Paying bi-weekly (if you are paid biweekly) will save you perhaps a few dollars per year in interest compared to paying once a month. This isn't nothing, but may not be worth the inconvenience of setting up and monitoring the biweekly payments.
A $30,000 private student loan can cost approximately $159.51 per month to $737.38 per month, depending on your interest rate and the term you choose. But, you may be able to cut your cost by comparing your options, improving your credit score or getting a cosigner.
Getting ahead of your debt is generally a smart move; however, if it comes at the cost of avoiding other debt, or overshadowing other benefits you may be receiving, it could set you back in the long run.
Paying off student loans early can benefit you financially, but it should typically come second to building your emergency fund and retirement savings. People with private student loans or without other debt tend to benefit more from paying off student loans early.
Paying off your student loans could also benefit your credit score. Notably, it could improve your payment history, as consistently making on-time payments on your student loans helps establish a strong payment history.
The monthly payment on a $70,000 student loan ranges from $742 to $6,285, depending on the APR and how long the loan lasts. For example, if you take out a $70,000 student loan and pay it back in 10 years at an APR of 5%, your monthly payment will be $742.
Data Summary. The average federal student loan payment is about $302 for bachelor's and $208 for associate degree-completers. The average monthly repayment for master's degree-holders is about $688.
With a $20,000 loan, you will pay $202 monthly and a total of $4,299 in interest over the life of your loan. You will pay a total of $24,298 over the life of the loan, assuming you're making full payments while in school.
Making student loan payments biweekly instead of monthly results in one extra full payment per year, shortening your payoff time. Biweekly student loan payments reduce the total amount of interest you will pay back. Make sure your budget aligns with making half payments biweekly instead of one full payment monthly.
Biweekly payroll is ideal if you have a combination of salaried workers and hourly employees because it works well for both. It's the sweet spot between the constant administrative stress of weekly payroll and the employee frustration that comes with monthly payments.
Standard loan terms are 15 or 30 years. Making bi-weekly payments rather than monthly payments allows you to pay one extra monthly payment ($954) toward the principal each year. Bi-weekly payments will save you 19,834 in interest, and will reduce the term of your loan from 30 years to 26.1 years.
Borrowers can choose from four types of federal student loan repayment plans. But the best one for you will likely be the standard repayment plan or an income-driven repayment plan, depending on your goals. Standard repayment lasts 10 years and is the best one to stick with to pay less in interest over time.
Paying a little extra each month can reduce the interest you pay and reduce your total cost of your loan over time. Continue to make monthly payments even if you've satisfied future payments, and you'll pay off your loan faster.
You're not allowed to apply excess student loan funds toward your other debt, such as personal loans, credit cards, mortgage payments or auto loans. This also includes paying for someone else's education. However, there are certain exceptions, such as paying for your child's daycare while you attend class (see above).
On average, it takes about 10–20 years to pay off a student loan.
What is considered a lot of student loan debt? A lot of student loan debt is more than you can afford to repay after graduation. For many, this means having more than $70,000 – $100,000 in total student debt.
Let's assume you owe $30,000, and your blended average interest rate is 6%. If you pay $333 a month, you'll be done in 10 years. But you can do better than that. According to our student loan calculator, you'd need to pay $913 per month to put those loans out of your life in three years.
Average Student Loan Payments
As of May 30, 2023, the average monthly payment for federal student loans was estimated to be about $500 per month when adjusted for inflation. However, the final number depends on the type of loan, loan amount, interest rates, and repayment plan.
For example, the interest on a $30,000, 36-month loan at 6% is $2,856. The same loan ($30,000 at 6%) paid back over 72 months would cost $5,797 in interest. Even small changes in your rate can impact how much total interest amount you pay overall.
Let's say you have $200,000 in student loans at 6% interest on a 10-year repayment term. Your monthly payments would be $2,220. If you can manage an additional $200 a month, you could save a total of $7,796 while trimming a year off your repayment plan.
Student loans add to your debt-to-income ratio
Student loans increase your DTI, which isn't ideal when applying for mortgages. Most mortgage lenders require your total DTI ratio, including your prospective mortgage payment, to be 45 percent or less, though it's possible to find lenders that will accept a higher DTI.
Student Loan Interest Deduction
You can take a tax deduction for the interest paid on student loans that you took out for yourself, your spouse, or your dependent. This benefit applies to all loans (not just federal student loans) used to pay for higher education expenses. The maximum deduction is $2,500 a year.
Making on-time payments to creditors, keeping your credit utilization low, having a long credit history, maintaining a good mix of credit types, and occasionally applying for new credit lines are the factors that can get you into the 800 credit score club.