by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Trevecca Nazarene University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At TNU, 46% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, with a typical loan of $5,959 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,113, representing 93.0% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at TNU, 42% finance part of their studies with federal loans, for a typical $6,499 a year. That amounts to 27.1% more than the $5,113 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,998 by year two and around $25,996 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 42% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,499 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 717 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,660,035 |
The middle borrower at TNU owes $14,750 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,750 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,744 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,750 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for TNU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,504 |
| 25th percentile | $6,250 |
| 75th percentile | $19,860 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $28,621 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at TNU.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for TNU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 569 | $12,373 |
| Completed (graduates) | 360 | $12,000 |
| Did not complete | 209 | $12,436 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $142.69/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at TNU.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 491 | $13,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 78 | $8,876 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for TNU.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for TNU appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 895 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,590 |
| Middle income | $14,850 |
| High income | $14,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,138 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,160 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,979 |
| Independent students | $16,250 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at TNU.
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
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.