by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Las Positas College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Las Positas College specifically, 0% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, at roughly $9,402 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $9,402. 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.
Looking at all undergraduates at Las Positas College, freshmen included, 0% take out federal student loans, for a typical $6,698 annually. That amounts to 28.8% less than the $9,402 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $13,396 over two years and about $26,792 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 0% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,698 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 21 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $140,648 |
The median student at Las Positas College borrows $5,639 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $5,639 |
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Las Positas College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,000 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $12,623 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $21,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Las Positas College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Las Positas College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 483 | $19,446 |
| Completed (graduates) | 24 | $18,904 |
| Did not complete | 459 | $19,516 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $224.79/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Las Positas College.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 452 | $19,341 |
| No Stafford loan | 31 | $20,638 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Las Positas College.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Las Positas College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 81 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $5,777 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $4,820 |
| Independent students | $6,750 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Las Positas College.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.