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When you get married, you’re likely thinking about living happily ever after and not about your student loans. However, it’s important for married student loan borrowers to discuss finances, including student loan debt, because a new marital status might have an impact on loans. If you’re paying your federal student loans under certain types of repayment plans, for example, marriage may cause your payment amount to change. And there may be tax implications as well.
Recently tied the knot? Read on to learn the facts about student loans and marriage.
Key Points
• Marriage may change student loan repayment for borrowers on income-driven repayment plans, since payments are based on discretionary income and family size, both of which might shift after marriage.
• Filing taxes jointly means both spouses’ incomes are used to calculate IDR payments, potentially increasing the monthly amount, while filing separately bases payments on individual income only.
• Filing taxes separately when married potentially means paying more in taxes and losing certain tax benefits.
• Debt acquired before marriage is generally considered separate, while debt taken on after marriage may be shared in community property states, affecting each spouse’s legal obligation.
• Spouses cannot consolidate federal student loans together — only individual borrowers may consolidate their own loans — but refinancing with a private lender offers a way to combine debts.
How Marriage Affects Your Student Loan Repayment
Marriage might change your student loan repayment if you are on an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. IDR plans base your monthly payments on your discretionary income and family size. If you and your new spouse file taxes jointly, your payments might increase, depending on a few factors (see more about this below).
Additionally, marriage might impact your ability to claim the student loan interest deduction. For 2026, single filers who earn $85,000 or less, and joint filers who earn $175,000 or less, can take the full $2,500 deduction. Above those amounts, the deduction starts to phase out, and single filers earning $100,000 or more, and joint filers earning $205,000, or more are not eligible for the deduction at all.
Recommended: Debt Consolidation for Married Couples
Filing Jointly vs. Separately: The IDR Decision
For married student loan borrowers with at least one spouse on an income-driven repayment plan, whether to file a joint income tax return or file separately is an important decision.
If you file jointly, your income and your spouse’s income are used to base your payment amounts on an IDR plan, which means your payment may be higher if your combined income is higher.
However, if you and your spouse both have eligible federal student loans, the government uses your joint income to calculate your payment amount, but they also take into consideration your spouse’s student loan debt and prorate your payments based on your share of the total combined student loan debt. So if you owe 40% of your combined student loan debt, and your partner owes 60%, your payments would be less (40% of the monthly amount) than your spouse’s.
If your spouse doesn’t have federal student loans and you file taxes jointly, student loan repayment changes like the amount you pay on an IDR plan may go up because of your higher combined income.
Filing taxes separately from your spouse, on the other hand, means your payment is based on your income only, and the monthly repayment amount may be lower than if you file jointly.
However, there are other important considerations to married, filing separately. For instance, you might end up paying more in taxes and lose such benefits as the student loan interest deduction because the IRS requires married couples to file jointly to claim this deduction. It may be wise to consult a tax professional about student loans and marriage before deciding how to file.
When Filing Separately Makes Sense
Filing separately might mean that a borrower pays less on their student loans because only their income would be used to help determine their payment. If you are on an IDR plan, and you earn significantly less than your spouse, it might make sense to file taxes separately, but it’s important to consider the pros and cons of doing so. As noted above, filing separately might result in losing possible tax credits and benefits.
Tax Benefits You May Lose by Filing Separately
When you file taxes separately rather than jointly, you might miss out on certain tax benefits, including:
• The student loan interest deduction
• The Child and Dependent Care Credit
• Education credits such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit
Talking to a tax professional before you make a final decision about filing jointly or separately, may be helpful.
Are Spouses Responsible for Each Other’s Student Loans?
Generally, any debt acquired before marriage is considered separate debt (meaning a spouse is not responsible for it) unless the parties have signed a legally valid pre- or post-nuptial agreement stating otherwise. Debt acquired after marriage is generally considered shared debt that both spouses are responsible for only if they live in a community property state.
So if student loans were borrowed before a couple got married, typically, the debt is the responsibility of the borrower. If student loans were borrowed during marriage, however, the debt is the responsibility of both spouses if they live in a community property state.
Community Property States and Student Loan Debt
Some states refer to a married couple’s property acquired during their marriage as “community property.” This means both spouses jointly and equally own all income and property they acquired after they were married. In community property states, marital debt is also the responsibility of both spouses.
There are nine community property states:
• Arizona
• California
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Texas
• Washington
• Wisconsin
In all other states, which are typically called common law or equitable distribution states, the division of marital property and debt is determined by a judge or the couple themselves. (Alaska, South Dakota, and Tennessee have optional community property systems.)
The bottom line: Student loan debt is usually community property when it was borrowed during marriage and the borrower lives in a community property state. In common law or equitable distribution states, only those named on the borrower agreement are obligated to repay the student loans.
Recommended: Student Loan Debt Responsibility After Divorce
Student Loans, Marriage, and PSLF
For those who are eligible, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) offers forgiveness on the remaining balance of their federal Direct Loans after they’ve made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan such as an IDR plan. To be eligible, a borrower must work full-time in public service for a qualifying employer.
Marriage does not change an individual’s eligibility for PSLF, but it can change how their monthly payment on an IDR plan is calculated.Their monthly payment might increase or decrease, depending on whether they file their taxes jointly or separately, as outlined above. If their payments increase, it could result in a borrower paying more on PSLF and having a lower total amount forgiven.
Spouses who are not pursuing federal forgiveness like PSLF and are looking to lower their student loan payments, may want to consider options such as student loan refinancing. When a borrower refinances a student loan, they replace their current loans with a new loan, ideally with a lower interest rate and more favorable terms, if they qualify, which may reduce their monthly payments.
However, it’s important to be aware that refinancing federal student loans makes them ineligible for federal programs and protections like income-driven repayment, forgiveness, and student loan deferment. If a borrower thinks they may need any of these programs at some point, refinancing likely isn’t right for them.
The Takeaway
Marriage may impact student loan payments by changing monthly payment amounts for those on an income-driven repayment plan. Whether a couple files their taxes separately or jointly can also affect their loan payments and it may have other ramifications as well. Speaking to a tax professional may be helpful as a couple navigates the best way to manage student loan payments without losing potential tax benefits.
Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.
FAQ
What happens to student loan debt when you get married?
If you are or your spouse is on an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for federal student loans, combining your student loan debt when you get married might change your monthly payments. That’s because IDR plans base your payments on your discretionary income and family size. If you file your taxes jointly and combine your income, your monthly payments on an IDR plan may increase.
Can my spouse’s income affect my student loan payments?
Your spouse’s income may affect your federal student loan payments, particularly if you’re on an income-driven repayment plan and you file your taxes jointly. Combining your two incomes may result in a higher monthly payment on an IDR plan. However, if you’re on the standard repayment plan that bases your payments on how much you owe and the number of years you have to pay it back, marriage generally won’t affect your federal student loan payments.
Does getting married affect student loan forgiveness?
Getting married doesn’t typically affect your ability to qualify for student loan forgiveness. However, if you are pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) under an income-driven repayment plan and you file your taxes as married, filing jointly, your monthly payments may go up because they will be based on your combined incomes. They could mean you end up paying more on PSLF and having a lower total amount forgiven.
What is the best repayment plan for married student loan borrowers?
There is no single best repayment plan for married student loan borrowers since each couple has different financial circumstances, tax situations, and goals. It also depends on the type of loans you and your spouse have and your income. However, it’s wise to become informed about the different repayment options — your student loan servicer can walk you through them to help you evaluate the options. You also may want to consult a tax professional about filing taxes jointly vs. separately and how that may affect your student loan payments.
Can spouses consolidate their student loans together?
Spouses cannot consolidate their federal student loans together. Only individual borrowers may consolidate their own separate federal student loans. If you wish to combine your student loans with your spouse’s, you may be able to do so through student loan refinancing. However, refinancing federal student loans makes them ineligible for federal benefits like income-driven repayment and forgiveness.
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