by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Seattle Film Institute: 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 Seattle Film Institute specifically, 56% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $5,930 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $5,337, representing 97.0% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Looking at all undergraduates at Seattle Film Institute, freshmen included, 55% finance part of their studies with federal loans, borrowing on average $8,442 per year. This is 58.2% greater than the $5,337 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $16,884 after two years and $33,768 after four. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 55% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,442 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 33 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $278,572 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Seattle Film Institute carry a median federal debt of $12,063 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,063 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $13,000 |
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Seattle Film Institute.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 20 | $18,646 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Seattle Film Institute.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,167 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,459 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,970 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,917 |
| Independent students | $18,250 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Seattle Film Institute.
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
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.