This page shows the student-loan repayment on a £38,000 salary for someone on Postgraduate Loan in the 2025/26 tax year. The calculator above is pre-filled with £38,000 on Postgraduate Loan.
£38,000 on Postgraduate Loan — 2025/26
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | £38,000 |
| Postgraduate Loan threshold | £21,000 |
| Income above threshold | £17,000 |
| Repayment rate | 6% |
| Repayment per year | £1,020.00 |
| Repayment per month | £85.00 |
| Repayment per week | £19.62 |
| Effective rate of whole salary | 2.68% |
On £38,000 you repay £85.00 a month on Postgraduate Loan — 6% of the £17,000 you earn above the £21,000 threshold. The first £21,000 of your salary is protected, so only 2.68% of your total pay goes to the loan.
The same £38,000 on every plan
If you were on a different plan, the repayment on £38,000 in 2025/26 would be:
| Plan | Threshold | Rate | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate Loan (this page) | £21,000 | 6% | £1,020.00 | £85.00 |
| Plan 1 | £26,065 | 9% | £1,074.15 | £89.51 |
| Plan 2 | £28,470 | 9% | £857.70 | £71.48 |
| Plan 4 | £32,745 | 9% | £472.95 | £39.41 |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | 9% | £1,170.00 | £97.50 |
Lower thresholds mean repayments start sooner; the rate is 9% for all undergraduate plans and 6% for the Postgraduate Loan.
How this is worked out
Student-loan repayments are 6% of income above the Postgraduate Loan threshold, not a percentage of your whole salary. On £38,000: £38,000 − £21,000 = £17,000 above the threshold; 6% of £17,000 = £1,020.00 a year. Employed borrowers pay this through PAYE; SLC rounds each pay-period deduction down to the nearest pound. Interest is added to the balance separately and does not change the deduction.
Assumptions
A 2025/26 planning estimate for a borrower on Postgraduate Loan with steady annual earnings of £38,000 and no in-year bonus spikes. It does not model the per-pay-period rounding, interest, or any voluntary overpayments. Your SLC account and payslip are the authority.
Sources & as-of
- Repayment rate and Postgraduate Loan threshold (£21,000, 6%): GOV.UK — Repaying your student loan; House of Commons Library CBP-10654.
- Tax year 2025/26 (6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026). Page data as-of 2026-06-18.