StudentAid.gov Web Repayment Plan Comparator

WHAT IT DOES

StudentAid.gov Web Repayment Plan Comparator automatically scans StudentAid.gov loan repayment plan pages and extracts comprehensive repayment plan data including plan name, monthly payment amount, loan term (in years), total interest paid, and total repayment amount. The tool displays a floating overlay panel that compares available repayment plans side-by-side in a clear, easy-to-read format. Each plan shows its monthly payment, term length, total interest, and total cost. The panel highlights the lowest monthly payment plan with a "💰 Lowest Payment" badge, the lowest total cost plan with a "🏆 Lowest Total" badge, and the shortest term plan with a "⏱️ Shortest Term" badge. A savings comparison section calculates and displays the potential savings between the lowest and highest cost plans, along with monthly savings. Summary statistics show the best options at a glance. This provides a complete side-by-side comparison to help you choose the best repayment plan.

WHERE IT RUNS

This extension operates exclusively on studentaid.gov domain pages that contain loan repayment plan content—specifically pages with "/repayment", "/loan", or "/plan" in the URL path, or pages that display repayment plan options and loan details. It works alongside the free BotGentz companion extension, which provides the necessary DOM access and page interaction capabilities. The repayment plan comparator runs entirely within your local browser instance and does not communicate with any external servers or APIs. All repayment plan data extraction, comparison, and preference storage occurs on your machine, ensuring your loan data and analysis remain private. It supports all modern Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera) and Firefox when paired with the BotGentz bridge.

HOW TO USE

After installing both BotGentz and this plan comparator, navigate to any StudentAid.gov loan repayment plan page. Within 1-2 seconds, a panel appears in the bottom-right corner displaying a side-by-side comparison of all available repayment plans. The "Plan Comparison" section lists each plan with its monthly payment, term, total interest, and total cost, with color-coded highlights for the best options in each category. Badges indicate the lowest monthly payment, lowest total cost, and shortest term plans. The "Savings" section shows the total dollar savings between the lowest and highest cost plans, plus monthly savings between the lowest and highest monthly payment plans. The "Summary" section provides a quick-reference summary of the best options. The panel helps you make an informed decision about which repayment plan is right for you.

REPAYMENT PLAN EXTRACTION AND COMPARISON

The repayment plan comparator uses a multi-strategy extraction system to locate and parse repayment plan data from StudentAid.gov pages. It first attempts to find structured plan elements using selectors based on the site's typical class naming patterns, including "plan-item," "plan-card," "repayment-plan," and "plan-option." When these selectors fail due to site updates, the tool falls back to text-based parsing, scanning the page for plan-related patterns using pattern matching for terms like "monthly payment," "loan term," "total interest," and "total repayment." For each plan, the tool extracts the plan name, monthly payment through pattern matching for dollar amounts with "monthly" or "/month" labels, loan term through pattern matching for years, total interest through pattern matching for "total interest" or "interest paid" labels with dollar amounts, and total repayment through pattern matching for "total repayment" or "total cost" labels. The comparison engine identifies the lowest monthly payment plan, the lowest total cost plan, and the shortest term plan, then calculates potential savings between plans. Badges are applied to highlight the best options in each category.

THE PANEL

The repayment plan comparator panel is a compact, functional overlay that integrates into the StudentAid.gov page. It can be dragged by clicking and holding the title bar, positioning the panel anywhere on the screen for optimal visibility while you compare plans. The panel includes a built-in snap feature that automatically aligns to the nearest screen edge when released within 48 pixels, keeping your workspace organized. Click the collapse arrow in the top-right corner to minimize the panel to a small icon bubble showing a gear emoji, preserving screen space while keeping the tool accessible. The panel is not resizable in this version, maintaining a consistent compact size that works on all screen resolutions. Press the Escape key to instantly hide the panel; press Escape again to restore it. All position, collapse state, and comparison preferences are saved locally using GM_setValue and persist across browsing sessions.

PLEASE NOTE

This extension requires the free BotGentz extension to function—the repayment plan comparator does not work standalone. StudentAid.gov occasionally updates its page layouts and plan presentation formats, which may temporarily affect data extraction accuracy. The tool extracts plan data from the visible page content; if repayment plan data is loaded dynamically after page load, you may need to wait a moment or refresh the page for the panel to populate. The savings calculations and plan comparisons are based on extracted data and are provided for informational purposes—always verify your actual repayment plan options and terms on the official StudentAid.gov platform before making enrollment decisions. The tool does not store or transmit any data; all plan data extraction, comparison, and settings are processed and saved entirely within your browser. This tool is designed for personal financial planning and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education or StudentAid.gov. Loan repayment decisions are significant financial commitments; always consult with qualified financial advisors and review all official documentation before selecting a repayment plan.