by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Averett University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At AU, 77% of first-year students take on loan debt, borrowing on average $6,673 each, across private and federal loan sources.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,838. This reaches or tops the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap for a typical dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Counting every undergraduate at AU, 64% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $7,132 per year. This is 22.2% more than the first-year federal average of $5,838.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $14,264 after two years and $28,528 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 64% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,132 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 747 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,327,661 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at AU carry a median federal debt of $16,750 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $16,750 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at AU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,000 |
| 25th percentile | $6,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $38,229 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at AU.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at AU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 392 | $18,290 |
| Completed (graduates) | 195 | $28,045 |
| Did not complete | 197 | $16,173 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $333.48/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at AU.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 372 | $18,374 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 20 | $15,719 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. AU.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for AU appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 888 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,250 |
| Middle income | $17,125 |
| High income | $17,225 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,018 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,565 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,019 |
| Independent students | $20,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at AU.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Important to Remember
Unlike most other debt, federal student loans generally survive bankruptcy — and unpaid balances can lead to wage garnishment — so borrow only what you truly need.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.