by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Fortis College— 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.
At Fortis College - Houston specifically, 83% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, averaging $7,655 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The average federal loan is $7,655. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Fortis College - Houston, 77% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $7,526 a year. This works out to 1.7% less than the $7,655 borrowed by freshmen.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $15,052 by year two and around $30,104 over a four-year span. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 77% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,526 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 498 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,748,173 |
The middle borrower at Fortis College - Houston owes $6,333 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,333 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $3,167 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Fortis College - Houston.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,167 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $9,414 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $11,524 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Fortis College - Houston.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Fortis College - Houston.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 326 | $5,493 |
| Completed (graduates) | 234 | $5,755 |
| Did not complete | 92 | $4,697 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $68.43/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 Fortis College - Houston.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 277 | $5,491 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 49 | $5,700 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Fortis College - Houston.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Fortis College - Houston follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 13.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2308 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,334 |
| Middle income | $6,333 |
| High income | $6,333 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,333 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,333 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $6,347 |
| Independent students | $6,333 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Fortis College - Houston.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Important to Remember
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.