A review performed by the Office of Student Financial Services has found that UW-Madison students are diligent about repaying student loans, according to a university statement.
The office found UW-Madison showed low default rates for two prominent federal loan programs.
The default rate for UW-Madison students who borrow from the Federal Stafford Loan Program was 0.8 percent in 2002-03, when the national rate was 4.5 percent.
In addition, UW-Madison saw a default rate of 2.33 percent for the Federal Perkins Loan in 2003-04, significantly lower than the national average of 8.29 percent.
Susan Fischer of the Office of Sudent Financial Services attributes UW-Madison's record-low default rate to the quality of a UW-Madison education.
She said a superior education prepares students to join the workforce and gives them the ability to repay their student loans.
