A high school senior's emotional call to The Ramsey Show quickly turned into a financial reality check after co-hosts George Kamel and Rachel Cruze warned her against taking on six figures in student loan debt for her dream college.
Teen's $100,000 College Dream Meets Harsh Reality
On Wednesday, Emma, an 18-year-old high school senior, told the hosts she was accepted into her "dream school," the University of Northwestern–St. Paul, a private college with tuition of about $38,000 a year.
Despite earning a partial scholarship worth $44,000 over four years, she still faced more than $100,000 in additional costs, with no savings and a family already struggling financially.
"I’ve known for a very long time that my parents were not going to help me with college," Emma said, adding that she helps pay household bills as the oldest of six children.
Ramsey Team Warns Student: Debt Will Steal Your Future
Cruze and Kamel praised her maturity but urged her to rethink the decision.
"There is a sign of maturity…that’s a true sign of an adult," Cruze said. "People don’t care what’s on your diploma."
“You're going to have to end up being an administrative assistant or something.”
She added, “You're not going to get to do what you want to do in life because you're going to have bills to pay for years for a Christian private education that you didn't need.”
Kamel echoed the warning: "You can't be a summer camp director when you're buried in student loan payments. You'll never get to do what you love if you owe that much."
Student Loans And High-Interest Loans Threaten Financial Stability
Ramsey recently cautioned callers about the risks of overwhelming debt and poor financial decisions.
An engaged caller, Josh, was warned against taking on $200,000 in student loans for CRNA school while planning a family.
Ramsey called the timing "selfish, strange, and immature," urging the couple to wait and find another way to pay.
In a separate call, 20-year-old truck driver Jack shared his struggle with a $60,000 RV loan at 18% interest, paying $800 a month with little going toward the principal.
Despite paying off other debts, he still faced a $10,000 shortfall if he sold the RV.
Co-host Jade Warshaw advised Jack to sell the RV immediately, even if it meant taking a small personal loan, noting it would reduce his debt from $48,000 to $10,000.
Co-host Ken Coleman added that delaying the sale would worsen his losses, as the RV was a rapidly depreciating asset.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock/ II.studio
