Student Loan Paydown Simulator

Upload your Nelnet Loan Summary PDF or a loan spreadsheet to get started

Step 1 — Upload your loan data

Upload your Nelnet Loan Summary / Mortgage Verification PDF (from nelnet.studentaid.gov → Documents), or a spreadsheet of your loans. Your data never leaves your browser.

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Click to upload or drag and drop

PDF, Excel (.xlsx), or CSV — also accepts copied text (.txt)

Not on Nelnet? Fill this in (Excel/Numbers/Sheets) with one row per loan, then upload the .xlsx or .csv.

Or paste your loan data manually

Paste the text of your loan summary (e.g. open your servicer's PDF, select all, copy), then click Parse.

For each loan, the text needs to include: loan type (Grad PLUS, Unsubsidized, or Subsidized), interest rate, and current balance — plus, ideally, the current principal and accrued interest so the split is exact. If anything is missed, use “Enter loans manually.”

Configure your model

Loans detected

Payment parameters

In School — Before residency

Will you make payments during school (before residency)?

The period before residency starts when you make voluntary payments while still enrolled. Interest accrues on principal only (deferment rules). Payments clear pre-existing accrued interest first, then new accrued interest, then principal.

In-school start month

Number of in-school payments

In Residency — Repayment

Residency start = capitalization date. All unpaid accrued interest merges into principal. Interest then accrues on the full capitalized balance each month.

Residency start date (= capitalization date)

Residency end date

Attending — After residency

When you finish residency and earn an attending salary, your income-driven minimum payment rises. Enter your expected attending salary and the date it starts. Payments switch to the attending level on that date.

Attending start date Defaults to the month after residency ends.

Expected attending gross annual salary ($)

Additional context

Your name (optional — for labeling)

Residency location (city, state)

Expected residency annual salary ($)

FPL 150% for your location (single person) Used to calculate PAYE payment. 2026 continental US single = $23,940.

Repayment plan for minimum payment estimate

Loan Paydown Simulator

In-school payments (9 months)

$10,000

In-residency payments (37 months)

$16,000

Attending payments

$16,000

In School

Total paid

—

Paid to interest

—

Paid to principal

—

New interest accrued

—

Principal remaining

—

Unpaid interest → cap.

—

Loans zeroed

—

In Residency

Capitalized balance

—

Monthly interest at start of residency

—

Monthly interest at end of residency

—

Total actually paid

—

Interest accrued

—

Balance at end

—

Loans zeroed

—

Attending

Balance at attending start

—

Monthly interest at start of attending

—

Total actually paid

—

Interest accrued

—

Balance at end

—

Loans zeroed

—

True total interest cost — optimized

Originally disbursed

—

Total principal originally borrowed across all loans — before any interest.

Interest paid in school

—

Interest your voluntary payments covered while still in school.

Interest paid in residency

—

Interest paid during the residency repayment phase.

Interest paid as attending

—

Interest paid once you're on an attending salary, through payoff.

Total interest paid

—

Sum of interest paid in school, residency, and as an attending.

Pre-existing interest capitalized

—

Unpaid interest added to your principal at residency start. From then on it accrues interest just like principal.

Extra interest from capitalization

—

Of the interest above, this much is interest charged on the capitalized amount during residency + attending. Paying that interest off before residency starts avoids this cost.

Total actually paid out

—

All cash you pay across school, residency, and attending.

Balance forgiven

—

Any balance remaining at the plan's forgiveness term ($0 if fully paid off).

Balance at residency end (minimum payment)

—

What you'd owe entering attending if you paid only the required minimum during residency.

In School

Total paid

—

Paid to interest

—

Paid to principal

—

New interest accrued

—

Principal remaining

—

Unpaid interest → cap.

—

Loans zeroed

—

In Residency

Capitalized balance

—

Monthly interest at start of residency

—

Monthly interest at end of residency

—

Total actually paid

—

Interest accrued

—

Balance at end

—

Loans zeroed

—

Attending

Balance at attending start

—

Monthly interest at start of attending

—

Total actually paid

—

Interest accrued

—

Balance at end

—

Loans zeroed

—

True total interest cost — pure avalanche

Originally disbursed

—

Total principal originally borrowed across all loans — before any interest.

Interest paid in school

—

Interest your voluntary payments covered while still in school.

Interest paid in residency

—

Interest paid during the residency repayment phase.

Interest paid as attending

—

Interest paid once you're on an attending salary, through payoff.

Total interest paid

—

Sum of interest paid in school, residency, and as an attending.

Pre-existing interest capitalized

—

Unpaid interest added to your principal at residency start. From then on it accrues interest just like principal.

Extra interest from capitalization

—

Of the interest above, this much is interest charged on the capitalized amount during residency + attending. Paying that interest off before residency starts avoids this cost.

Total actually paid out

—

All cash you pay across school, residency, and attending.

Balance forgiven

—

Any balance remaining at the plan's forgiveness term ($0 if fully paid off).

Balance at residency end (minimum payment)

—

What you'd owe entering attending if you paid only the required minimum during residency.

Student Loan Paydown Simulator

Step 1 — Upload your loan data

Or paste your loan data manually

Manual loan entry

Configure your model

Loans detected

Payment parameters

In School — Before residency

In Residency — Repayment

Attending — After residency

Additional context

Loan Paydown Simulator

True total interest cost — optimized

True total interest cost — pure avalanche

Full comparison