by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for State Career College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at SCC, 96% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, averaging $10,387 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The typical federal loan comes to $9,500. 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.
Looking at all undergraduates at SCC, freshmen included, 54% take out federal student loans, averaging $9,500 annually.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $19,000 over two years and about $38,000 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 54% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,500 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 131 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,244,500 |
The median student at SCC borrows $9,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at SCC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $3,479 |
| 75th percentile | $9,500 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for SCC.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
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.