by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Fortis College-Norfolk: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Fortis College - Norfolk, 78% of first-year students take on loan debt, for an average of $7,446 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
Federal loans alone average $7,446. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Fortis College - Norfolk, 73% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $7,879 per year. This works out to 5.8% above the $7,446 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $15,758 over two years and about $31,516 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 73% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,879 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 320 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,521,187 |
The median student at Fortis College - Norfolk borrows $9,396 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,396 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,320 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Fortis College - Norfolk.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,167 |
| 25th percentile | $5,717 |
| 75th percentile | $10,996 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $14,250 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Fortis College - Norfolk.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Fortis College - Norfolk.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 236 | $5,421 |
| Completed (graduates) | 121 | $5,950 |
| Did not complete | 115 | $4,806 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $70.75/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Fortis College - Norfolk.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 212 | $5,394 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 24 | $7,973 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Fortis College - Norfolk.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Fortis College - Norfolk follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 254 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,262 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $8,466 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,340 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $6,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Fortis College - Norfolk.
Subsidized and 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.
Important to Remember
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.