by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Tulsa Welding School-Houston, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At TWS specifically, 83% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $7,202 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
Federal loans alone average $6,711. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at TWS, 74% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $6,202 per year. That amounts to 7.6% smaller than the freshman federal average of $6,711.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,404 by year two and around $24,808 after four. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 74% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,202 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,367 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $14,679,469 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at TWS carry a median federal debt of $6,886 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,886 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,750 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for TWS.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,400 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $9,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $9,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at TWS.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at TWS.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1703 | $12,603 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1292 | $14,578 |
| Did not complete | 411 | $8,019 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $173.35/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at TWS.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1638 | $12,877 |
| No Stafford loan | 65 | $4,331 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1602 | $13,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 101 | $4,674 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at TWS.
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 TWS appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 14.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1866 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $7,125 |
| Middle income | $6,310 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $7,018 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,145 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at TWS.
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.