by our College Data Analytics TeamA large number of students are not billed the full, advertised sticker price of a school. Instead, they will be given a financial aid offer that will include a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study. The sum total of attendance at Dakota County Technical College can sound overpowering, but remember that the majority of students get some type of financial assistance.
Just what financial assistance solutions will DCTC provide, and just what are you going to be eligible for? Read on for answers. Keep reading to see what amount of financial assistance could be accessible to you.
Eligibility for aid and scholarships is driven mostly by your household’s income and need. Use the information below to understand how much financial assistance you may get from Dakota County Technical College.
Financial aid, in the form of loans, grants, work-study, and scholarships, is one way colleges reduce the cost of attendance so most students can actually afford to attend. Bear in mind that not all aid is equal, and the amount any one student receives can vary widely.
For freshmen starting at Dakota County Technical College, 74% of first-time, full-time freshmen received some form of financial aid around 288 incoming students).
| Type of Aid | % of Freshmen Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 54% | $5,655 |
| Institutional grants & scholarships | 21% | $1,095 |
| Federal Pell grants | 33% | $4,891 |
| State/local grants | 41% | $2,817 |
| Federal student loans | 32% | $5,201 |
Because grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid, they are the most sought-after type of financial aid. Here, about 52% of undergraduates were awarded grant or scholarship aid averaging $5,124 (across approximately 1386 awardees).
| Award | % of Undergrads Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 52% | $5,124 |
| Federal Pell grants | 27% | $4,279 |
| Federal student loans | 25% | $6,114 |
Title-IV recipients living on campus saw average grant aid of $5,004.
Since aid is largely need-based, the real cost of attendance falls steeply for lower-income families.
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 – $48,000 | $8,555 |
| $30,001 – $75,000 | $9,804 |
| Over $75,000 | $14,808 |
Each amount is the average cost remaining once grant aid is subtracted, by income band.
The net price strips out grant and scholarship aid from the sticker price to show roughly what families really pay.
| Cohort | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| On-campus title-IV students | $13,548 |
| Off-campus title-IV students | $11,140 |
For a customized cost estimate, visit DCTC’s net price calculator: www.minnstate.edu/admissions/calculator/dakotacounty.html.
Graduating students at DCTC carry a median federal student debt of $8,250 in federal student debt.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median federal debt (all student-aid borrowers) | $8,250 |
| Median federal debt (graduates only) | $11,000 |
| Typical 10-year monthly payment (graduates) | $116.62/mo |
The 10-year payment estimate assumes a standard federal repayment plan and the median graduate debt amount.
Percentiles reveal the spread — half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles. Use the percentiles below to see the debt range at DCTC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,433 |
| 75th percentile | $14,975 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $24,880 |
Outcomes differ by income bracket, by first-generation status, and by whether a student is financially dependent.
Debt by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $8,447 |
| High income | $6,800 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Median Debt
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,274 |
| Continuing-generation students | $7,950 |
Dependent vs Independent Students
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
The figure below distills the debt data into a single burden category for DCTC.
Stafford loans are the federal government’s primary direct undergraduate lending program. The totals below capture Stafford lending at DCTC:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stafford loan recipients | 9824 |
| Total Stafford loan amount | $119,204,155 |
The GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance are the main federal aid routes for veterans and service members.
Post-9/11 GI Bill activity
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GI Bill recipients | 48 |
| Total GI Bill amount | $237,929 |
| Average GI Bill amount per recipient | $4,957 |
Active-duty Tuition Assistance recipients
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 9 |
| Total DoD amount | $36,059 |
| Average DoD amount per recipient | $4,007 |
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.