If you are employed, your student loan is repaid through payroll alongside Income Tax and National Insurance. GOV.UK says your payslips will show how much has been deducted and that you should check your employer has you on the correct plan. Here is how to check the figure yourself.
Look for a deduction labelled "Student loan", "SL" or similar, often with the plan type, for example "Student loan (Plan 5)". A Postgraduate Loan appears as a separate line, often "PGL" or "Postgraduate loan".
Take your gross pay for the period, before tax and other deductions, subtract the threshold for your pay period, and take 9%. For Plan 5 in 2026/27:
| Paid | Plan 5 threshold (GOV.UK) | HMRC payroll figure |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | £2,083 | £2,083.33 |
| Weekly | £480 | £480.76 |
| Yearly | £25,000 | £25,000 |
Example: gross monthly pay of £2,900. £2,900 − £2,083 = £817. 9% of £817 = £73.53. GOV.UK's worked examples round the result down to the whole pound, so expect about £73.
The gross pay figure payroll uses is the same one your employer uses for employer Class 1 National Insurance. If you have a salary sacrifice arrangement, that figure can be lower than your contractual salary, and so will the deduction.
Weekly example: gross pay of £650 in a week. £650 − £480 = £170, and 9% of £170 is £15.30.
Two loans on one payslip: with Plan 5 and a Postgraduate Loan on £2,900 a month, the Postgraduate Loan line is 6% of (£2,900 − £1,750) = £69.00, and the Plan 5 line is about £73, as above. Both appear separately.
Most payslips show a year-to-date total for student loan. At the end of the tax year, your P60 shows the total repaid through that job (HMRC tells employers to enter it in whole pounds). Keep these: GOV.UK says you will need them if you want a refund, and you need the P60 figure if you also fill in a Self Assessment return.
HMRC's employer guidance says employers start deductions when a new employee's P45 shows they should continue, when a starter checklist says the person has a student loan, or when HMRC sends a start notice (SL1, or PGL1 for a Postgraduate Loan). An SL1 tells the employer which plan to use, and if it differs from the plan already on payroll, the employer switches at the next available payday. Deductions stop when HMRC sends a stop notice (SL2 or PGL2). HMRC says an employer cannot stop deductions just because you ask.
HMRC tells employers that if they over-deduct and can repay it within the same tax year, they should do so through payroll. Otherwise the employee is pointed to the Student Loans Company.
HMRC passes the deductions reported by your employer to the SLC regularly through the year (HMRC calls this more frequent data sharing), so your online balance updates during the year. Your annual statement, normally available by the end of August, shows repayments and interest.
Enter your yearly salary in the calculator to see the monthly figure you should expect.
Sources: GOV.UK: how you repay · GOV.UK: how much you repay · HMRC: rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 · HMRC: student loan guidance for employers. Checked 29 October 2026.
Last checked: 29 October 2026. Estimates only, not financial advice.
9% of your gross pay for the period above the Plan 5 threshold: £2,083 a month or £480 a week in 2026/27.
No. HMRC tells employers to continue until they get a stop notice. If you have overpaid, ask the SLC for a refund.