I Asked High Schoolers Money Questions They Weren’t Ready For

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "I Asked High Schoolers Money Questions They Weren’t Ready For"

Host: George Kamel (Ramsey Network)
Date: May 11, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, George Kamel visits a public high school in Middle Tennessee to challenge students with tough, practical questions about their future financial plans. The episode explores their career ambitions, college expectations, and understanding (or lack thereof) of debt, earning potential, and practical costs of their choices. The goal is to spark critical thinking and to encourage young people—and their parents—to have frank conversations and develop smarter strategies for avoiding student debt and making wise financial choices.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Reality of Student Debt (00:05–00:50)

• Opening Statement:

  • George sets the stakes by highlighting the startling average student debt ($40,000) and the long pay-off times (10–20 years):

    “The typical student loan borrower graduates with $40,000 in debt and it takes them 10 to 20 years to pay it off.” (00:06)

• Purpose:

  • To provoke the students to think ahead about the actual costs and implications of pursuing their dream careers.

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2. Athletic and Broadcast Dreams vs. Financial Reality

Aspiring Sports Broadcaster (00:32–05:04)

• Plan: College to study sports broadcasting, aiming for MTSU or University of Tennessee.
• Cost Estimate: “10 to 20,000 a year…on the upper side, 80 grand.” (00:42)
• Awareness of Pay: Admits ignorance, guesses “at least 70 [thousand]” a year starting out. (02:50)
• Willingness to Take on Debt: $20,000–$30,000, no more. (03:29)
• Time to Pay Off Loans:
  • George delivers reality check: “The average is 17 to 23 years.” (04:08)
  • Student repeats back, surprised: “I’d say like, 17 to 23 years.” (04:11)
• Takeaway:
  • George encourages the student to formulate a plan:

    “You wouldn’t step on the field without a game plan, would you?... You need a strategy.” (04:51–05:01)

Notable Moment: Lighthearted Sports Announcer Roleplay (01:24–02:37)

“Now we’re talking. See, now we got a broadcast going. People are tuning in. They’re leaning in.” (02:37)

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3. Becoming a Veterinarian: High Aspirations, Heavier Debt

Aspiring Veterinarian (05:09–07:32)

• Plan: Pre-vet college, then vet school, then owning a practice.
• Projected Debt: At least $100,000, possibly up to $200,000. (05:44–05:55)
• Earning Expectations: Starting at $100,000, rising to $140,000 and potentially higher with practice ownership. (06:07)
• Repayment Assumptions:
  • Thinks could pay off in 15 years; George highlights how long that really is for an 18-year-old (06:41–06:57).
  • Highlights the impact of interest: “You might end up paying $300,000 for that $200,000 loan.” (07:12)
• Reflection:
  • George recommends aiming for debt-free, to keep future earnings instead of “paying for the past.” (07:18)

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4. Nontraditional Paths and Unconventional Plans

Stay-At-Home Mom/Wife (07:37–10:09)

• Plan: No immediate aspiration for college or traditional career; dreams of being a stay-at-home wife (“shopping” as the main activity). (08:21)
• On Marriage and Money: Admits wanting to “marry rich,” but also says, “Money doesn’t buy happiness.” (08:36)
• Financial Awareness:
  • Unclear how to realize this plan, especially if future spouse isn’t wealthy or they have shared debt.
  • George jokes about needing a backup plan and recommends considering college anyway:

    “I’ve never recommended college to someone. But in your case, I might have a backup plan. In case you don’t just magically marry rich.” (09:41)

• Self-Perception:
  • Downplays her ability to attend college (“I don’t know that I have the brain to go to college”) (07:43), but is encouraged by George (“A lot of people dumber than you went to college”).

Memorable Quote:

George: “Egg on my face. I’ll meet up with you one day...‘Hey, I ended up marrying rich. Doing great right now.’” (09:51)

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5. Athletic Scholarships vs. Student Loans

Aspiring Baseball Player (10:11–12:52)

• Plan: Play baseball at a college like North Carolina, aiming for MLB. If not, fallback to become a physical therapist.
• Scholarship Decisions:
  • Values a full scholarship, even at a lesser-known school, to avoid debt:

    “Probably a team that gave me a full scholarship.” (11:19)

• Career Backup:
  • Interested in physical therapy if pro sports don’t work out.
• Uninformed on Degree Requirements:
  • Admits never being asked these questions about future planning:

    “Nah, never. … Probably just you. I appreciate it, though.” (12:18–12:21)

• George’s Advice:
  • Emphasizes trusting advice only from successful people and the danger of vague plans.

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6. Following the Herd on College

Nursing Major (Gabby) at UT Southern (13:05 segment)

• Plan: Plays softball with substantial athletic scholarship (covers 80% of tuition), intends to major in nursing.
• Parental Support: Mother plans to cover remaining personal expenses.
• Earnings Awareness: Unsure at first, underestimates salary ("$20,000"), then revises upward.
• Debt Avoidance: Set to mostly graduate debt-free via scholarships.

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7. Lack of Clarity and High-Risk Debt Decisions

Stenography/Pediatrics Aspirant (15:13–16:40)

• Plan: Certain about college but uncertain where or why (“Because I have to have a job” (15:23)). Wants to do pediatric ultrasound.
• On Debt:
  • Willing to take on any amount (“$300,000 into debt? … Yeah, sure.” (16:25))
  • Believes as long as she gets the degree, she can pay it off—even if salary is only $30,000 per year.
  • George challenges: “Trick question. Forever. You will never pay it off if you always make $30,000 and have $300,000 in debt.” (16:52)

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8. Nursing Major at University of North Alabama (17:06–19:39)

• Plan: Go to UNA for a four-year nursing degree, considering continuing for a PA qualification.
• Estimated Costs: $12,000/year, total close to $70,000 over the program.
• Salary Expectation: Guesses $70,000 per year starting; George finds actual starting salaries match this estimate ($62,000–$69,000). (18:38)
• Debt Avoidance Through Scholarships:
  • Secured a large portion of funding from area-based, academic, and other scholarships.
  • “Almost all of it [tuition and fees] covered.” (19:20)
• Reflection & Encouragement:
  • George boosts confidence:

    “Be more confident. Stand up straight. Go, ‘I’m going to be a nurse. I’m going to University of North Alabama. I’m going debt free. I’m going to make $70,000 starting.’” (19:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Plans Without a Game Plan:

  “You wouldn’t step on the field...without a game plan, would you? ...You need a strategy.” — George Kamel (04:51–05:01)

• On Willingness to Go Into Deep Debt:

  Student: “Yeah, sure.” (On $300,000 in debt.)
  George: “You would go $300,000 into debt snowball on Ramsey?” (16:25)

• On College for College’s Sake:

  George: “Why for sure college if you don’t know if you even need to go to college?”
  Student: “Because I have to have a job.” (15:19–15:23)

• On Salary vs. Debt Realities:

  George: “How long would it take to pay off?”
  Student: “I don’t know.”
  George: “Trick question. Forever.” (16:51–16:52)

• On the Importance of Honest Conversation:

  “That was the most frightening part. So if you’re a parent...have these conversations early, have them often. Talk about the numbers.” — George Kamel (19:49)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:05 – George sets up episode and stakes
• 00:32–05:04 – Sports broadcaster segment
• 05:09–07:32 – Veterinarian segment
• 07:37–10:09 – Stay-at-home mom/wife plan
• 10:11–12:52 – Baseball and physical therapy
• 13:05 – Nursing/softball at UT Southern
• 15:13–16:40 – Stenography/uncertain plan and extreme student debt
• 17:06–19:39 – Nursing at UNA, scholarships, and realistic planning

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Conclusions & Takeaways

• Most Teens are Underprepared: Many students don’t know how much their futures will cost—or how much their dreams actually pay.
• Debt is Not Calculated Realistically: Students often see large loans as inevitable or not worth worrying about now.
• Scholarships Make a Difference: Those who hustled for scholarships are set to avoid major debt.
• Critical Thinking is Rare: Few students have been asked to make a real financial plan, highlighting a gap in education and parental guidance.
• Parent/Teen Conversations are Essential: George strongly encourages all parents to proactively talk with their teens about real costs, planning, and alternatives to college debt.

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For listeners: If you're a parent, get ahead of these conversations. If you're a student, start thinking now about how to make your dreams a reality—without sacrificing your financial future.

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Transcript

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Foreign.

[George Camel]

What's up, guys? George Camel here. Today I'm at a public high school in Middle Tennessee to give some students a financial reality check. Because here's the deal. The typical student loan borrower graduates with $40,000 in debt and it takes them 10 to 20 years to pay it off. So I'm hoping these kids don't wind up like that. So I'm going to ask them some questions that maybe they haven't been asked before to save them for from themselves. Before we get to it, shout out to delete me for sponsoring this chaos. Let's get to it. What are your plans after high school?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Go to college.

[George Camel]

Which college?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Probably either MTSU or ut.

[George Camel]

Okay, so University of Tennessee or Middle Tennessee State University. How much will that cost?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

I don't know, 10 to 20,000 a year, I think.

[George Camel]

Okay, so we're talking on the upper side. 80 grand. How are you going to pay for that tuition? Technically, he's right. What do you want to study?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Broadcasting.

[George Camel]

What are you trying to broadcast?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Sports.

[George Camel]

Sports broadcasters. So you want to be like the guy on ESPN on SportsCenter sitting at the little U desk?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah, that'd be cool.

[George Camel]

I think it'd be cool too. You want to give it a shot right now? Let's see what you got.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Can't put me. What am I talking here? What am I like?

[George Camel]

What's your favorite sport?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Football. I play football.

[George Camel]

Football. Perfect. Okay, what's your favorite team?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Titans.

[George Camel]

All right, we are doing a Titans game day broadcast. You hear me?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Gotcha.

[George Camel]

Okay, who are they playing?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

The Jaguars.

[George Camel]

Titans versus Jaguars. All right, you ready? You do the intro? The ESPN music just played. It's big time. We're out there right in front of the field. What are we saying?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Good evening, ladies.

[George Camel]

We got ladies and gentlemen. I like that you're bringing the ladies into this.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's game against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

[George Camel]

It's against the Tennessee Titans and the Jaguars. That how you say it?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Today's game against.

[George Camel]

Wouldn't it be Titans against Tennessee? Titans against.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Okay, can't put me on the spot here. I need my notes.

[George Camel]

You're talking to a guy who couldn't put a sentence together regarding sports. And even I know you want to try it together. If I'm your co host, how about

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

you try and do it?

[George Camel]

All right. This is SportsCenter. Well, it's a beautiful day here at the Titans Stadium. They are facing the Jaguars and it's going to be a bloodbath, folks. What's the over, under Carter. Who do you think's got this one?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Titans got in the bag.

[George Camel]

What's your bet? You on? On my polymarket call. She betting on this thing?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

I put like, 20 bucks on it.

[George Camel]

You got a parlay going?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah. Three game stretch.

[George Camel]

What color is the Gatorade gonna be? Purple. I'll bet you 100 bucks it's orange.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

No, it's never orange. Always purple. Always bet on purple.

[George Camel]

Now we're talking. See, now we got a broadcast going. People are tuning in. They're leaning in. Man, that's the kind of energy we need around here if you want to be a broadcaster. How much money do you think you'll make being a broadcaster?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

I have no idea.

[George Camel]

Give me a guess or a hope.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

50,000? No, no, no, no, no, NO. Like, at least 70.

[George Camel]

Oh, at least 70,000. So right out of college, they just hand you a job in broadcasting? In sports. Making 70 grand. Sure sounds nice.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Hey, I'm a good broadcaster. I know that didn't show it, but I'm.

[George Camel]

You don't have to convince me. You got to convince them I'm a good broadcaster. So far, if we were up against each other in the interview, I think I'd have it.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

You do this for a job?

[George Camel]

You said you want to do this for a job.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Not right now. I mean, I'm doing it.

[George Camel]

Okay. Like, you're gonna go through some training?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah. Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Training.

[George Camel]

Yeah, sure. How much student loan debt would you be willing to take on for this broadcasting degree?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

20 to 30,000.

[George Camel]

That's the limit. So if it's 35,000, you're going. I'm not doing it right. Then what are you gonna do?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

I don't know. I haven't thought that far.

[George Camel]

If it's not broadcasting, I got Nothing. Become a YouTuber like me.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

No, No, I wouldn't do that.

[George Camel]

What's wrong with being a YouTuber?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

It's just not. Not for me.

[George Camel]

Okay. What about being a sports YouTuber? You do your own sports center.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Okay. That would be pretty cool.

[George Camel]

You never thought about that? I'm the first one to make it. Okay. How long do you think it would take you to pay off those $30,000 in student loans?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

A while, I think. I don't know.

[George Camel]

The average is 17 to 23 years.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

I'd say, like, 17 to 23 years

[George Camel]

walked right into that one. That's pretty scary, isn't it? You'd be, like, 40 years old by the time you knock out these student loans. If you did it the average way.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah, that's It's a long.

[George Camel]

It's a long time average student loan payments $393. What do you think you'll be making per month coming out of college? Take home pay after taxes? Three grand, four grand hopefully.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah, like three to 4,000.

[George Camel]

Okay. You're talking 10% of your paycheck gone back to the student loan lenders. That stinks, doesn't it?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah, that's pretty bad.

[George Camel]

Make you want to avoid student loan debt.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah, definitely.

[George Camel]

Does this make you want to have a conversation with mom and dad about an actual game plan?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

You wouldn't step on the field or the Titans field without a game plan, would you?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

No.

[George Camel]

You got a playbook. You know the stats, you know the other team, you know what they're going to do. Right?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Right.

[George Camel]

You need a strategy.

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

So you're going to come up with one tonight with mom and dad?

[Student 2 (Aspiring sports broadcaster)]

Yeah, I'm going to talk to him.

[George Camel]

I did my work here today. Thank you. Let's talk about your plans after high school. What's the game plan?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Well, I plan to go to college. I'm not sure yet cuz I don't know if I want to play sports in college or what sport I want to play, but I know I want to go to a college that has a pre vet program and then after that go to vet school.

[George Camel]

Oh, do you want to be a veterinarian? Is that the game plan?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

And then eventually own my own practice.

[George Camel]

Wow. So you have a very clear goal here. What's it going to cost to go to vet school? That's pretty expensive, isn't it?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Yeah, definitely expensive. But the pre vet college, I'm hoping to get all of it paid for through scholarships and. But if I go out of state, I probably won't get all of it paid for. And then vet school. Probably at least $100,000 in debt.

[George Camel]

least. You're. You're saying I'm going to go $100,000 into debt?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Yes.

[George Camel]

At least. What is the upper limit? What's the most debt you'd be willing to go into to complete vet school?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

I don't know.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

It's.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Being a vet is a very high paying job, especially if you own your own practice. So I would be willing to go maybe 200,000.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Yikes.

[George Camel]

Do you know how much a vet would make out of college? Out of the program?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Starting off, maybe a hundred thousand and then like as you get more experienced than 140 and then if you own your own practice, it could be middle 100,000 or middle 100 thousands.

[George Camel]

Like over $200,000.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Definitely.

[George Camel]

So how long do you think it would pay. It would take to pay off $200,000 in debt from this vet program.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Well, if I'm smart with my money, then not that much. Like if I'm after. After college, if I live alone and only pay for what I need, then it shouldn't take that long.

[George Camel]

Five years, 10 years? 20 years?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Maybe 15.

[George Camel]

15 years? That's not that long to you?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Well, for the amount of money, no.

[George Camel]

15 years ago, how old were you?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

One? Two.

[George Camel]

That's not a long time to you. From one year old to you now you're like that. One flew by. Time flies.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

No.

[George Camel]

So you'll probably be over 40 years old by the time this is paid off.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

And do you know how much interest it would cost you to pay off that $200,000?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Well, it depends on how much the interest is on the loan.

[George Camel]

Let's say it's 6%.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Well, then that's a lot.

[George Camel]

You might end up paying $300,000 for that $200,000 loan. Nice. Well, I wish you the best. I hope you go debt free personally, because then all the money you make is yours to start building for the future instead of paying for the past.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Yeah, me too.

[George Camel]

I think 15 years is a long time to be paying back all of that money. Instead of working hard now and making

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

sure to avoid debt, hopefully I can cut that time down.

[George Camel]

What are your plans after high school?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Stay at home, Mom.

[George Camel]

Really?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I don't know.

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

Maybe.

[George Camel]

So are you going to go to college?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Probably not.

[George Camel]

Because if you're like, why would I go to college to get a job? To then not have the job, to then stay at home.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

I don't know that I have the brain to go to college.

[George Camel]

I think you do.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

I think my ACT score says otherwise.

[George Camel]

Oh, wow. I'll tell you this much. A lot of people dumber than you that went to college. So I think you're in great shape.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Okay.

[George Camel]

But you don't want to go.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

I mean, I'd like to.

[George Camel]

You love the idea of being a mom, taking care of the household, the kids, all of that.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Well, maybe a wife. I don't know about the kids thing.

[George Camel]

So you just want to be a stay at home wife?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Yeah.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Just. Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay. How does that work? How do you spend your time?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Shopping.

[George Camel]

Okay, this is a fun plan. Now where do you find a guy who's like, yeah, that's fine. Just stay home, shop till you drop. I'll be out here working.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Good question.

[George Camel]

It sounds like you want to just marry rich. Is that a fair assessment?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

I mean, money doesn't buy happiness, so you have to make sure you're happy.

[George Camel]

Okay, continue. So would you marry someone who's broke and still accomplish your dream of being a stay at home wife who just shops?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I don't think.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

I think that contradicts itself.

[George Camel]

I would agree.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Okay.

[George Camel]

I would agree. I think you're gonna need to have a lot more resources than you need via the spouse's income.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Yeah, I fear so.

[George Camel]

Yeah, that probably means you can't have any debt that's gonna hurt your game plan to stay home.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

If he's like, hey, you gotta go to work. We got a thousand dollar truck payment and credit card debt to pay off.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Yeah, I like trucks.

[George Camel]

What do you drive now?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

A Lincoln.

[George Camel]

Who paid for that?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

My mom.

[George Camel]

Okay. Is she on board with your game plan?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Maybe she thinks I'm joking.

[George Camel]

But you're not?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Probably not.

[George Camel]

Should we tell her that you're not joking? That you're dead serious?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Maybe so.

[George Camel]

All right. I'm not going to be the one to tell her. I think that's your job. That's a conversation you need to have tonight. Right, but that's the game plan. You graduate at 18 and then you go door to door. A dating app. What's the game plan to find this guy?

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

I don't know. Maybe I do need to go to college.

[George Camel]

I don't think it's a bad idea. I've never recommended college to someone. But in your case, I might have a backup plan. Yeah, in case you don't just magically marry rich.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Yeah, probably not gonna happen.

[George Camel]

Egg on my face. I'll meet up with you one day. Hey, I remember you. Yeah, I ended up marrying Rich. Doing great right now.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Yeah, you'll probably remember me.

[George Camel]

Okay, well, I wish you the best. I don't know that I have much advice for you.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Me neither.

[George Camel]

About college or debt. I just hope you don't go into any debt and I hope you get your dream.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Thank you.

[George Camel]

What are you doing with your life?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Playing baseball.

[George Camel]

That's the game plan?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

What do you want to do with that after high school?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Hopefully go play college baseball. And hopefully I get to play for a long time.

[George Camel]

So, college baseball, what will that turn into? Hopefully. Are you wanting to go to the big leagues?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah, that's my goal.

[George Camel]

Do you go from college baseball to a minor league team to a major league team? Is that how that works?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah, there's like different A's, there's single A double A, Triple A. You just gotta work your way up.

[George Camel]

What's the best?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

A Triple A is the best, but then majors is after a. Aaa.

[George Camel]

So a. AAA team would be a minor league team. Yeah. Okay. What would be the one you'd want to play for?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Probably the major league team.

[George Camel]

You got one in mind. Your favorite team.

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

I mean, like the Red Sox, but

[George Camel]

my man, I'm from Boston. So you chose the right team. Not a Yankees guy.

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah, not a big Yankees guy. Gross.

[George Camel]

So plans after high school are to go to college? What college?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

I mean, like North Carolina or something.

[George Camel]

They've got a great baseball program over there. You think you can get in and get a full scholarship to go play baseball?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

I mean, it's definitely not going to be easy, but. Just matters how hard I work.

[George Camel]

What if you didn't get a full scholarship, but another school gave you a full scholarship to play baseball but the team wasn't as desirable? Which one are you going to pick?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Probably a team that gave me a full scholarship.

[George Camel]

Because you want to avoid debt or what?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

And you still think your career would be the same either way. If you're good enough, you're going to float to the top.

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

If you're good enough, you'll make your way there.

[George Camel]

I like that plan. So what are you going to study outside of playing baseball? What are you going to major in

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

if baseball doesn't work out? I mean, I'd like to be like a physical therapist or something.

[George Camel]

There we go. Okay, so you want to be a physical therapist and make sure that people can, especially in the athletic world. Yeah. So if you. Let's say you hurt your shoulder playing baseball, you might be a physical therapist for athletes.

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

That's a good plan. What do you think you could make as a physical therapist? You think they make a lot of money?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Probably a decent amount.

[George Camel]

What's a decent amount to you? 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80. You just stop me when you feel you hit the number 70,000. 70,000 as a physical therapist, that'd be a good number to you. That's a decent amount. And you think you could make that out of school?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay. What's the kind of education you need to become a physical therapist?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

I don't know.

[George Camel]

You want to find out?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Sure.

[George Camel]

Has anyone ever asked you these kinds of questions?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Nah, never.

[George Camel]

Why is that? Does nobody care but me?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Probably just you. I appreciate it, though.

[George Camel]

Now, when you say, I'll figure it out, what does that mean? Because I said that and then I went $40,000 into student loan debt because I had no game plan.

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Hopefully just get good advice from people.

[George Camel]

Whose people? Who are you getting advice from? I don't trust just people. People are dumb. You ever meet people, successful people? Who's successful in your mind? I notice you're not making eye contact with me on that one. It's not me.

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

I don't know.

[George Camel]

You could have just said me. It's funny. Yeah. You, your parents, are they successful?

[Student 6 (Aspiring baseball player)]

Yeah, my parents. And you?

[George Camel]

Perfect. I got to admit, it's a little scary being back in the halls of a high school. But you know what's even scarier? Having your personal info float around the Internet unchecked. And that's what's happening to most of you out there. Your personal info, your email, your address, your family's information is on these data broker sites. And they're selling it to spammers and scammers, which can lead to spam scam, fraud, and phishing attacks. So fight back with Deleteme. They scour hundreds of data broker sites to remove your info and keep it gone. Go check it out and get 20% off their annual [e-mail], george. You know what I don't miss about high school? Getting put into a headlock and getting a noogie. And some of you are experiencing that with your cell phone bills right now. All right? They're locking you into contracts. They're changing the price willy nilly. And it doesn't have to be that way when you switch to a carrier like Boost Mobile, okay? There's no contracts, no hidden fees. It's $25 forever on their unlimited plan. And you can bring your phone, bring your number, and have a much better experience without ever worrying about getting bullied again. So go check it out. Make the switch [e-mail] Ramsey $25 forever requires customers to remain active on the Boost Mobile unlimited plan. What are your plans after high school, Gabby? I'm going to play college at UT Southern for softball. Wow. Congrats. Like, that's a for sure. It's already happening. Yeah. Full scholarship. No. What's the scholarship? 80% of my tuition paid. So you'll owe 20. Plus the other. All the other things. Room and board, food. Okay. How are you going to pay for that? My mother is that. Did you have you talked scholarships? Oh, you have scholarships. So you're going to school completely debt free without your parents even shipping in? Maybe on, like, my expenses, like, things I need for the dorm or whatever. Okay. But aside from that, your tuition room Board. You're pretty much covered through your athletic scholarship and other scholarships? Yes. Okay. What are you going to actually major? Nursing. Nursing major. Wonderful. So after, are you going to go continue with softball to get the scholarship all the way through? What do you think you're going to make your first year out of college in nursing? I have no idea. Take a guess. 50,000? 100,000? 20,000. 20,000. So you're going to be making about $9 an hour as a nurse in four years? Maybe not. I mean, maybe starting out. 30. Let's talk about your plans. What's your plans after high school?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Go to college, I guess. I'm not really sure yet.

[George Camel]

Maybe college, maybe not. Or for sure college. But you don't know what college.

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Don't know what yet.

[George Camel]

So why for sure college if you don't know if you even need to go to college?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Because I have to have a job.

[George Camel]

And so you're saying without college there is no job?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

I mean, yeah, but you just don't

[George Camel]

get paid as good, is that for sure?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Pretty sure.

[George Camel]

What about someone who is in the trades, went to a trade school instead of college and now they're an electrician or plumber making $80,000?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Some kind of like degree behind their name?

[George Camel]

Sure, there's some training, some education, but not a four year degree from a college. That's kind of what you're aiming at?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

You're not going to go. What about cosmetology for example? Not for you.

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

No.

[George Camel]

Do you have any inkling as to what you want to do?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Stenography.

[George Camel]

Stenography. Tell me about that.

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

It's like the ultrasounds where you tell which organ is which. But I want to do peds.

[George Camel]

Oh, that's so you. You know exactly what you want to do.

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

That's cool. How much will that cost, you think, to get that kind of degree?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

What do you like, money wise?

[George Camel]

Money wise? Yeah, I have made it that far. What amount of debt would you be willing to go into in order to get this degree?

[Student 3 (Aspiring veterinarian)]

I don't know.

[George Camel]

Unlimited?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Yeah, sure.

[George Camel]

You would go $300,000 into debt snowball on Ramsey.

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Okay.

[George Camel]

It'll take a while to get move that debt snowball. But you'd be willing to go into $300,000 of debt to get this degree?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Yeah, because if I get my degree then I can pay it off.

[George Camel]

How much will you make?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Depends on what hospital you're at.

[George Camel]

Let's say you make $30,000 a year and you have $300,000 to pay off. How long Would that take to pay off?

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

I don't know.

[George Camel]

Trick question. Forever. You will never pay it off if you always make $30,000 and you have $300,000 in debt. Because think about it. You got interest on that debt.

[Student 5 (Stenography/pediatrics)]

Well, if I die, then it doesn't happen. I think we broke his brain.

[George Camel]

What's your plans after high school?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I plan to go to college and major in nursing. And maybe I'll continue on and be

[George Camel]

a pa. PA Physician's assistant. That's awesome. Okay, where do you plan on going for this nursing program?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

The University of North Alabama.

[George Camel]

Oh, wow. We're going out of state.

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Yeah, but they count us in Murray county. As in state.

[George Camel]

I didn't know that. So based on proximity, they're like, you're basically in Alabama. That's legit. Okay, so that mean you get. You get in state tuition, what does that cost?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

You know, it's about 12,000 per year.

[George Camel]

12 grand a year. And it's a four year program?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

And then what is that? You're like, what do you get after that four year degree?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I get nursing degree.

[George Camel]

And then you're done or you have another year or two.

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I'm not sure of like what my plans would be. Like it's a four year program, but it's just like really what I decide.

[George Camel]

Okay. What do you think you'll make your first year out of college?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Enough money to support myself.

[George Camel]

Is that $30,000? $100,000.

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

It'd be close. Like maybe my first year. Be like 70,000.

[George Camel]

70,000. Okay, let's look this up. So would you be an rn? Registered nurse. Is that the position?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Possibly.

[George Camel]

Okay, we're going to do this together. It'll be a really fun game. Would you work around here?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

No, I don't think so. I think I want to move somewhere else.

[George Camel]

Where would you move to?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Great question. I just.

[George Camel]

Just not here. You do not want to be here. Okay, so let's do this. I'm going to do starting salary for an rn. Can we say near this area?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay. You said it's $70,000.

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Maybe I'm right. Hopefully I'm right.

[George Camel]

Are you nervous? Yeah, because I'm really 62,000 to 69,000 a year.

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I'm so smart now.

[George Camel]

What is it going to cost you total to get that nursing degree? Probably close to 70,000.

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Yeah, that was a good.

[George Camel]

Are you going to have to go into debt for that?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Hopefully not.

[George Camel]

But you have no game plan. How do you plan on paying for it?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I have scholarship money right now already.

[George Camel]

Nice. What's the scholarships for? How'd you get them?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

One is you get some for like in the Tennessee Valley area. There's that scholarship then have academic scholarships then. What else do I have? It was like a bunch of academic scholarships.

[George Camel]

So you. Did you work really hard to apply for all these scholarships and get good grades?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Nice. So how much does that cover?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Almost all of it.

[George Camel]

Has anybody ever asked you these questions?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

I guess I'm like relatives, but no one has really been into debt with

[George Camel]

just like an aunt or uncle, like, what's your plans?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Do they talk like that?

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Oh, yes. And actually look at them with a blank face.

[George Camel]

Because you don't know. But you do know. You know more than you think you know.

[Student 1 (Stay-at-home mom plan)]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Be more confident. Stand up straight. Go. I'm going to be a nurse. I'm going to University of North Alabama. I'm going debt free. I'm going to make $70,000 starting.

[Student 4 (Nursing major at University of North Alabama)]

Yes.

[George Camel]

Well, I gotta say, for all the years I got bullied in high school, it was really fun to be on the other side and interrogate some kids and make them a little squirmish and uncomfortable. But here's what I learned. A lot of these kids are hearing about this stuff for the first time. Nobody them about their future, what they plan on doing, how they plan on paying for it. Will they go into debt? How long will it take to pay off? How much money will they make? And that was the most frightening part. So if you're a parent of one of these kids, have these conversations early, have them often talk about the numbers. How much are you saving for school? What's the game plan to go to school debt free? How much will you realistically make based on the job you want and what is it going to take to get there? And is college the only path and the best path? That's the kind of stuff you need to be thinking about if you want a great financial future. So if you enjoyed me talking to students, you're going to love this video where I talk to grownups about how much debt they have. And it was just as uncomfortable. So click here to watch it or use the link in the description. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time.