by our College Data Analytics TeamA large number of students will never be charged the complete price tag of a school. Rather, they are presented a financial aid deal that includes a mix of loans, grants, scholarships, and possibly work-study opportunities. The total price of attendance at Dakota State University can feel overpowering, but remember that the majority of students receive some sort of financial assistance.
What financial assistance options will Dakota State offer you, and what will you qualify for? Read on for more information. Scroll down to see just how much financial aid could be open to you.
The amount of financial aid and scholarships you are eligible for will vary depending on your family’s income. Read on to get a sense of the financial assistance available at Dakota State University.
Financial assistance, available as scholarships, loans, and work-study, is a way schools lower the price of attendance so many students can enroll. Some kinds of aid are clearly preferable to others, and outcomes differ across students.
Looking at the entering class at Dakota State University, 97% of the incoming full-time class was awarded financial aid around 374 freshmen).
| Type of Aid | % of Freshmen Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 88% | $5,371 |
| Institutional grants & scholarships | 79% | $3,560 |
| Federal Pell grants | 28% | $5,165 |
| State/local grants | 19% | $1,317 |
| Federal student loans | 60% | $4,939 |
Because grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid, they are the most sought-after type of financial aid. At Dakota State, around 44% of undergraduates were awarded grant or scholarship aid averaging $6,250 (across roughly 1300 recipients).
| Award | % of Undergrads Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 44% | $6,250 |
| Federal Pell grants | 17% | $5,411 |
| Federal student loans | 34% | $6,353 |
For students living on campus and receiving title-IV aid, grants averaged $4,696.
Need-based aid means lower-income families typically pay far less than the sticker price suggests.
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 – $48,000 | $16,280 |
| $30,001 – $75,000 | $18,856 |
| Over $75,000 | $21,485 |
These figures reflect what title-IV aid recipients pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied.
After grants and scholarships come off the published price, what remains is the net price — the best estimate of true out-of-pocket cost.
| Cohort | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| On-campus title-IV students | $21,057 |
| Off-campus title-IV students | $19,725 |
For a personalized estimate based on your family’s financial situation, use Dakota State’s official net price calculator: dsu.edu/admissions/calculator.html.
A typical borrower at Dakota State leaves with $14,250 in federal loans.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median federal debt (all student-aid borrowers) | $14,250 |
| Median federal debt (graduates only) | $23,500 |
| Typical 10-year monthly payment (graduates) | $249.14/mo |
The 10-year payment estimate assumes a standard federal repayment plan and the median graduate debt amount.
Looking only at the median can be misleading because it hides the spread. The four reference points below map the debt distribution at Dakota State.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,100 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,938 |
Debt outcomes are not uniform — they shift with income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Debt by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $13,612 |
| Middle income | $16,125 |
| High income | $12,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Median Debt
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,619 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Students
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $14,500 |
| Independent students | $14,138 |
A handful of calculated indicators summarize the debt outlook at Dakota State.
Stafford loans make up the bulk of federal direct lending to undergraduates. Below is the annual Stafford program activity at Dakota State:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stafford loan recipients | 8387 |
| Total Stafford loan amount | $134,634,176 |
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill or DoD Tuition Assistance.
Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GI Bill recipients | 90 |
| Total GI Bill amount | $508,499 |
| Average GI Bill amount per recipient | $5,650 |
Active-duty Tuition Assistance recipients
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 72 |
| Total DoD amount | $186,564 |
| Average DoD amount per recipient | $2,591 |
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.