Student Loan Plan 4 Repayment Calculator
Calculate your Plan 4 student loan repayments. Scottish graduates earning over £31,395 repay 9% of income above the threshold.
Plan 4 Student Loan Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Plan 4 student loan?
Plan 4 applies to Scottish students who started their course from 1 September 1998. It has a higher repayment threshold than Plan 1, currently £31,395 for 2025/26.
How much do I repay on Plan 4?
You repay 9% of your income above £31,395. If you earn £35,000, you repay 9% × £3,605 = £324.45 per year (£27.04/month).
When does a Plan 4 loan get written off?
Plan 4 loans are written off 30 years after you first became eligible to repay (the April after you graduated or left your course).
Does Plan 4 interest rate change?
Yes. Plan 4 interest is set at the lower of the RPI or the Bank of England base rate plus 1%. For 2025/26 check SAAS for the current rate.
Can I make voluntary overpayments?
Yes, you can make voluntary overpayments to reduce your balance faster. Contact the Student Loans Company (SLC) to arrange this.
What happens if I move abroad?
You must notify SLC and continue repaying based on the income threshold for your country of residence. HMRC can no longer collect automatically.
Is Plan 4 the same as Plan 1?
No. Plan 4 replaced Plan 1 for Scottish borrowers in April 2021. Plan 4 has a higher repayment threshold and different write-off rules.
Do Scottish students on Plan 4 pay less?
Often yes, because the Plan 4 threshold (£31,395) is higher than Plan 1 (£24,990 in 2025/26), so you repay less of your income.
How is the threshold updated?
The Plan 4 threshold is reviewed annually and uprated in line with RPI inflation. SAAS announces the new threshold each spring.
Does repaying early affect my credit score?
No. Student loan repayments do not appear on your credit file. Paying more won't improve your credit score directly.
What if I have both Plan 4 and a Postgraduate Loan?
Both are collected separately. PGL repayments are 6% of income above £21,000 and run alongside Plan 4 at 9% above £31,395.
How do I check my Plan 4 balance?
Log in to the Student Loans Company (SLC) online service at https://www.gov.uk/sign-in-to-manage-your-student-loan-balance