Plan 1 student loans explained
Plan 1 is the oldest repayment plan. Its threshold sits below Plan 2’s but above Plan 5’s, and its write-off date depends on when you first borrowed.
Who is on Plan 1
- English and Welsh students who started their course before 1 September 2012.
- Northern Irish students, whether they studied an undergraduate or a postgraduate course, whatever year they started.
You can’t choose your plan. If you’re unsure, see which student loan plan am I on?
The numbers
For 2026–27 the figures this site uses are:
- Threshold: £26,900 a year
- Repayment rate: 9% of income above the threshold
- Interest: 4.1%
That means a Plan 1 borrower on a given salary repays 9% of everything over £26,900. See how much will I repay? for the formula and worked examples.
When Plan 1 is written off
It depends on when you were paid the first loan for your course:
- First loan paid on or after 1 September 2006: written off 25 years after the April you were first due to repay.
- First loan paid before 1 September 2006: written off when you’re 65.
Whether you’ll clear a Plan 1 loan before it’s written off depends on your balance and salary, so the overpay question can come out differently from Plans 2 or 5. See should I overpay my student loan?
If you have more than one loan
If you hold Plan 1 alongside another plan, you make one deduction, calculated on the lowest threshold. See what if you have more than one student loan plan?
Checking your own position
Your plan, balance and repayment history are in your Student Loans Company online account. Use the calculator with “Plan 1” selected to see how your loan plays out and whether extra payments would make a difference.
Source: GOV.UK, Repaying your student loan. Figures are those used on this site for 2026–27.