HECS-HELP Repayment Thresholds 2026-27: What You Pay This Year
Updated 14 July 2026
The Short Version
For the 2026-27 financial year, the minimum repayment threshold is $69,528. If your repayment income is at or below $69,528, you make no compulsory repayment. Above it, the marginal system introduced in 2025-26 keeps doing its thing: you only pay on the income above the threshold, never on your whole salary.
The 2026-27 Repayment Rates
Your repayment income isn't just your salary. The ATO adds your taxable income, reportable fringe benefits, total net investment losses, and reportable super contributions. Worth remembering if you salary package.
What This Looks Like in Real Money
Earning $72,000: You're $2,472 over the threshold. 15c per dollar on that = $370.80 for the year. About $31 a month.
Earning $80,000: $10,472 over. 15c x $10,472 = $1,570.80 for the year. About $131 a month.
Earning $100,000: $30,472 over. 15c x $30,472 = $4,570.80 for the year. About $381 a month.
Why the Threshold Moved
The threshold rises most years in line with wage growth, so the line between paying nothing and paying something keeps pace with typical incomes. It moved from $67,000 in 2025-26 to $69,528 this year: on $80,000, that shift alone is worth $379.20 less in compulsory repayments than the same salary would have paid last year, with no pay rise involved.
Feels like a win, and short term it is. But there's a flip side.
The Catch
Smaller compulsory repayments mean your balance hangs around longer. And every year it's still there, it gets indexed. The 1 June 2026 indexation rate was 2.8%, so a $30,000 balance grew by $840 this year alone. Lower repayments now can quietly mean more indexation over the life of the loan.
That's not a reason to panic. It's a reason to know your timeline. Want to see exactly when you'll be debt free? Use the HELP Loan Calculator → Model a pay rise, a voluntary repayment, or a gap year and watch the payoff date move.
Where This Info Comes From
The 2026-27 threshold and rates are sourced from the Australian Taxation Office and Study Assist. Indexation rates are published by the ATO here.
This guide is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Always verify figures with the ATO.