Student Loan Wage Garnishment Calculator
The government can take up to 15% of your disposable pay per paycheck for a defaulted federal student loan. Disposable pay is what remains after legally required withholdings are subtracted. On $2,000 of disposable pay every two weeks, that is $300 per paycheck. It adds up to about $650 a month and $7,800 a year. Enter your own balance, disposable pay, pay frequency, tax refund and Social Security benefit in the calculator above to replace its starting figures.
For example, take a $30,000 defaulted balance with $2,000 of disposable pay every two weeks. Add an expected $3,000 federal tax refund and no Social Security. Wage garnishment takes $7,800 in the first year, and the refund offset takes the full $3,000. That puts first-year exposure at $10,800. Garnishment alone would need about 47 months to clear the balance.
How it works
The calculator takes 15% of the disposable pay you enter for each paycheck. That is the most an administrative wage garnishment may take under Title 20 of the United States Code (U.S.C.), section 1095a, unless you agree in writing to more. Disposable pay is the part of your pay left after legally required withholdings are subtracted, so leave voluntary deductions such as 401(k) contributions or health premiums in the number you enter. The monthly amount is 15% of disposable pay times paychecks per year, divided by 12.
A tax refund can be taken in part or in full, because the Treasury can apply a federal refund to certain unpaid debts and send the rest to the filer, as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) explains. The calculator counts the refund you enter, up to your balance. For Social Security, it uses the cap in Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 285.4, which is the lesser of 15% of the monthly benefit or the amount above $750. The rule's own example is an $850 benefit, which has a $100 cap.
Garnishment cannot start without written notice at least 30 days before proceedings begin. If you file a petition within 15 days of the notice's mailing, you get a hearing. A refund offset follows a separate Treasury notice that schedules the offset to begin in 65 days. According to Federal Student Aid, a repayment agreement with the first payment made within 65 days of the notice avoids the offset, and a hearing request must be postmarked within 65 days of receiving it.
The first-year total adds 12 months of wage garnishment, the refund and 12 months of Social Security offset, and it never exceeds the balance. With the starting inputs, that total is $10,800 on a $30,000 balance. Drop the balance to $5,000 and the first-year total is capped at $5,000, with garnishment alone clearing it in about 8 months. A third case uses $1,500 of disposable pay every two weeks, a $20,000 balance, no refund and $1,800 a month in Social Security. Garnishment takes $225 per paycheck, or $5,850 a year, and the Social Security offset is $270 a month, for a first-year total of $9,090.
The calculator does not add interest or collection costs to the balance, and it does not model other garnishments, state rules or a hardship hearing. Any of those, or a hearing outcome, can change your real figure. Skip this tool if you hold only private student loans, because private lenders cannot use these federal tools. It also does not fit borrowers who are current, since federal loans enter default only after 270 days without a payment. The Washington Sun reported on Oct 19, 2026, that the administration is preparing garnishment and offsets for roughly 10 million defaulted borrowers, likely starting next year, and the Education Department has not confirmed that timing. To leave default, read what happens if you don't pay your student loans for rehabilitation and Direct Consolidation, then contact your servicer.
Frequently asked questions
How much can the government garnish from my paycheck for defaulted student loans?
The government can take up to 15% of your disposable pay per paycheck, unless you agree in writing to more. On $2,000 of disposable pay every two weeks, that is $300 per paycheck. Across 26 paychecks it comes to $7,800 a year.
What counts as disposable pay?
Disposable pay is the part of your pay that remains after legally required withholdings are subtracted. Voluntary deductions such as 401(k) contributions or health premiums are not subtracted. Leave them in the disposable pay figure you enter in the calculator above.
Can my tax refund be taken for a defaulted student loan?
Yes. The Treasury can use part or all of a federal tax refund to pay certain unpaid debts and sends the rest to the filer, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The calculator counts the full refund you enter, up to your balance. A $3,000 refund on a $30,000 balance is taken in full.
Can Social Security be garnished for student loans?
Yes, a Social Security offset can take the lesser of 15% of the monthly benefit or the amount above $750. Take an $800 monthly benefit, where 15% would be $120. Only $50 of that benefit sits above $750, so the offset is $50. Under this rule, a benefit of $750 or less leaves nothing to offset.
Do I get notice before wage garnishment starts?
Yes. You must get written notice at least 30 days before wage garnishment proceedings start, under 20 U.S.C. 1095a. If you file a petition within 15 days of the notice's mailing, you get a hearing. A tax refund offset comes with its own Treasury notice and a 65-day window.
Are student loan collections really coming back after the midterms?
The Education Department has not announced when expanded collections will start. The Washington Sun reported on Oct 19, 2026, that the administration is preparing wage garnishment and offsets for roughly 10 million borrowers in default, likely starting next year. The report said an announcement is unlikely before the midterm elections and that some officials want garnishment to begin for the 2027 tax year. It also said Treasury is moving to hire private debt collectors, possibly as soon as November.
Does this apply to private student loans?
No. Private lenders cannot use these wage garnishment and offset tools, which apply to defaulted federal student loans. If you hold only private loans, the calculator's figures do not apply to you.
How do I stop garnishment or offset?
You can avoid a refund offset with a repayment agreement if the first payment is made within 65 days of the notice, and you can leave default through rehabilitation or Direct Consolidation. Rehabilitation takes nine on-time agreed payments over roughly 10 months and removes the default record. Direct Consolidation can resolve the default in weeks but leaves the default record. Contact your servicer and read the Federal Student Aid default page before you choose.
Sources
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