Repayment Assistance Plan Zero-Payment Income Thresholds: Do You Qualify to Pay Nothing
By Muntasir • Published Jun 25, 2025 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Canadian Universities & Colleges, Canadian Student Aid & Scholarships
The Repayment Assistance Plan reduces your required federal loan payment to zero when your household income falls at or below a threshold that rises with each extra person you support. There is no single number since the cutoff changes by family size and updates periodically, so check the current chart on canada.ca instead of guessing from someone else's approval.
💵 Zero payment applies below an income threshold tied to your family size
Each additional dependent or spouse raises the threshold that applies to you
Thresholds are published on canada.ca and reviewed periodically, not fixed forever
You must apply and requalify every six months, zero payment is not permanent
Falling slightly above the threshold does not mean you owe your full standard payment
How the zero-payment line works
The Repayment Assistance Plan sets an affordable payment for your household based on your gross monthly family income, your family size, and your total student loan balance. Below a certain income level for your family size, the formula calculates that you can afford nothing toward your loan for that six-month period, and your required payment drops to zero. The government covers your federal loan on your behalf while you are below that line, according to canada.ca .
Why there is no single number
The income line that triggers a zero payment is not the same for everyone. It rises with each extra person your income supports, since a single applicant and a parent of two dependents at the same income do not have the same amount left over after basic costs. Canada.ca publishes the current threshold for each family size directly, and these figures are reviewed and can change, so a number from an old forum post or a friend's experience from a different year does not tell you your own threshold today. Other federal supports tied to income, like the GST/HST credit for students, use the same kind of family-size-based threshold that shifts over time.
How family size changes your result
| Household | General pattern |
|---|---|
| Single applicant, no dependents | Lowest income threshold for zero payment |
| Applicant with a spouse or one dependent | Higher threshold than a single applicant |
| Applicant with multiple dependents | Threshold rises further with each dependent |
This table shows the direction the threshold moves, not exact dollar figures, since those change and depend on the official chart current at the time you apply.
What if you are barely above the line
Missing the zero-payment threshold by a small amount does not put you back on the standard payment. RAP works on a sliding scale above the zero-payment line too, so your required payment still comes out lower than the standard calculation, above zero rather than at it. Apply and let NSLSC calculate your actual result rather than assuming you do not qualify for any help because you are slightly over what you heard is the cutoff.
Zero payment still counts toward your RAP stage clock
A six-month period where you qualify for zero payment still counts as time spent in the Repayment Assistance Plan for tracking purposes, including toward the 60-month mark that shifts your file from Stage 1 to Stage 2 treatment. Qualifying for zero payment is not a pause outside the program, it is the program working as intended at your current income level.
Your balance while you pay zero
Since the federal portion of your loan has carried no interest since April 1, 2023, a zero-payment period on the federal side means your federal balance holds steady rather than paying down, but it does not grow either. If your loan includes a provincial portion, check whether RAP in your province also brings the provincial payment to zero at the same income line, since provincial rules do not automatically match the federal chart.
What counts as income in the calculation
RAP uses your gross family income, meaning income before deductions, from your recent pay information. This can include employment income, self-employment income, and taxable benefits. If you are between jobs or on employment insurance, report your current actual income rather than a prior year's higher figure, since RAP assesses your present situation, not your income history.
If you are self-employed or have irregular income
A self-employed applicant or someone with income that varies month to month still applies through the same process, using their most recent and representative income information. If your income fluctuates significantly, apply closer to your six-month renewal date so your submitted figure reflects your current reality rather than an outdated snapshot from months earlier.
What a spouse's income does to your threshold
If you have a spouse or common-law partner, their income is included in the household income used for the calculation, and your family size for threshold purposes includes them. A single applicant and an applicant with a spouse compare against different thresholds even at the identical personal income, since the household total and the family size both change.
How to check your real number
Use the Repayment Assistance Plan page on canada.ca for the current threshold chart by family size.
Apply through your NSLSC account directly rather than estimating from the chart alone, since your exact loan balance also factors into the result.
Gather your recent income information and confirm your family size, including any spouse or dependents, before you apply.
Reapply every six months. A zero-payment result this period does not carry forward automatically to the next one.
If your income changes mid-period
RAP is assessed at the point you apply, not continuously. If your income drops partway through a six-month period after you were assessed for a standard or reduced payment, you cannot adjust that period retroactively, but you can reapply at your next six-month window with your updated income, and a lower or zero payment starts from then.
Applying does not cost you anything
There is no fee to apply for the Repayment Assistance Plan, and applying does not affect your credit or your eligibility for future federal aid. If you are unsure whether your income lands below the threshold for your family size, apply anyway and let NSLSC calculate the result rather than skipping the application on a guess.