HECS-HELP repayment calculator
From the 2025–26 income year, compulsory HECS-HELP repayments use a marginal system: you only repay on income above the threshold. Enter your repayment income to see what you'll repay — and add your partner's if you both have a study loan.
Taxable income plus a few add-backs — see below.
You, per year
$3,820.80
Per fortnight
$147
roughly
Per month
$318
roughly
Of income
4.0%
15c for every dollar over $69,528.
The ATO schedule for 2026–27
| Repayment income | Compulsory repayment |
|---|---|
| $0 – $69,528 | Nil |
| $69,529 – $129,717 | 15c per $1 over $69,528 |
| $129,718 – $186,050 | $9,028 + 17c per $1 over $129,717 |
| $186,051 and over | 10% of total repayment income |
How the marginal system works
Up to the minimum threshold you repay nothing. Above it, you repay a set number of cents for each dollar over the threshold — 15c, then 17c in the higher band. Only at very high incomes does it switch to a flat 10% of your whole repayment income.
The same rules cover every study and training loan: HECS-HELP, VET Student Loans, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans and the rest. If you have more than one, you make one compulsory repayment that covers them all.
For couples: two loans, two repayments
HECS is personal — each of you repays on your own income, so there's no combined threshold and no penalty for being a couple. What changes as a couple is the household picture: two repayments can take a noticeable bite out of the money you share, and they move whenever either income does (a pay rise, a new job, parental leave).
In Duet, each of you can record your study loan and see its balance, this year's compulsory repayment and roughly when it'll be paid off — side by side with your super and your shared bills.
Where these figures come from
Thresholds and rates are the ATO's published schedules for each income year. Check the latest on the ATO page Study and training support loans rates and repayment thresholds.
Common questions
How much HECS do I repay on $95,000?
In 2026–27, a repayment income of $95,000 means a compulsory repayment of $3,820.80: 15c for each dollar over $69,528. In 2025–26 the same income repays $4,200, because the threshold was $67,000.
What is repayment income?
Your taxable income plus any reportable fringe benefits, total net investment losses (such as negative gearing losses), reportable super contributions and exempt foreign employment income. For most people on a salary with no investments it's close to their taxable income.
Does my partner's income affect my HECS repayment?
No. Compulsory repayments are worked out on each person's own repayment income. Your partner's income never changes what you repay, and yours never changes theirs.
What changed from 1 July 2025?
Repayments used to be a percentage of your whole income once you passed a threshold, so earning one dollar more could add hundreds of dollars to the bill. From the 2025–26 income year, you only repay on the part of your income above the threshold — a marginal system — and the threshold itself went up.
How is HECS repaid — from my pay or at tax time?
If you've told your employer you have a study loan, extra tax is withheld from each pay to cover the repayment. Your tax return then squares it up: the ATO works out your actual compulsory repayment for the year and applies what was withheld.
Is my HECS debt indexed?
Yes. Your outstanding balance is indexed each 1 June, at the lower of the consumer price index and the wage price index. Indexation changes how much you owe, not the compulsory repayment, which depends only on your income.
See HECS in your household budget
Explore Duet with a demo couple and see both partners' study loans, super and shared bills in one place. No sign-up needed.
The calculator uses the income you enter as repayment income; it doesn't work out the add-backs for you. General information only. Duet Money isn't a licensed financial adviser — these figures are arithmetic on the numbers you enter and don't take your personal circumstances into account. Consider speaking to a licensed adviser before making decisions about loans, tax or investments.