by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Caribbean University-Carolina— 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.
At Caribbean University - Carolina specifically, 20% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, for an average of $1,732 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $1,732, equal to roughly 31.5% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at Caribbean University - Carolina, 34% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $6,384 annually. That is 268.6% greater than the freshman federal average of $1,732.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,768 by year two and around $25,536 after four. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 34% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,384 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 38 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $242,597 |
The middle borrower at Caribbean University - Carolina owes $7,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $7,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $10,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
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 Caribbean University - Carolina.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,850 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $13,600 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $22,250 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Caribbean University - Carolina.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Caribbean University - Carolina.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 36 | $4,000 |
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 Caribbean University - Carolina.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 23 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 13 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Caribbean University - Carolina.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Caribbean University - Carolina appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 21.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 862 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $7,063 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,217 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,650 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Caribbean University - Carolina.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.