by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of Hawaii-West Oahu— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Looking at the entering class at UH West Oahu, 13% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $4,656 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $4,656, amounting to 84.7% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Looking at all undergraduates at UH West Oahu, freshmen included, 24% take out federal student loans, averaging $7,284 each per year. It comes to 56.4% larger than the $4,656 borrowed by freshmen.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $14,568 across two years and $29,136 over four years. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 24% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,284 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 601 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,377,851 |
The median student at UH West Oahu borrows $11,848 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,848 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $14,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,296 |
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 UH West Oahu.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $4,762 |
| 75th percentile | $18,249 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,714 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UH West Oahu.
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 UH West Oahu.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 178 | $13,924 |
| Completed (graduates) | 84 | $13,507 |
| Did not complete | 94 | $14,150 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $160.61/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UH West Oahu.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 98 | $12,662 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 80 | $15,037 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UH West Oahu.
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 UH West Oahu follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 167 |
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 | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $11,775 |
| High income | $11,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,587 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,315 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,000 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UH West Oahu.
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.
Important to Remember
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.