How to Check Your UK Student Loan Balance and Repayment Plan: November 2026

Verified: November 10, 2026, at 17:10 UTC (London GMT, UTC+00:00).

You can check your UK student loan balance and repayment plan in the Student Loans Company’s online repayment account. The account also shows repayments and interest, and lets you print proof of your plan for an employer. Checking both figures can help you spot an unexpected deduction or prepare for the final year of repayment.

For the 2026–27 tax year, repayment thresholds range from £25,000 to £33,795 for undergraduate Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5; the postgraduate threshold is £21,000. Your plan and income determine the threshold that applies. This guide reflects current official account guidance and rates; it does not rely on a newly announced change.

Destaques

• Use the official GOV.UK repayment service to see your balance, interest and plan type.
• Compare your account with payslips and annual statements, allowing for reporting delays.
• If your employer uses the wrong plan, provide your plan information and check whether a refund is available.
• Near the end of repayment, consider the Direct Debit option to reduce the risk of overpaying.

How do you check your student loan balance online?

Go to the official GOV.UK student loan repayment account and select the option to start. Sign in using your customer reference number or email address and your account credentials. If you cannot remember them, use the recovery options on the sign-in service; if your registered email has changed, contact the Student Loans Company (SLC) for help.

Once signed in, check the balance, repayment history and interest applied. Note the date of the information you are viewing and save or print a statement if you need a record. You can also update contact details and read correspondence from SLC in the account. Keeping your email current makes it easier to receive repayment notices.

The repayment account has different features from the student finance account used while applying for or attending a course. SLC says borrowers should use the repayment account after finishing or leaving their course. If you are leaving the UK for more than three months, use the separate service to update your employment details.

How do you find out which student loan plan you are on?

Your repayment account identifies your plan and can produce proof for your employer. This is particularly useful when starting a job or checking an unfamiliar payroll deduction. You may have more than one plan, including a postgraduate loan, so review all the loans shown rather than assuming a single label covers everything.

Plan type depends on factors such as where you lived when you applied and when your course started. If you cannot sign in, the GOV.UK plan guide can help you work out which plan may apply. Check your account or ask SLC if your circumstances are unclear, especially if you have taken out multiple loans.

Why might your balance differ from your payslips?

A payslip shows what your employer deducted for a particular pay period; your repayment account records information received and processed by SLC. The two may not match immediately. Compare dates and amounts across several payslips and your account statement before assuming a payment is missing. Interest also increases the balance, including when your income is below the repayment threshold.

If an older deduction still appears to be missing, gather the relevant payslips, your P60 if available, and your customer reference number. Contact SLC with the dates and amounts; ask your employer’s payroll team to check its records if needed. Avoid sending account passwords or other security answers in messages.

How can you check whether payroll is using the right plan?

First, compare the plan recorded in your repayment account with the information you gave your employer. If there is a discrepancy, provide the employer with the account’s plan confirmation and ask payroll to check the deduction. HM Revenue & Customs can also issue notices to employers about the applicable loan type. Keep your payslips while the issue is investigated.

For context, the following annual thresholds apply from April 6, 2026, through April 5, 2027, according to HMRC’s employer rates:

• Plan 1: £26,900
• Plan 2: £29,385
• Plan 4: £33,795
• Plan 5: £25,000
• Postgraduate Loan: £21,000

For Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5, the usual rate is 9% of income above the relevant threshold; for a postgraduate loan it is 6%. Payroll uses the applicable weekly or monthly threshold, so a bonus can trigger a deduction even when annual income is lower. Having more than one plan can change how deductions are allocated, and a postgraduate deduction can apply alongside an undergraduate deduction. See GOV.UK’s repayment examples before comparing your own figures.

What should you do if you have paid too much?

Check the reason first. You may be able to request a refund if your total income for a completed tax year was below the applicable annual threshold, if deductions began too early, or in certain wrong-plan and overpayment cases. Eligibility depends on your circumstances and the threshold for the relevant year. The official refund guide explains which requests can be made online and when to contact SLC.

If you are close to clearing your balance, review SLC’s Direct Debit option for the final year. Salary deductions can continue briefly after the loan has been repaid because a stop notice takes time to reach payroll. If an overpayment does occur, SLC may contact you or refund it automatically; contact SLC if you have overpaid and have not heard from it.

Before making an extra voluntary payment, consider your other financial priorities and whether you are likely to repay the loan in full before its applicable cancellation date. Voluntary repayments generally cannot be refunded. Your future balance depends on income, interest, repayments and the rules for your plan, so a current balance alone cannot tell you exactly what you will ultimately repay.

FAQ

Can I check my student loan balance for free?

Yes. The official GOV.UK repayment account lets you check your balance without paying a third-party service.

Does a larger balance mean a larger payroll deduction?

Generally, no. Income, your plan and the relevant threshold determine income-based deductions; the balance itself does not set the annual repayment amount.

Can I get a refund after earning below the threshold?

Possibly. After the tax year ends and income is confirmed, you can ask SLC to assess a refund if your annual income was below the applicable threshold.