When do I start repaying my student loan?
Student loan repayments begin on the first 6 April after leaving a course, but only in months where income exceeds the plan threshold, for example £25,000 on Plan 5 or £29,385 on Plan 2, deducted at 9 per cent above that threshold under gov.uk's rules on when repayments start and stop.
What are the two rules that decide when repayment starts?
Repayment needs two things to be true at the same time. The first 6 April after finishing or leaving the course must have arrived, because gov.uk's guidance on when you start and stop paying ties the start date to the tax year rather than to the day a course ends. Income in that pay period must also sit above the plan threshold. Nothing is deducted if either condition is unmet, which is why leaving a course rarely triggers an instant repayment.
Plan 5 carries an extra floor. It applies only to courses that started on or after 1 August 2023, so the earliest a Plan 5 repayment could begin was April 2026. The Plan 5 threshold is £25,000, set out on gov.uk's Repaying your student loan: what you pay page. A student who left such a course in 2025 would still see April 2026 as the first possible date.
| Plan | Annual threshold | Repayment rate | Written off after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | 9% | 25 years |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | 9% | 30 years |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | £33,795 | 9% | 30 years |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | 9% | 40 years |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000 | 6% | 30 years |
What would a worked example show?
Finishing a Plan 5 course in June 2026 on a £28,000 salary gives a first possible repayment date of 6 April 2027. That is the next 6 April after the course ends. Because £28,000 is above the £25,000 threshold, repayments would then begin at an estimated £23 a month. Starting on a lower salary produces the same date, but deductions wait until pay clears the threshold.
Common questions
When do student loan repayments start?
They start on the first 6 April after you finish or leave your course, but only in a month you earn over your plan threshold. Both conditions have to be met, so a graduate on a low starting salary can leave the course and still pay nothing until their pay rises.
When do Plan 5 repayments start?
Plan 5 is the newest plan, for English courses starting on or after 1 August 2023. The very first Plan 5 repayments began in April 2026, and the threshold is £25,000. No one repays on Plan 5 before that April, however early they left the course.
I have finished university but nothing is coming off my pay. Why is that?
Almost always because your salary is under the monthly threshold, or the April after you left has not arrived yet. Repayments are checked each pay period, so they only start once both the date and the income test are passed.
Do I start repaying as soon as I graduate?
No. Leaving the course does not trigger repayment on its own. The clock starts on the following 6 April, and even then only if your income is above the threshold that month.
What counts as leaving the course?
Finishing, withdrawing or being withdrawn all count. The date used is when you stop being enrolled, and the first repayment window is the 6 April after that date.
What are the two rules that decide when repayment starts?
Two conditions must both be met. The first 6 April after finishing or leaving a course must have passed, and income in that pay period must be above the plan threshold, for example £25,000 on Plan 5. Meeting only one condition means nothing is deducted, which is why many graduates pay nothing for months after leaving.
What would a worked example show?
Finishing a Plan 5 course in June 2026 on a £28,000 salary gives a first possible repayment date of 6 April 2027. Because that salary sits above the £25,000 threshold, an estimated repayment of about £23 a month follows from that date, calculated as 9 per cent of income above the threshold.
Sources & Rate Verification
Rates verified against official statutory guidance on 6 September 2026.