,900 threshold.
How this is calculatedPlan 1 — key figures
| Annual threshold (from April 2026) | £26,900 |
| Monthly threshold | £2,241 |
| Weekly threshold | £517 |
| Repayment rate above threshold | 9% |
| Threshold April 2025 | £26,065 (up 3.2% to 2026) |
| Interest rate (1 Sep 2025 – 31 Aug 2026) | 3.2% |
| Gera Student Loan Index | £1,093 / yr |
You are on Plan 1 if you started an undergraduate course in England or Wales before 1 September 2012, or any course in Northern Ireland.
Interest is the lower of RPI (3.2%) or the Bank of England base rate plus 1% (5%). For 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 the rate is 3.2%.
UK Student Loan Repayment Calculator
Pick your plan and enter your pre-tax salary to see your real annual, monthly and weekly repayment, using the official GOV.UK thresholds from April 2026.
On Plan 1 you repay 9% of income above £26,900 a year.
On a salary of £39,039, you repay £12,139 above the threshold — about £1,093 a year, £91 a month or £21 a week.
This is repayment only — interest is added separately. Your actual deductions are taken through PAYE or Self Assessment.
Plan 1 Student Loan — FAQ
- What is the Plan 1 repayment threshold from April 2026?
- £26,900 a year — that is £2,241 a month or £517 a week. You repay 9% of anything you earn above it. Source: GOV.UK (OGL v3.0).
- Who is on Plan 1?
- You are on Plan 1 if you started an undergraduate course in England or Wales before 1 September 2012, or any course in Northern Ireland.
- How much will I repay on Plan 1 at the average UK salary?
- At the ONS median full-time salary of £39,039 (April 2025 ASHE), a Plan 1 borrower repays £1,093 a year — this is the Gera Student Loan Index for Plan 1. Your actual repayment depends on your income.
- What interest is charged on Plan 1?
- Interest is the lower of RPI (3.2%) or the Bank of England base rate plus 1% (5%). For 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 the rate is 3.2%. Source: GOV.UK (OGL v3.0).
- Has the Plan 1 threshold gone up for 2026?
- Yes — the Plan 1 annual repayment threshold rose 3.2% for the 2026 to 2027 tax year, to £26,900. A higher threshold means you repay on less of your income. Source: GOV.UK previous annual repayment thresholds (OGL v3.0).
Get the new threshold when it changes
UK student loan thresholds change every 6 April. Save your email and we’ll send the new figure as soon as it’s confirmed.
Other UK student loan plans
Source: GOV.UK / Student Loans Company — student loan repayment thresholds and interest rates, effective 6 April 2026 / 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Median pay context: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (OGL v3.0). The Gera Student Loan Index is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.