Lowest Total Cost
N/AEnter debt and income to compare modeled total cost.
Calculator
Pick your situation, then adjust the numbers.
Use Simple mode first. Start from a preset, copy the saved scenario link, then test one change at a time.
Compare repayment paths
Start in Simple mode. Enter debt, timing, income, and any private loan layer. Then compare RAP, PAYE, New IBR, Old IBR, Standard, refinancing, and PSLF-style outcomes.
Important limitation
This is an educational planning model, not legal, tax, or individualized financial advice. Small date and rate changes can move projected cost by tens of thousands of dollars before your first real payment.
Results depend on graduation timing, repayment timing, filing status, interest accrual, and whether you take any new Direct Loan first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.
Pick a starting point
Load a realistic baseline, then adjust the inputs that differ.
Plain-English Readout
Use this first. Pick a scenario above, then adjust the numbers below.
Lowest Year-1 Payment
N/AEnter debt and income to compare the first year payment stack.
Earliest Exit
N/AEnter debt and income to compare the earliest modeled finish.
Biggest Pressure Point
N/AEnter debt and dates to see the main constraint this scenario creates.
Calculator mode
Simple mode keeps the core borrower and household inputs visible. Advanced adds timing overrides, refinance assumptions, prior-borrower rules, and manual income paths.
Borrower Profile
Start with debt and income. Dates refine the result.
Private loan layer (optional)
Key dates
Most borrowers only need their graduation date and the month repayment actually begins. The calculator auto-models a typical dental-school first disbursement unless you override it.
Repayment start matters for both pre-repayment interest and the July 1, 2028 PAYE transition timing.
RAP is modeled with a $50 monthly reduction per qualifying dependent. This is broader than only children under 17.
If checked, the calculator models the whole Direct Loan bucket as RAP plus the new tiered standard term. CRS and federal summaries treat new post-Jul 1, 2026 borrowing as collapsing legacy IDR access for that borrower.
Household + Assumptions
Refi assumption
Auto mode uses a conservative high-rate stress baseline for refinancing scenarios.
Borrower income growth
Spouse income growth
Notes: This planning model is educational. It uses simplified assumptions and should not be treated as tax, legal, or individualized financial advice.
Borrower Snapshot (Year 1)
- AGI
- $0
- Federal debt at repayment start
- $0
- Private debt at repayment start
- $0
- Timeline modeled
- N/A
- Federal accrual before repayment
- 0 years
- Private accrual before repayment
- 0 years
- Total debt-to-income
- 0%
Household Snapshot (Year 1)
- Household AGI
- $0
- Combined debt at repayment start
- $0
- Combined debt-to-income
- 0%
Repayment Basis (Year 1)
- IDR income used
- $0
- Filing status used
- Single
- Standard monthly (modeled term)
- $0
- Private monthly payment
- $0
- Double-whammy monthly (Std + Private)
- $0
Show full repayment strategy table
Repayment Strategy Summary
| Plan | Total Paid | Forgiven Balance | Tax on Forgiven Debt | Total Cost | Present Value | Year Forgiven/Paid Off | Save/Month for Tax Bomb | Year 1 Federal + Private Monthly | Year 1 Double-Whammy Annual Outflow |
|---|
Show year-by-year payments and balances
Year-by-Year Payments and Balances
Monthly payment by year
Double-whammy monthly (Federal + Private)
Ending balance by year
Show private-loan-only chart
Private Loans Only Annual Chart
Quick help
Use Simple mode first, then change one assumption at a time.
Which situation are you in?
What should I enter first?
- 01 Enter federal debt, private debt, and AGI.
- 02 Set graduation and repayment-start dates.
- 03 Toggle post-July 2026 borrowing if it applies.
- 04 Compare lowest cost, earliest exit, and cash-flow pressure.
What this helps you decide
Read the result as a decision signal.
Use the model to compare dental student loans across federal repayment, private debt, refinancing, RAP-style assumptions, PSLF-style planning, and the cash-flow pressure of early dentist income.
Associate pay, benefits, schedule stability, and location can matter as much as the headline income.
Lower flexibility, cosigner exposure, refinance timing, and residency delays deserve their own layer.
Ownership, specialization, nonprofit work, and relocation can each point to a different path.
Policy snapshot
OBBBA quick view Updated March 2026
For federal loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) makes material changes to loan limits and repayment options.
Federal cap pressure
$50k / year Professional-program federal borrowing is modeled with a lower annual ceiling for new loans.Lifetime cap
$257.5k The statute sets an overall lifetime federal borrowing limit across federal loan types for a borrower.Plan shift
Standard + RAP New-loan repayment options simplify on the statutory rollout timeline.For timeline details, transition rules, and model assumptions, see the calculator methodology and legislation watch.