by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Butte County Regional Occupational Program— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Butte County ROP, 11% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, averaging $1,090 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The average federal loan is $1,090, equal to roughly 19.8% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
For undergraduates overall at Butte County ROP, 10% rely on federal student loans toward their education, with a mean of $5,702 in federal loans per year. That is 423.1% more than the $1,090 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $11,404 after two years and $22,808 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 10% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,702 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 7 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $39,915 |
The middle borrower at Butte County ROP owes $4,155 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $4,155 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Butte County ROP.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Worth Knowing
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.