by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of Wisconsin-Parkside 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.
Looking at all undergraduates at UW - Parkside Flex Option, freshmen included, 36% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $6,291 annually.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,582 by year two and around $25,164 after four. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 36% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,291 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 51 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $320,829 |
The median student at UW - Parkside Flex Option borrows $14,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,492 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,751 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at UW - Parkside Flex Option.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,890 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,675 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,261 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UW - Parkside Flex Option.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at UW - Parkside Flex Option.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 385 | $12,476 |
| Completed (graduates) | 182 | $13,139 |
| Did not complete | 203 | $12,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $156.24/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UW - Parkside Flex Option.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 330 | $11,593 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 55 | $17,670 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UW - Parkside Flex Option.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for UW - Parkside Flex Option appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1341 |
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 | $14,250 |
| Middle income | $13,750 |
| High income | $14,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,942 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,750 |
| Independent students | $18,577 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UW - Parkside Flex Option.
Subsidized and 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.
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.