by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Fort Valley State University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Fort Valley State University, 76% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $5,903 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $5,673. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Across the full undergraduate body at Fort Valley State University (freshmen included), 69% borrow through federal student loan programs, for a typical $6,240 in federal loans per year. This is 10.0% larger than the $5,673 borrowed by freshmen.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,480 in two years and roughly $24,960 after four. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 69% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,240 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,752 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $10,932,405 |
The middle borrower at Fort Valley State University owes $19,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $31,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Fort Valley State University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $9,500 |
| 75th percentile | $39,750 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $51,456 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Fort Valley State University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Fort Valley State University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 887 | $13,650 |
| Completed (graduates) | 404 | $17,705 |
| Did not complete | 483 | $10,184 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $210.53/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 Fort Valley State University.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 850 | $14,027 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 37 | $5,731 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Fort Valley State University.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Fort Valley State University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 15.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1173 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $20,250 |
| Middle income | $18,438 |
| High income | $16,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,000 |
| Independent students | $20,136 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Fort Valley State University.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Did You Know?
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.