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People reading this page usually work these out too.
Work out your compulsory repayment for 2026-27 on any study or training support loan — HELP, VSL, SFSS, SSL, ABSTUDY SSL or AASL. They all share one threshold of $69,528, and the marginal system charges only on the income above it.
Updated 28 July 2026 — 2026-27 thresholds applied.
The minimum repayment threshold for 2026-27 is $69,528, up from $67,000 in 2025-26. Since 1 July 2025 the rates apply marginally, so only the income above the threshold is charged.
| Repayment income (2026-27) | Rate | How it's calculated |
|---|---|---|
| $0 – $69,528 | Nil | No compulsory repayment |
| $69,529 – $129,717 | 15% | 15c for each $1 over $69,528 |
| $129,718 – $186,050 | 17% | $9,028 plus 17c for each $1 over $129,717 |
| $186,051 and over | 10% | 10% of total repayment income |
Repayment income is taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, total net investment loss, reportable super contributions and exempt foreign employment income. For the threshold on its own — including what changed this year — see our HECS repayment threshold 2026-27 page.
There is no separate HECS calculation. The ATO states that all study and training loan types are covered by the same set of thresholds and rates for each financial year, so the figure above is your compulsory repayment whichever of the six loans you hold — and it is a single repayment even if you hold several.
| Loan | What it covers | Repaid in order |
|---|---|---|
| HELPHigher Education Loan Program | University student contributions and tuition fees. Includes HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, OS-HELP and SA-HELP. | 1 |
| VSLVET Student Loan | Diploma-level and above vocational education and training with an approved provider. | 2 |
| SFSSStudent Financial Supplement Scheme | Closed to new loans on 31 December 2003. Existing balances are still collected through the tax system. | 3 |
| SSLStudent Start-up Loan | Higher education students receiving Youth Allowance or Austudy. | 4 |
| ABSTUDY SSLABSTUDY Student Start-up Loan | Students receiving the ABSTUDY Living Allowance. | 5 |
| AASLAustralian Apprenticeship Support Loan | Australian apprentices, paid over four years. Previously the Trade Support Loan (TSL). A 20% discount applies to the amount borrowed on successful completion. | 6 |
ATO, Study and training loan repayment thresholds and rates and Types of loans. Loan fee and lifetime limit rules differ by scheme and are set by the Department of Education, not the ATO — check Study Assist before relying on a fee figure.
You make one compulsory repayment, worked out on your total repayment income. The ATO then applies it to your loans in the fixed order in the table: HELP first, then VSL, SFSS, SSL, ABSTUDY SSL and AASL last. Holding two loans does not double the repayment; it only changes which balance falls first.
The overseas obligation is narrower than the repayment rules. It applies to HELP, VSL and AASL debts only. If you reside outside Australia for 183 days or more in any 12-month period you must lodge an overseas travel notification within 7 days of leaving, then report your worldwide income by 31 October each year. If your worldwide income is at or below 25% of the minimum repayment threshold, you lodge a non-lodgment advice instead. The same thresholds and rates then apply to that worldwide income.
Full detail: ATO, Overseas obligations when repaying loans.
($85,000 − $69,528) × 0.15 = $2,321 per year
Weekly impact: $44.63 per week
Use our Pay Calculator to see the repayment inside a full after-tax breakdown with income tax, the Medicare levy and superannuation.
Between $75,000 and $120,000, the compulsory repayment costs $15.79 to $145.60 a week.
| Repayment income | Repayment | Per week | Take-home (with) | Take-home (without) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $65,000 | $0 | $0.00 | $53,705 | $53,705 |
| $69,528 | $0 | $0.00 | $56,759 | $56,759 |
| $72,000 | $371 | $7.13 | $58,069 | $58,440 |
| $75,000 | $821 | $15.79 | $59,659 | $60,480 |
| $80,000 | $1,571 | $30.21 | $62,309 | $63,880 |
| $90,000 | $3,071 | $59.06 | $67,609 | $70,680 |
| $100,000 | $4,571 | $87.90 | $72,909 | $77,480 |
| $120,000 | $7,571 | $145.60 | $83,509 | $91,080 |
Nothing is payable at $65,000 or at the $69,528 threshold itself. Moving to $72,000 costs $371 for the year ($7.13/week) — the marginal system removed the old cliff, where a dollar over the line triggered a percentage of your entire income. Take-Home Pay Calculator gives the full net pay breakdown.
The amount withheld each pay is an estimate. Employers withhold an additional PAYG component — shown as STSL on most payslips — from ATO withholding schedules, based on that pay period's earnings alone.
Your actual compulsory repayment is only worked out when you lodge, using full-year repayment income. If your pay varied, or you had investment losses, reportable fringe benefits or reportable super, the two will not match, and the difference is settled through your refund or tax bill.
See STSL on your payslip for a worked payslip example and how to stop the deduction once the loan is cleared.
Study loans carry no interest. Instead the ATO applies indexation on 1 June each year to the part of the balance unpaid for more than 11 months, at the lower of CPI or the Wage Price Index. On 1 June 2026 the rate was 2.8000000000000003% — read more on HECS indexation 2026.
A voluntary repayment only reduces the indexed amount if it lands before 1 June. Beyond that timing point the case for paying early is a straight comparison: 2.8000000000000003% indexation against what the money would earn or save elsewhere. Credit cards, car loans and personal loans all cost more, so they come first.
Weighing it against super instead? See extra super vs HECS repayment.
On repayment income of $80,000 the compulsory repayment is $1,571 for the year, about $30.21 a week, in 2026-27. It is 15c for each $1 of the $10,472 above the $69,528 threshold.
All of them. The ATO applies one set of thresholds and rates to HELP (including HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, OS-HELP and SA-HELP), VET Student Loans, the Student Financial Supplement Scheme, Student Start-up Loans, ABSTUDY SSL and the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan. If you hold more than one, a single repayment is applied to them in that order.
Nil up to $69,528; 15c for each $1 over $69,528 up to $129,717; $9,028 plus 17c for each $1 over $129,717 up to $186,050; and 10% of total repayment income from $186,051.
Yes, if you told your employer about the loan on your tax file number declaration. The employer withholds an extra PAYG amount that appears as STSL on your payslip. It is an estimate; your actual repayment is assessed on full-year repayment income when you lodge.
STSL withholding is worked out from each pay period's earnings using the ATO withholding schedules, as though you earned that amount all year. Your assessed repayment uses full-year repayment income, which also adds back reportable fringe benefits, net investment losses and reportable super. The difference is settled in your refund or tax bill.
Taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, total net investment loss, reportable super contributions and exempt foreign employment income. It is wider than salary, so a wage below $69,528 can still produce a compulsory repayment.
Barely. Salary sacrificing into super cuts taxable income, but reportable super contributions are added straight back when repayment income is worked out. The repayment income test was designed to close that gap.
Yes, for HELP, VSL and AASL debts. If you reside overseas for 183 days or more in any 12 months you must lodge an overseas travel notification within 7 days of leaving, and report your worldwide income by 31 October each year. If your worldwide income is at or below 25% of the minimum repayment threshold you lodge a non-lodgment advice instead.
2.8000000000000003%, applied on 1 June 2026 to the part of the balance unpaid for more than 11 months. Indexation is the lower of CPI or the Wage Price Index, so a study loan cannot grow faster than wages.
Income tax, Medicare, study loan and super in one calculation.
Pay CalculatorLast verified: 28 July 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Senior Tax & Payroll Analyst
CPA, Registered Tax Agent (25787011)
James is a CPA-qualified tax professional with over 14 years of experience in Australian taxation and payroll systems. He spent six years at the Australian Taxation Office working on PAYG withholding and individual tax return processing before moving into financial publishing. He now leads the tax content at Pay Calculator Australia, translating complex ATO legislation into clear, actionable guidance.
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