This page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Florida Institute of Recording Sound and Technology— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Counting every undergraduate at F.I.R.S.T. Institute, 53% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $8,040 per year.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $16,080 in two years and roughly $32,160 over four years. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 53% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,040 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 493 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,963,514 |
The median student at F.I.R.S.T. Institute borrows $7,853 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $7,853 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,750 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,139 |
| 25th percentile | $3,694 |
| 75th percentile | $7,853 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $7,853 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 121 | $12,065 |
| Completed (graduates) | 88 | $13,157 |
| Did not complete | 33 | $8,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $156.45/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 108 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 13 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $6,735 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $7,853 |
| Continuing-generation students | $7,039 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
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.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.