FSU Has Better Record Than Most for Student Loan Repayment

At some schools the averages are worse than at others. But Fayetteville State University students rank up there with the best.

With the constantly rising price of a college education, more and more students depend on student loans to graduate, and large group of Fayetteville State students are repaying those loans, but a new federal study says students at other historically black colleges and universities are not.

Benetta Parkins, 25, loves to return to Fayetteville State and visit. The 1995 graduate and single mother of two is now a school teacher. Although times can be tough, she says, she has never considered not repaying her student loan.

A federal study says many other FSU students have the same mind set. In 1995, only 8.5 percent of students there defaulted on their loans, which is about the national average for all universities. However, the national rate is double that at the nation's historically black colleges and universities.

Brenda Moore, FSU's financial aid director credits teamwork, a default management plan, and the school's strong loan counseling program.

If students don't repay their loans, schools could lose loan programs. Parkins say that gives her even more incentive to repay.

St. Augustine's College in Raleigh has implemented a similar loan counseling program and default management plan. In two years its default rate has fallen by about 6 percent.