Guide
What this calculator shows
Enter your current HECS-HELP loan balance and this calculator shows you exactly how much indexation was added each year from 2013 to 2026. It uses the ATO's published indexation rates, no projections, no assumptions, just the historical facts.
Indexation is applied on 1 June each year to the part of your debt that has been unpaid for more than 11 months. The rate is the lower of CPI or WPI (since the 2024 legislative change). This calculator shows what that meant for your balance year by year.
Your indexation history
Your balance is in myGov → ATO online services → Study and training support loans.
How indexation works
Indexation is not interest. There is no ongoing charge that compounds through the year. Instead, on 1 June each year the ATO adjusts your balance by the indexation rate, a single event. The 2026 rate was 2.8%, the 2025 rate was 3.2%, and so on back to 2013 at 2.0%.
The rate applies only to the part of your debt that has been unpaid for more than 11 months. If you took out the loan recently, earlier years don't apply. If you've been paying it down, the balance shrinks each year and so does the indexation amount.
Why this matters
Indexation is the only cost of a HECS-HELP debt. There is no interest, no compounding within the year. Knowing what indexation added helps you decide whether voluntary repayments before 1 June are worth it; they shrink the balance that gets indexed next year.
Your compulsory repayment is calculated on your income, not your balance. Indexation only affects how many years of repayments you have left. Someone with a $10,000 balance and someone with $90,000 on the same income make the same compulsory repayment; indexation just changes how long it takes to clear.
FAQ
Q: Does this calculator predict future indexation? A: No. It only shows historical rates from 2013 to 2026. Future indexation depends on CPI and WPI figures that aren't known until December each year.
Q: Why does my balance not match the calculator? A: The calculator assumes your balance has been constant since 2013. If you took out the loan later, or made voluntary repayments, adjust the starting balance accordingly. Your actual balance is in myGov.