Emails, Kelly Carper Polden, assistant director of communications, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, May 5-9, 2016
4:49 p.m.
May 5, 2016
This is what I have determined:
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board utilizes the state’s robust financial aid database (data reported to the Board by the institutions of higher education) to determine student debt at Texas public higher education institutions. The Coordinating Board includes data on students who may have attended multiple Texas public institutions, as well as federal parent PLUS loans but does not have access to credit card debt or commercial loan data. The purpose is to provide the fullest possible picture of the total academic debt incurred to obtain a credential, whether a certificate or degree.
From what we understand from The University of Texas System, they utilize federally recognized data and methodology that do not include existing debt incurred by their students who may incurred debt while attending other Texas public institutions or PLUS loans to parents, but focuses on native student debt data (students who started and completed at a UT institution).
Kelly
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2016 4:52 PM
To: Polden, Kelly Carper
Subject: RE: Seeking additional information
Ok, what does the board’s data show about debt accumulated by UT graduates?
9:18 a.m.
May 6, 2016
The average debt for FY 2015 for undergraduates at UT-Austin is $39,305. This number includes debt incurred at any institution attended before enrolling at UT. This information will be published in the 2016 Almanac, due out in about a week.
2:58 p.m.
May 6, 2016
We track undergraduate debt data. It will take time to provide graduate debt data and that project would have to be prioritized with all the other projects accountability is working on at this time.
Here is average undergraduate debt data for each UT institutions:
Institution | Avg Debt (FY2015) |
The University of Texas at Arlington | $24,970 |
The University of Texas at Austin | $39,305 |
The University of Texas at Brownsville | $23,634 |
The University of Texas at Dallas | $24,028 |
The University of Texas at El Paso | $22,593 |
The University of Texas–Pan American | $17,264 |
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin | $20,516 |
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | N/A |
The University of Texas at San Antonio | $30,406 |
The University of Texas at Tyler | $28,474 |
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2016 2:59 PM
To: 'Polden, Kelly Carper'
Subject: RE: Seeking additional information
How were these figures derived? Is this average debt for someone who graduated in a certain year?
12:57 p.m.
May 9, 2016
FY2015 average debt is calculated for undergraduates who had debt when they completed their academic career in FY2015.
As I explained in a previous email, debt is calculated as follows:
Identifiable debt: All debt reported to
the THECB, including federal, state, and
reported parent loans. No private loans are
included.