by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Sussex County Community College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Sussex County Community College specifically, 26% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, borrowing on average $5,868 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,311, representing 96.6% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at Sussex County Community College (freshmen included), 16% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $5,225 per year. That amounts to 1.6% smaller than the $5,311 freshmen take on.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $10,450 after two years and $20,900 over a four-year span. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 16% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,225 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 335 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,750,524 |
The median student at Sussex County Community College borrows $6,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $11,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Sussex County Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,550 |
| 25th percentile | $3,000 |
| 75th percentile | $10,800 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $15,982 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Sussex County Community College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Sussex County Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 200 | $17,456 |
| Completed (graduates) | 30 | $15,894 |
| Did not complete | 170 | $18,017 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $189.0/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Sussex County Community College.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 190 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 10 | — |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 69 | $14,690 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 131 | $20,224 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Sussex County Community College.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Sussex County Community College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 366 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $5,844 |
| Middle income | $5,652 |
| High income | $6,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,275 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,593 |
| Independent students | $7,028 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Sussex County Community College.
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
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.