Immigration · Federal student loans
RAP eligibility calculator.
Check whether your Canada Student Loan or Canada Apprentice Loan qualifies for a $0 payment under the Repayment Assistance Plan, based on your family size and gross family income.
If your gross monthly family income is at or below the threshold for your family size, your required payment is $0 and the government covers the accruing interest. Above the threshold, your payment is reduced and will never exceed 10% of your gross family income.
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Result
Enter your family size and income, then press Calculate.
How the Repayment Assistance Plan works
The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) applies to Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans (a related plan, RAP for Borrowers with a Disability, uses different, lower thresholds and is not modelled here). If your gross monthly family income is at or below the published threshold for your family size, you qualify for a $0 payment and the government pays the interest that accrues during the six-month RAP term. You must reapply every six months to stay on the plan.
Above the threshold, the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) calculates a reduced affordable payment. The federal government's own materials confirm that payment will never exceed 10% of your gross family income — a cap lowered from 20% effective 1 November 2022. The exact sliding-scale formula NSLSC uses between the $0 threshold and the 10% cap is not published in plain text on canada.ca, so the number this tool shows above the threshold is a linear estimate, not NSLSC's binding calculation.
Sources, last verified 24 September 2026: Canada.ca — Repayment Assistance Plan (monthly income thresholds table, page updated 2026-07-31), ESDC — RAP changes effective 1 November 2022 (10% payment cap, $40,000 base zero-payment threshold for a family of one, indexed annually).
Frequently asked questions
What income qualifies for a $0 student loan payment?
For 2026, a gross monthly family income at or below $3,866 for a single borrower qualifies for a $0 payment, rising with family size (for example $6,412/month for a family of four). Above the threshold your payment is reduced but not zero.
How often do I need to reapply for RAP?
Every six months. RAP is not a one-time application — your income and family size are reassessed each term, and your payment can change if either does.
Does RAP apply to provincial student loans too?
RAP itself only reduces the federal portion of an integrated loan (most provinces integrate their loan with the Canada Student Loan). Several provinces run their own, separate repayment assistance programs for the provincial portion — check with your provincial student aid office.
Estimate only
The $0-payment threshold shown is IRCC/ESDC's published figure for your family size. The payment amount shown above the threshold is a linear estimate between that threshold and the published 10%-of-income cap, not the National Student Loans Service Centre's actual sliding-scale formula, which is not published in plain text. Apply directly through the NSLSC for a binding assessment.