by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Lone Star College System: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at North Harris Montgomery, 10% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, borrowing on average $3,248 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $3,242, which is 58.9% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at North Harris Montgomery (freshmen included), 11% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $6,081 per year. This works out to 87.6% greater than the freshman federal average of $3,242.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,162 over two years and about $24,324 over a four-year span. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 11% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,081 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 5,196 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $31,598,355 |
The median student at North Harris Montgomery borrows $5,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $5,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $8,600 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,250 |
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 North Harris Montgomery.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $3,152 |
| 75th percentile | $9,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $18,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at North Harris Montgomery.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at North Harris Montgomery.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 3904 | $13,663 |
| Completed (graduates) | 537 | $10,000 |
| Did not complete | 3367 | $14,309 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $118.91/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at North Harris Montgomery.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 3782 | $13,690 |
| No Stafford loan | 122 | $13,160 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 818 | $10,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 3086 | $15,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. North Harris Montgomery.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for North Harris Montgomery appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 4140 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,000 |
| Middle income | $5,250 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $5,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $4,749 |
| Independent students | $7,654 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for North Harris Montgomery.
Subsidized vs. 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.
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.