by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Brenau University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at Brenau, 91% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $7,504 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The average federal loan is $5,817. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Brenau, 85% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $8,832 per year. This is 51.8% greater than the $5,817 borrowed by freshmen.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $17,664 by year two and around $35,328 across a four-year program. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 85% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,832 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 835 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $7,374,404 |
The middle borrower at Brenau owes $18,425 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $18,425 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $27,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Brenau.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,059 |
| 25th percentile | $6,644 |
| 75th percentile | $28,187 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $40,187 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Brenau.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Brenau.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 392 | $15,975 |
| Completed (graduates) | 223 | $17,437 |
| Did not complete | 169 | $13,500 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $207.34/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at Brenau.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 360 | $16,115 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 32 | $12,829 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Brenau.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Brenau follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 891 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,500 |
| Middle income | $19,750 |
| High income | $17,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,101 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,270 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $13,500 |
| Independent students | $19,961 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Brenau.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Worth Knowing
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.