by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center Practical Nursing— 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 WBACTC Practical Nursing Program, 67% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, at roughly $6,888 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $6,888. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at WBACTC Practical Nursing Program, 67% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $9,364 a year. This is 35.9% greater than the freshman federal average of $6,888.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $18,728 in two years and roughly $37,456 over a four-year span. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 67% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,364 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 83 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $777,183 |
The median student at WBACTC Practical Nursing Program borrows $14,247 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,247 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $17,678 |
| 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 WBACTC Practical Nursing Program.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,819 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $13,017 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $13,017 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at WBACTC Practical Nursing Program.
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for WBACTC Practical Nursing Program.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for WBACTC Practical Nursing Program appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 12.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 117 |
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 | $17,678 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,562 |
| Independent students | $17,678 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at WBACTC Practical Nursing Program.
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.
Important to Remember
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.