by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for State Technical College of Missouri— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At STC specifically, 42% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, at roughly $5,827 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $4,741, which is 86.2% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Across the full undergraduate body at STC (freshmen included), 41% take out federal student loans, with a mean of $5,304 annually. That is 11.9% greater than the first-year federal average of $4,741.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $10,608 by year two and around $21,216 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 41% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,304 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 834 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,423,334 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at STC carry a median federal debt of $8,500 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $8,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $10,986 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
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 STC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $12,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $14,686 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at STC.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for STC.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 67 | $7,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 43 | $6,736 |
| Did not complete | 24 | $7,077 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $80.1/mo.
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for STC.
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 STC follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 9.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 407 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,192 |
| Middle income | $8,357 |
| High income | $8,750 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,737 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,050 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $8,000 |
| Independent students | $9,669 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at STC.
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
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.