by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Harrisburg Area Community College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At HACC specifically, 43% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, at roughly $4,934 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $4,734, or about 86.1% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at HACC, 40% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $5,886 a year. This works out to 24.3% larger than the first-year federal average of $4,734.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $11,772 after two years and $23,544 after four. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 40% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,886 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,918 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $23,062,478 |
The middle borrower at HACC owes $9,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $17,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,718 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for HACC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,000 |
| 25th percentile | $3,597 |
| 75th percentile | $17,298 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,992 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at HACC.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for HACC.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1650 | $14,490 |
| Completed (graduates) | 328 | $11,534 |
| Did not complete | 1322 | $15,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $137.15/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at HACC.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1635 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 15 | — |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 915 | $10,662 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 735 | $19,896 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. HACC.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for HACC appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 16.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 5974 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $8,250 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,250 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $7,000 |
| Independent students | $12,506 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for HACC.
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.