by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Ottawa University-Online: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at all undergraduates at Ottawa University - Online, freshmen included, 58% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, averaging $9,290 annually.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $18,580 after two years and $37,160 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 58% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,290 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 173 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,607,128 |
The median student at Ottawa University - Online borrows $12,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
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 Ottawa University - Online.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,197 |
| 25th percentile | $6,383 |
| 75th percentile | $23,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,375 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Ottawa University - Online.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Ottawa University - Online.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 754 | $20,463 |
| Completed (graduates) | 171 | $20,600 |
| Did not complete | 583 | $20,428 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $244.96/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at Ottawa University - Online.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 737 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 17 | — |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 689 | $21,500 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 65 | $11,323 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Ottawa University - Online.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Ottawa University - Online is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1509 |
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 | $12,975 |
| Middle income | $13,726 |
| High income | $12,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,000 |
| Independent students | $17,123 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Ottawa University - Online.
Subsidized vs. 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
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.