by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend South University-Montgomery: 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.
At South University, Montgomery, 80% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, at roughly $7,886 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $7,886. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent freshman. 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 South University, Montgomery (freshmen included), 70% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $7,561 in federal loans per year. This works out to 4.1% lower than the $7,886 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $15,122 after two years and $30,244 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 70% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,561 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 210 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,587,834 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at South University, Montgomery carry a median federal debt of $13,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,123 |
| 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 South University, Montgomery.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,501 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $22,542 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at South University, Montgomery.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for South University, Montgomery.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1565 | $9,598 |
| Completed (graduates) | 743 | $10,629 |
| Did not complete | 822 | $9,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $126.39/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at South University, Montgomery.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1367 | $9,690 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 198 | $9,256 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at South University, Montgomery.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for South University, Montgomery is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 17.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 20558 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,643 |
| Middle income | $15,278 |
| High income | $14,700 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,883 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,576 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $13,668 |
| Independent students | $12,990 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for South University, Montgomery.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.