StudentLoan.help: federal repayment plan calculator

Compare a private refinance offer with federal plans

compare_refinance_offer

Read-onlyIdempotent

Given an APR and term a lender has offered, returns the refinanced monthly payment and total, compares it with the cheapest federal plan (or with PSLF, which refinancing would end), and lists the federal protections lost. Same math as the studentloan.help calculator. It shows no lender rates of its own.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`agi`	Yes	Borrower's adjusted gross income in dollars per year.
`loans`	Yes	Each loan: type, balance in dollars and annual interest rate in percent, e.g. [{"type":"direct","balance":38000,"rate_pct":6.39}]. Direct includes Grad PLUS and Direct Consolidation loans.
`region`	No	Poverty guideline region: contiguous_48_or_dc, alaska or hawaii.	contiguous_48_or_dc
`employer`	No	for_profit (or self-employed), government, nonprofit_501c3 or nonprofit_other. Government and 501(c)(3) add the PSLF projection.	for_profit
`full_time`	No	Works at least 30 hours a week for a qualifying employer (needed for PSLF).
`refinance`	No	everything (federal and private) or private_only.	everything
`dependents`	No	Dependents claimed; RAP subtracts $50 a month for each.
`loan_dates`	No	owed_before_2014_07_01 (IBR at 15%), first_loan_2014_to_2026 (IBR at 10%), or loan_on_or_after_2026_07_01 (only RAP and Tiered Standard).	first_loan_2014_to_2026
`spouse_agi`	No	Spouse's AGI in dollars; counted only when married_joint.
`term_years`	No	Refinance term in years: 5, 7, 10, 15 or 20.
`filing_status`	No	single (or head of household), married_joint or married_separate.	single
`household_size`	No	Household size (borrower, spouse, dependents); sets the poverty line for IBR.
`offered_apr_pct`	Yes	APR the lender actually offered, in percent, e.g. 5.5.
`income_growth_pct`	No	Assumed yearly income growth in percent (calculator default 3).
`poverty_growth_pct`	No	Assumed yearly poverty guideline growth in percent (calculator default 2.5).
`pslf_payments_made`	No	PSLF qualifying payments already counted, 0 to 120.
`spouse_federal_loan_balance`	No	Spouse's federal loan balance; prorates the payment when married_joint.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedNov 1, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already establish that this is a read-only, idempotent, non-destructive calculation. The description adds useful behavioral context: it computes both monthly payment and total, compares against the cheapest federal plan or PSLF, lists lost federal protections, and clarifies that it does not provide lender rates itself.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is three tight sentences, front-loads the core computation, and each sentence adds useful information. The final sentence about not showing lender rates prevents a likely misunderstanding without wasting space.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a complex 17-parameter simulation with no output schema, the description adequately explains the return values and comparison behavior. It could say more about assumptions or edge cases, but annotations and the fully documented schema cover most remaining context.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the structured schema already documents all 17 parameters. The description adds contextual framing around the offered APR and term, but does not meaningfully explain the many household, loan, and PSLF-related parameters beyond what the schema provides.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb and resource: compare a lender offer with federal plans and return refinanced payments, savings comparison, and lost protections. The framing around a lender-offered APR and term distinguishes it from a general federal repayment-plan comparison tool.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It clearly establishes the triggering context: the user has an APR and term offered by a lender. However, it does not explicitly state when to use this instead of compare_repayment_plans or get_plan_rules, nor does it list exclusions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All StudentLoan.help: federal repayment plan calculator tools Inspect

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