Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary of Education | https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Cindy_Marten%2C_Deputy_Secretary_of_Education_2.jpg
Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary of Education | https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Cindy_Marten%2C_Deputy_Secretary_of_Education_2.jpg
Data shows that students paid $10,467 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $25 more than the previous school year.
Among the four institutions in the county, Mr Wayne's School of Unisex Hair Design stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $16,500. Fortis Institute-Cookeville followed with an average of $16,237 per year. Genesis Career College-Cookeville students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $9,070.
At the time, a total of $20.9 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Putnam County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $7.2 million.
Currently there are four higher education institutions in Putnam County, including Genesis Career College-Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University, and Fortis Institute-Cookeville.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortis Institute-Cookeville | 21 | $159,857 | $7,612 | 22 | $162,250 | $7,375 |
| Mr Wayne's School of Unisex Hair Design | 13 | $56,550 | $4,350 | 12 | $73,159 | $6,097 |
| Tennessee Technological University | 1,951 | $19,927,092 | $10,214 | 894 | $5,934,171 | $6,638 |
| Genesis Career College-Cookeville | 169 | $732,134 | $4,332 | 186 | $1,068,007 | $5,742 |
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