HELP / HECS debt calculator
See how much of your study loan comes out each year, when it'll be paid off, and how much indexation adds along the way. Uses the 2026-27 thresholds and the marginal repayment system that started on 1 July 2025.
Year-by-year table
2026-27 repayment thresholds
| Repayment income | Compulsory repayment |
|---|---|
| $0 – $69,528 | Nil |
| $69,529 – $129,717 | 15c for each $1 over $69,528 |
| $129,718 – $186,050 | $9,028 plus 17c for each $1 over $129,717 |
| $186,051 and over | 10% of your total repayment income |
Source: ATO – study and training loan repayment thresholds and rates. Indexation: ATO indexation rates (2.8% on 1 June 2026, 3.2% in 2025). Rates as at 6 November 2026.
How it's worked out
repayment = 15% × (income − $69,528) for incomes up to $129,717, then $9,028 + 17% × (income − $129,717)For later years we assume your income and the thresholds both rise by the pay-rise figure you enter (the ATO indexes thresholds to average weekly earnings each year), and that indexation stays at the rate you choose. Each year, voluntary repayments come off first, then indexation is added on 1 June, then that year's compulsory repayment is credited when you lodge your return. Repayments never go beyond what you owe.
Worked example
Mia owes $30,000 and earns $85,000 in 2026-27. Her repayment is 15% × ($85,000 − $69,528) = $2,320.80 for the year, or about $89 a fortnight.
If her pay rises 3% a year and indexation stays at 2.8%, she clears the debt in 14 years. Over that time she repays about $36,700, of which roughly $6,700 is indexation.
If she adds a voluntary $2,000 a year on top, it's gone in 8 years and she pays about $3,460 less in indexation. Whether that's worth it depends on what else that money could do – see the questions below.
Want to see how HELP fits into your whole pay packet? The take-home pay calculator includes HELP alongside tax and Medicare.
Common questions
How much HELP will I repay in 2026-27?
Nothing if your repayment income is $69,528 or less. Above that you repay 15c for each dollar over $69,528, and from $129,718 it's $9,028 plus 17c for each dollar over $129,717. Once your repayment income passes $186,050 it's a flat 10% of the whole amount.
What is repayment income?
It's more than your taxable income. The ATO adds back reportable fringe benefits, reportable super contributions (including salary sacrifice), any net investment or rental loss, and exempt foreign employment income. If you salary sacrifice, add it back before you enter your income here.
Is HELP the same as HECS?
Yes. HECS was renamed HECS-HELP in 2005 and most people now just call it HELP. The same thresholds also cover VET Student Loans, SFSS, Student Start-up Loans and Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans.
What was the HELP indexation rate in 2026?
2.8%, applied on 1 June 2026. Indexation is now the lower of CPI and the Wage Price Index, and it only applies to the part of your debt that has been unpaid for more than 11 months.
Should I make voluntary HELP repayments?
It depends. HELP has no interest, only indexation, so many people are better off putting spare money into an offset account or paying down debt with a higher rate first. Voluntary repayments can make sense if you're close to paying the debt off, or if you want it gone before applying for a home loan. A voluntary payment made before 1 June also avoids that year's indexation on the amount paid.
Why is the amount withheld from my pay different?
Your employer withholds HELP using the ATO's pay-period tables, which are an estimate. The real compulsory repayment is worked out when you lodge your tax return, based on your whole year's repayment income. Any difference ends up in your refund or tax bill.
Does the 20% HELP debt cut affect this?
The one-off 20% reduction was applied to balances as at 1 June 2025, before that year's indexation. If you've checked your balance on ATO online services or myGov since then, it's already included, so just enter the balance you see there.