by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Counting every undergraduate at UWM Flexible Option, 29% rely on federal student loans toward their education, with a mean of $4,749 annually.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $9,498 by year two and around $18,996 by the fourth year. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 29% |
| Average federal loan per year | $4,749 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 167 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $793,054 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UWM Flexible Option carry a median federal debt of $15,250 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,250 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $23,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,750 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for UWM Flexible Option.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,954 |
| 25th percentile | $6,250 |
| 75th percentile | $28,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,367 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at UWM Flexible Option.
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 UWM Flexible Option.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 2595 | $15,528 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1343 | $16,149 |
| Did not complete | 1252 | $15,078 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $192.03/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UWM Flexible Option.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 2566 | $15,599 |
| No Stafford loan | 29 | $10,000 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 2072 | $15,294 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 523 | $17,245 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. UWM Flexible Option.
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 UWM Flexible Option is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 7134 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,500 |
| Middle income | $15,492 |
| High income | $14,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,625 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,808 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,000 |
| Independent students | $15,954 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UWM Flexible Option.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
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.