by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Berks Career & Technology Center: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Berks Career & Technology Center, 43% of first-year students take on loan debt, with a typical loan of $3,354 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federal loan is $3,393, amounting to 61.7% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Across the full undergraduate body at Berks Career & Technology Center (freshmen included), 33% take out federal student loans, with a mean of $3,712 in federal loans per year. That amounts to 9.4% larger than the $3,393 typical freshmen borrow.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $7,424 in two years and roughly $14,848 by the fourth year. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 33% |
| Average federal loan per year | $3,712 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 19 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $70,520 |
The middle borrower at Berks Career & Technology Center owes $3,732 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $3,732 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Berks Career & Technology Center.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
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.