Calculate your mandatory HECS/HELP repayment and see when you will pay off your debt
Australian HELP debt is repaid through the tax system once your income exceeds $54,435 (FY2025-26). Your repayment rate starts at 1% and increases to 10% for incomes above $159,664. The debt is indexed each year on 1 June by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Last updated: March 2026
Enter your details to calculate HECS repayment
It depends on your income and debt balance. Use this calculator to project your repayment timeline. If your income grows steadily, most graduates with a typical debt of $30,000–$50,000 pay off their HECS in 8–15 years. However, if indexation (CPI) is high and your income is near the minimum threshold, the debt can grow faster than you repay it.
For FY2025-26, repayment starts at 1% of income once you earn $54,435 or more. The rate increases in bands up to 10% for incomes above $159,664. For example, at $80,000 annual income the repayment rate is 3.5%, so you would repay approximately $2,800 per year.
HECS/HELP debt is indexed annually on 1 June by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The indexation rate varies each year — it was 7.1% in June 2023 and 4.7% in June 2024. This calculator defaults to 3.9% as a reasonable estimate, but you can change it to see the impact of different rates.
HELP debt carries no interest — only CPI indexation. Whether early repayment makes sense depends on comparing the indexation rate against potential investment returns. If indexation (currently around 4%) is lower than your investment return, keeping the money invested may be better. However, eliminating the debt gives peace of mind and reduces your tax obligations.