Imagine walking across a platform and receiving your college diploma, and you did it debt-free. It is possible to graduate from college without taking out student loans—but college is expensive, so you need a plan.
The average college graduate walks away with $35,000 in student loan debt, robbing them of their paycheck for decades.1 That’s because the student loan system is broken, and there are a lot of predatory players trying to trap you into a lifetime of debt. Taking on mountains of student loan debt is considered normal—but normal means being freakin’ broke! And being part of the student loan crisis doesn’t have to be your future. It’s time to be weird and join the movement of students who are graduating from college without debt.
In this video, Dave Ramsey and Anthony ONeal will guide you through the proven, step-by-step plan for graduating from college debt-free. Together, they debunk the myth that you need student loans in order to go to college, and they’ll answer questions about how to cash flow your degree.
You’ll also be inspired by students who put in the hard work, intentionality and grit to graduate from college (and earn advanced degrees) without debt. These “unicorns” will share their stories of how they scored free money for college—and how you can too. They share that the secret sauce to graduating college debt-free is going to an affordable school, working hard, and applying for scholarships and grants like it’s your job. One student named Kristina received a half million dollars in free money! Wow!
You’ll also learn the role that basic math plays on your college choice. If your dream school is going to bust your budget and require you to take out student loans—it’s a dumb choice. When you take debt off the table, you may need to pick a more affordable school, start at a community college, or live at home. But the students you’ll hear from prove that the short-term sacrifice is worth it to graduate debt-free and be able to own your future.
Dr. John Delony, dean of students at Belmont University, will share some tips and tricks on how to have the college conversation early with your kids and let them drive the process. And if you haven’t started saving for college or aren’t sure if you have enough saved, we’ve created a Debt-Free Degree College Calculator to learn how much money you’ll need, plus a plan to make it happen. And if you can’t pay for your kid’s college, you’re not a failure—you now have the opportunity to teach your kids the value of hard work and determination.
Graduating college debt-free may feel overwhelming, but you can do this! You and your kids don’t have to be part of the $1.6 trillion student loan crisis.2 All you need is a trusted plan and the determination to work the plan—whatever it takes. For more tips and tricks, you’ll want to get a copy of Anthony ONeal’s new book Debt-Free Degree and tune in to the Borrowed Future podcast.
Together, let’s cause a ruckus and be a generation of students who graduate from college debt-free. Join the movement, and go social with your journey at #debtfreedegree. It’s game on!
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Ramsey Solutions