Co-signed student loans: $135K total, $75K remaining
Parents who co-signed their daughter's student loans have already paid $60,000 and still owe $75,000 after she refused to make payments.
Snapshot · The Ramsey Show
The Decisions You Make Now Shape Your Success
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Jul 20, 2026
Where this was said
Question of the Day: Getting Your Daughter to Repay Co-Signed Student Loans
At 33:13 · chapter starts 33:10
Diana from Maine co-signed her daughter's student loans when the daughter was 17, with a promise that the daughter would make the payments. Now the daughter refuses to pay anything, leaving a $75,000 balance after the parents have already absorbed $60,000. Jade reads the situation clearly: the parents made a serious financial agreement with a teenager, which she labels a parenting issue as much as a financial one. [1] — George Kamel "A couple co-signed $135K in student loans for their daughter, who now refuses to pay. They've already paid $60K; $75K remains. George's adv…" 33:13 George adds that when a 17-year-old makes a promise about $135,000, the promise deserves minimal weight — teenagers don't comprehend compound interest on Parent PLUS loans, which carry higher rates than standard federal loans. The two paths: pursue repayment legally and lose the daughter's relationship forever, or absorb the $75,000 as a painful but relationship-preserving lesson. George and Jade both land on the same answer — pay the stupid tax, retire a year later than planned, and keep your family intact.
Parents Who Co-Signed $135K in Loans Face a $75K Relationship Decision
A couple co-signed $135K in student loans for their daughter, who now refuses to pay. They've already paid $60K; $75K remains. George's advice: pay the stupid tax and preserve the relationship, because winning the financial argument and losing your grandkids isn't a win.
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