'These are disturbing numbers': A 59-year-old Virginia woman with 3 degrees and $258K in student debt asked Dave Ramsey for help — here was the guru's brutally honest advice

MSN  07th Jun 2023

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If you’re a graduate of higher education, you should have an easy time finding employment and making more money.

At least that’s how it’s supposed to be.

Yet millions of Americans continue to be saddled with student debt that can stay with them for decades, weighing down their ascent to a better life.

And in the case of a Virginia woman who recently called in to the Dave Ramsey Show, it covers multiple generations.

“I’m currently working two jobs to make ends meet,” Larhonda, 59, said on the show. “I currently owe $258,000 in student loans. Is there any way I can make that go away?”

That $258,000 in loans wasn’t just from one degree. Larhonda explained that not only did she pay for herself to obtain three degrees, but she also paid for her son’s tuition through Parent PLUS Loans.

Despite earning three degrees, she says she’s had a hard time making ends meet and paying off her debts. She has a multidisciplinary studies degree (criminal justice and religion), a master’s degree in accounting and a master’s in divinity.

Even after gaining those three degrees, Larhonda stated she’s working in logistics, making around $60,000 per year.

“These are disturbing numbers at 59 years old,” Ramsey said. “The answer to your question is, ‘We have to make more money.’ And we have not monetized your knowledge base very well.”