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Student Loan Debt Spirals at For-Profit Colleges (Page 1 of 2)

Despite the publicity in recent years surrounding an ostensible “student loan crisis” that has saddled a generation of college students and their parents with overwhelming amounts of student loan debt, a large number of college students are actually graduating with little or no debt from student loans, newly released data has revealed.

However, the likelihood that a college student will take on any student loan debt depends largely on the type of school he or she attends, with students at for-profit career schools, online schools, vocational training programs, and other for-profit institutions tending to rely on student loans in much higher proportions.

Many College Students Eschewing Student Loans

About one in three college graduates leaves school without any debt from student loans, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Education as part of its National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, which is conducted every four years.

Of those students who earned a bachelor’s degree in the 2007–08 academic year, 34 percent graduated with no debt from student loans — a figure that has held steady over the past four years. Of those students who earned either a two-year or four-year degree or certificate, 41 percent graduated with no student loan debt.

The For-Profit Exception: Student Loan Debt Saturates Career Schools

A breakdown of the NPSAS student loan debt data, however, reveals that student loan borrowing diverges widely across types of higher education institutions, with students at for-profit colleges borrowing money for their education more often and in larger amounts.

Virtually all for-profit students are graduating with at least some debt from college loans.

Among graduates of two-year associate degree programs, for example, whereas only 38 percent of those in public programs left school with at least one education loan, 98 percent of those in for-profit programs did so.

Among graduates of two-year certificate programs, only 30 percent of students in public programs left school with education debt, while 90 percent of students in the for-profit programs did so.

Of those students who earned bachelor’s degrees, 62 percent of those in public four-year programs and 72 percent of those in private four-year programs graduated with debt from student loans, while 96 percent of students in for-profit bachelor’s programs did.

More Private Student Loans Seen at Career Schools

Students in for-profit programs were also more likely than their private and public counterparts to leave school with debt from non-federal private student loans.

Overall, 30 percent of students earning a higher education degree in 2007–08 had taken out private student loans. But the percentages were much higher among students of for-profit schools.

Among graduates of associate degree programs, 60 percent of those in for-profit programs had taken on debt from private student loans, compared to just 15 percent of those in public two-year programs.

Obtaining an Office Building Commercial Loans

Office buildings are a huge part of the community fabric. They create jobs, promote more business to come into the area and generate revenue for the entire community through their businesses. Office buildings, specifically ones with multiple tenants or very strong credit rated tenants, can be eligible for extremely favorable terms.

Property ownership of an office building can transfer many times over several decades, with new investors coming in and reworking the building, its tenants and its general look. Of course, the investment process for office buildings varies from that of other property types. Office buildings are often driven through the location, management skill and quality of their tenants.

Financing for an office building depends on a number of different considerations that go beyond the ability of the borrower to pay back the loan. Some things that have to be considered are the loan to value and debt coverage ratio. Typically, excluding SBA financing, an office building will need a loan to cover 80-90 percent of the purchase price, with the investor putting a 10-20 percent down payment on the building. Also, the debt coverage ratio should not be less than 1.2, which would require the borrower to generate a net cash flow that is 120 percent of the debt service amount.

Other factors need to be looked at with an office building commercial loan, including how many tenants have come into the building and left in the past ten or so years, and how many tenants are currently in a lease agreement, at that moment. If most of the tenants are in their fourth year of a ten year lease, then it is possible, after looking at rollover and renewal scenarios, that the debt coverage ratio will not be enough for the borrower to pay off.

Location for the office building should be considered, as well as its design and workmanship. Physical factors, such as these, will affect whether businesses move into the area, and into that building. Commercial lenders will look at the market-wide statistics of the building, including whether or not there is a high vacancy rate in the community, economic vitality of the area and the development activity.

For a good quality office building, the typical interest rate varies between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent over a ten year term with a 25-30 year amortization period. Since office buildings are so dependent on the market, local economy, location and other characteristics, it can be difficult for a borrower to secure a commercial loan in softer markets. If there is a high vacancy in the building, then financing most likely will not be approved. However, on that note, if the building has a good history of constant tenants, and is in a good location, then there is a good chance the loan will be approved by the commercial lender.

Any borrower should have an excellent business plan before approaching a lender. Understanding the market and viability of the area the office building is in will help determine if a loan is approved or not. Be sure to do the research before approaching a lender. Get more information