HELP/HECS Payoff Calculator
Estimate how long until your HELP/HECS study loan is cleared. Enter your balance, repayment income and assumptions to see a projected payoff date, years to clear, and total repaid including indexation. Estimates are illustrative.
Your loan and income
Your current study loan balance. Check myGov for the exact figure.
Taxable income is a close proxy for most people.
Optional extra repayment, applied every year before 1 June indexation.
Assumptions
Indexation is applied once a year on 1 June and keeps pace with the cost of living. It is not interest. This rate is adjustable; 2.8% was applied on 1 June 2026. Next year's figure is not yet known.
How fast you expect your repayment income to rise each year. Income grows from year two onward; year one uses the income you entered.
Projected payoff date
Jul 2038
Estimated month your $25,000 balance clears on these assumptions. Total repaid counts voluntary plus compulsory repayments.
- Years to clear
- 11.8 yrs
- Total repaid (incl. indexation)
- $30,784
Balance over time
Your remaining balance after indexation and repayments each year, against the total you have repaid.
How this projection was calculated
The order each step happens in each year, which changes how much indexation you pay.
- Each year, any voluntary repayment is applied before the 1 June indexation, so it reduces the balance that gets indexed.
- Indexation is then applied to the remaining balance on 1 June.
- The compulsory repayment is worked out from your repayment income and applied after indexation, reflecting that it is assessed at tax time.
- Your repayment income grows from year two onward at the income-growth rate you set; year one uses the income you entered.
- If compulsory repayments clear the balance, the payoff date shown is July after that financial year ends. That is the earliest the ATO can apply the repayment, once your tax return is lodged, so it may be later depending on when you lodge.
- If voluntary repayments clear the balance, the payoff month assumes that year's amount is paid in even monthly amounts before 1 June. In the first year, that runs from this month to May, so your whole yearly amount lands before the next indexation. Years to clear count from this month.
This is an illustrative estimate based on the figures you enter, not a statement of your actual debt. Indexation rates and your income vary year to year. Always confirm your balance and obligations with the ATO or a registered tax agent.
Estimates only. This projection uses the figures you enter and the 2026-27 repayment thresholds. Indexation rates and your income vary year to year, and the ATO definition of repayment income can include items beyond taxable income. Treat the result as illustrative and confirm your balance and obligations with the ATO or a registered tax agent. Data as of July 2026.
Keep going
Tools people usually open after the HELP/HECS Payoff Calculator.
Common questions about HELP/HECS repayment
For illustration only. This tool does not constitute personal financial advice. Rates, thresholds and eligibility rules may change. Always verify with the relevant government agency, such as the ATO or Services Australia, and consider seeking independent financial advice before making decisions.