by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Fort Hays Tech North Central: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At North Central Kansas Technical College, 40% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, for an average of $5,826 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,559. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at North Central Kansas Technical College, 44% borrow through federal student loan programs, for a typical $6,275 per year. That amounts to 12.9% higher than the $5,559 freshmen take on.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,550 by year two and around $25,100 over four years. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 44% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,275 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 208 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,305,123 |
The middle borrower at North Central Kansas Technical College owes $6,850 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,850 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $10,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
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 North Central Kansas Technical College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $12,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $19,325 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at North Central Kansas Technical College.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at North Central Kansas Technical College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 166 | $12,100 |
| Completed (graduates) | 31 | $12,380 |
| Did not complete | 135 | $11,756 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $147.21/mo.
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. North Central Kansas Technical College.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for North Central Kansas Technical College appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 286 |
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 | $9,243 |
| Middle income | $5,500 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $7,100 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for North Central Kansas Technical College.
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.