by our College Data Analytics TeamA large number of students will never be charged the full, advertised sticker price of a school. Instead, they will be given a financial aid offer that will include a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study. The price tag of going to Southwestern Community College can appear overpowering, but remember that the majority of students obtain some kind of financial assistance.
What financing options does SWCC offer, and what will you qualify for? Keep scrolling for more information. Scroll down to find out just how much financial aid will be open to you.
The amount of financial aid and scholarships you are eligible for will vary depending on your family’s income. The figures below will help you estimate the aid you might receive from Southwestern Community College.
Colleges use loans, grants, scholarships and work-study to minimize what students actually pay out of pocket. Note that some aid is more valuable than the rest, and individual awards are far from uniform.
Looking at the entering class at Southwestern Community College, 87% of new full-time first-years were awarded at least some aid some 212 incoming students).
| Type of Aid | % of Freshmen Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 79% | $7,099 |
| Institutional grants & scholarships | 45% | $3,107 |
| Federal Pell grants | 52% | $5,771 |
| State/local grants | 31% | $3,630 |
| Federal student loans | 43% | $4,573 |
Unlike loans, grants and scholarships are gift aid that does not need to be paid back, making them the most desirable form of assistance. Across the undergraduate body at SWCC, some 34% of undergrads got grants or scholarships worth on average $6,615 (across approximately 562 recipients).
| Award | % of Undergrads Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 34% | $6,615 |
| Federal Pell grants | 24% | $5,210 |
| Federal student loans | 22% | $5,966 |
Among title-IV aid recipients living on campus, grant and scholarship aid averaged $7,080.
How much a family pays depends heavily on income, because most aid is awarded on the basis of financial need.
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 – $48,000 | $7,758 |
| $30,001 – $75,000 | $8,753 |
| Over $75,000 | $12,509 |
Each amount is the average cost remaining once grant aid is subtracted, by income band.
The net price strips out grant and scholarship aid from the sticker price to show roughly what families really pay.
| Cohort | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| On-campus title-IV students | $9,871 |
| Off-campus title-IV students | $9,775 |
For a customized cost estimate, visit SWCC’s online cost calculator: www.swcciowa.edu/net-price-calculator/.
The median federal debt load at SWCC comes to $7,418 of federal borrowing.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median federal debt (all student-aid borrowers) | $7,418 |
| Median federal debt (graduates only) | $10,975 |
| Typical 10-year monthly payment (graduates) | $116.35/mo |
Under a standard ten-year plan, the median graduate’s monthly payment lands near the figure above.
Percentiles reveal the spread — half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles. These percentiles trace how cumulative federal debt is spread among borrowers at SWCC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,000 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $12,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $19,000 |
Debt outcomes are not uniform — they shift with income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,750 |
| Middle income | $6,739 |
| High income | $5,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Median Debt
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
Federal data publishes pre-calculated indicators that summarize debt outcomes. SWCC.
The Stafford program is the federal direct-loan vehicle most undergraduates use. The totals below capture Stafford lending at SWCC:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stafford loan recipients | 5713 |
| Total Stafford loan amount | $58,331,506 |
The GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance are the main federal aid routes for veterans and service members.
Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GI Bill recipients | 6 |
| Total GI Bill amount | $26,077 |
| Average GI Bill amount per recipient | $4,346 |
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.