Quote · The Ramsey Show
Building Wealth Means Choosing What Matters Most
Where this was said
Reggie in Chicago — $65K/Year Film School for a Kid Already on Netflix
At 3:01 · chapter starts 0:36
Reggie from Chicago calls in with a problem most parents would envy: his son is flourishing creatively but the family's $120,000 529 fund is already half gone after just two years [1] — George Kamel "Filmmaking students go to school hoping one day to get on Netflix. Reggie's 19-year-old son is already there. George and Jade argue the rea…" 00:36 . The school is Belmont University in Nashville — Music Row connections, Christian community, and a $65,000/year price tag that caught the family off guard. What makes the situation uniquely thorny is the son's own track record: he produced and released a documentary that's currently streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime while still in high school. George is blunt — the people going to film school are hoping one day to do what this kid is already doing. Jade reminds Reggie that because he's paying, he does hold authority in this conversation. The three options George outlines are to sell the family home (which has doubled in value to about $1.2M with just $110K owed), cash-flow the tuition from their $200K income, or explore an equally connected but more affordable option like Middle Tennessee State. With over $1M in retirement savings and a strong financial foundation, the family has choices — but Reggie needs to have a real conversation with a stubborn teenager who might just be the sharpest person in his film class.
Filmmaking students go to school hoping one day to get on Netflix. Reggie's 19-year-old son is already there. George and Jade argue the real ROI of a $65K/year film school is near zero when the student already has industry credits, professional connections, and a portfolio — and the professor probably doesn't have a documentary on streaming.
Reggie's son attends Belmont University in Nashville, costing $65,000 per year — more than originally anticipated for a 4-year 529 fund.
