<p>If I recall, the $4,000 cap was recently implemented. As a result, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the debt number rise next year as a result of the aforementioned tuition raise, but then come back down once the numbers in the magazines reflect more current policies. In theory, since the cap is $4,000, the max debt a student would graduate with (from the school) is $16,000, therefore the average (since one in 15 is getting a full ride and others don’t need any aid) should be less than that.</p>