by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Vermont State University— 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 the entering class at Vermont Tech, 73% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $9,846 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,174, equal to roughly 94.1% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
For undergraduates overall at Vermont Tech, 66% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $6,954 each per year. This works out to 34.4% higher than the $5,174 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $13,908 over two years and about $27,816 across a four-year program. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 66% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,954 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,354 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $16,369,646 |
The median student at Vermont Tech borrows $11,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $15,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
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 Vermont Tech.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,830 |
| 25th percentile | $7,134 |
| 75th percentile | $20,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Vermont Tech.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Vermont Tech.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 293 | $15,025 |
| Completed (graduates) | 106 | $14,735 |
| Did not complete | 187 | $15,025 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $175.21/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Vermont Tech.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 249 | $15,296 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 44 | $12,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Vermont Tech.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Vermont Tech is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 598 |
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 | $12,000 |
| Middle income | $9,750 |
| High income | $11,000 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $11,617 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,584 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Vermont Tech.
The Difference Between 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.
Did You Know?
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.