Student Loan Plan 1
The earliest student loan repayment plan, applicable to UK students who took out their first loan before 1 September 2012. Repayments are 9% of income above the Plan 1 threshold (£24,990 for 2025/26) and are deducted automatically through PAYE for employees. The interest rate is the lower of the Bank of England base rate plus 1% or the Retail Price Index, and the loan is written off at age 65 or 25 years after becoming due, whichever comes first.
Related Terms
Student Loan Plan 2
The repayment plan for students who started an undergraduate course in England or Wales from 1 September 2012 onwards.
Student Loan Plan 4
The repayment plan for Scottish students who took out their first student loan on or after 1 September 1998 under the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.
Student Loan Plan 5
The newest undergraduate repayment plan, applying to students starting courses in England from 1 August 2023 onwards.
Postgraduate Loan
A student loan available to UK residents studying a postgraduate master's or doctoral course, repaid through payroll deductions at 6% of income above the postgraduate repayment threshold (£21,000 per year).
Repayment Threshold
The level of annual income above which you must start making student loan repayments, which differs depending on your loan plan.
SLC
The Student Loans Company — the government-owned company that administers student loans in the UK, including issuing funds to students, collecting repayments through payroll (via HMRC), and managing loan balances.
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Use our free tool to see how student loan plan 1 affects your tax.