by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Tennessee State University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Tennessee State University, 49% of first-year students take on loan debt, averaging $6,461 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $4,873, amounting to 88.6% 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.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Tennessee State University, 48% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $5,984 each per year. That is 22.8% greater than the $4,873 freshmen take on.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $11,968 over two years and about $23,936 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 | 48% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,984 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,133 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $18,746,371 |
The median student at Tennessee State University borrows $17,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $27,000 |
| 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.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Tennessee State University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $30,319 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $44,783 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Tennessee State University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Tennessee State University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1401 | $15,732 |
| Completed (graduates) | 595 | $18,771 |
| Did not complete | 806 | $14,633 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $223.21/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Tennessee State University.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1380 | $15,632 |
| No Stafford loan | 21 | $17,024 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1249 | $15,800 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 152 | $14,708 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Tennessee State University.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Tennessee State University appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2790 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,660 |
| Middle income | $16,998 |
| High income | $17,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,775 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,875 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,500 |
| Independent students | $17,250 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Tennessee State University.
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.
Did You Know?
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.